The Basic Character of the Virtue Theory of Mencius’ Philosophy and Its Significance in Classical Confucianism

Abstract

Mencius takes humaneness as the primary moral idea, and makes new annotations to some classical Confucian moral ideas, such as rightness, courtesy and intelligence. The main traditional topic of virtue has, in Mencius, been transformed gradually form virtuous conduct to virtue. The four minds-four virtues theory of Mencius marks the formation of virtue ethics in classical Confucianism.