People-oriented thought is the essence of Mencius' thought. He clearly put forward to "protect the people" and "have fun with the people". He put forward that "the people are the most important, the country is the second, and the monarch is the light." In his view, the political basis that determines the ruler's dominance is the opposition of the people's hearts, and the obedience of the people's hearts is the decisive factor for unifying the world. In a sense, the people are more important than the monarch. Based on this view, he put forward that "the weather is not as good as the geographical position, and the geographical position is not as good as people." ("Mencius Gongsun Chou")

Step 2 be kind

Benevolence is the core of Mencius' political thought, which is mainly manifested in two aspects:

(1) Supporting the people: First, we must control the people's property. "Therefore, Mingjun must control the property of the people, and must support his back, serve his parents and serve his wife, so that he can be satisfied all his life and avoid dying in an unfavorable time." Mencius' benevolent policy is to reasonably solve basic problems such as land, food, clothing and education, the most important of which is the land problem. Second, we must enable the people to make use of time, rest and serve. Mencius believed that when the rulers requisitioned labor, they should take "not violating the farming season" as the premise, and at the same time, they also opposed indiscriminate fishing and logging. Third, they should take ownership from the people. He advocates that thin taxes should be paid lightly, and heavy taxes should not be levied. He regarded this as a way to enrich the people, and called those so-called "good ministers" who claimed to be able to "reclaim land for the monarch" thieves ".

(2) Teaching the people: Educating the people, he repeatedly said: "I would like to take teaching as the order and filial piety as the use." He believes that education is an important measure to ensure social harmony, which can make people understand human relations and solve people's moral problems.

3. Wang Dao

"King" is the highest ideal of national politics put forward by Mencius. Mencius believes that whether people-oriented and benevolent policies can be realized is related to whether the goal of "king" can be realized. Mencius' so-called "kingly way" means "rule by virtue is king". In Mencius' view, the rule of kingly way is to "protect the people as kings", that is, "enjoy the world and worry about it". (Mencius Hui Liang Wang Xia) It is precisely because Mencius regards the realization of kingship as the highest political ideal that anyone who does not govern the country by kingship is regarded as a "sinner" and a "lonely thief" by him, and he lashes out at him.

4. Temperature and thickness

The theory of good nature is the basis of his ethical and political thought.

First of all, human nature is the same. The nature of kindness is the difference between human beings and animals, and everyone has the ability to be kind.

Secondly, people's kindness is innate, not acquired.

Thirdly, the goodness of "everyone has it" is only the bud of morality at first, and only through self-cultivation can it develop into a perfect morality.

Step 5 be considerate

In Mencius' view, "getting the message" is the necessary way to become a "saint".

"Dedication" refers to the expansion of compassion, shame, resignation and right and wrong in human nature to the extreme;

"Intellectuality" means to have an accurate and profound understanding of the ethics of nature, such as benevolence, righteousness, propriety and wisdom, and put it into practice. "Dedication" is the premise.

In Mencius' view, as long as we work hard on "few desires", "introspection" and "nourishing qi", it is possible to achieve "omniscience"

6. Educational thoughts

Educational purpose: moral.

Emphasis: independent thinking and independent thinking are required in the learning process.

Educational method: "preserving and nurturing", that is, maintaining and developing people's kindness.