Mencius, << MEHN shee uhs >> (390?-305? B.C.), was one of the most influential figures in the development of the Chinese philosophy called Confucianism. Mencius is best known for his belief that human nature is good. He also believed that the people of a nation were justified in deposing or even killing a bad ruler. Mencius defined a bad ruler as one who ignored the people’s welfare and governed them unkindly. Many of Mencius’ ideas appear in the Mengzi (also spelled Meng-tzu), a book that is probably a collection of his teachings.
Mencius was born in the state of Zou, in what is now Shandong Province. His real name was Meng Ke. The name Mencius is the Latin form of Mengzi, a title that means Master Meng. Scholars know nothing about Mencius’ early life except for information in some unreliable legends.
