Mencius (book)

*Mencius*
Mencius
	"Mencius" in seal script (top) and regular (bottom) Chinese characters
Chinese name
Chinese	孟子
Hanyu Pinyin	Mèngzǐ
Literal meaning	"[The Writings of] Master Meng"
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Mèngzǐ
Bopomofo	ㄇㄥˋ ㄗˇ
Gwoyeu Romatzyh	Menqtzyy
Wade–Giles	Mêng4 Tzŭ3
Yale Romanization	Mèngdž
IPA	[mə̂ŋ.tsɹ̩̀]
Wu
Romanization	Man-tsy
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization	Maahngjí
Jyutping	Maang6zi2
IPA	[maːŋ˨.tsiː˧˥]
Southern Min
Hokkien POJ	Bēng-chú
Tâi-lô	Bīng-tsú
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese	mæ̀ng dzí
Old Chinese
Baxter–Sagart (2014)	*mˤraŋ-s tsəʔ
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabet	Mạnh Tử
Chữ Hán	孟子
Korean name
Hangul	맹자
Hanja	孟子
Revised Romanization
Transcriptions
Revised Romanization	Maengja
Japanese name
Kanji	孟子
Kana	もうし
Romanization
Transcriptions
Romanization	Mōshi

Mencius
孟子
	Early-13th-century Mencius printing held in National Palace Museum
Author	Mencius
Country	China
Language	Chinese
Genre	Philosophy
Publication date	c. 300 BC

The Mencius (Chinese: 孟子; pinyin: Mèngzǐ; Old Chinese: *mˤraŋ-s tsəʔ) is a collection of conversations, anecdotes, and series of genuine and imagined interviews by the Confucian philosopher Mencius.^[1] The book is one of the Chinese Thirteen Classics, and explores Mencius' views on the topics of moral and political philosophy, often as a dialogue with the ideas presented by Confucianism.^[2]^[1] The interviews and conversations are depicted as being either between Mencius and the various rulers of the Warring States period, or with his students and other contemporaries. The book documents Mencius' travel across the states, and his philosophical conversations and debates with those he meets on his journey.^[2] A number of scholars suggest that the text was not written by Mencius himself, but rather by his disciples.^[3] The text is believed to have been written during the late 4th century BC.^[3]

^ ^a ^b Brooks, E. Bruce; Brooks, A. Taeko (2017-12-31), "11. The Nature and Historical Context of the Mencius", Mencius, University of Hawaii Press, pp. 242–281, doi:10.1515/9780824863609-013, ISBN 978-0-8248-6360-9
^ ^a ^b Fuller, Michael A. (2004-07-01). An Introduction to Literary Chinese. Harvard University Asia Center. doi:10.2307/j.ctt1tg5n4n. ISBN 978-1-68417-322-8.
^ ^a ^b Kern, Martin (2010-04-01), "Early Chinese literature, beginnings through Western Han", The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature, Cambridge University Press, pp. 1–115, doi:10.1017/chol9780521855587.003, ISBN 978-1-139-09541-9

[:0-1] Brooks, E. Bruce; Brooks, A. Taeko (2017-12-31), "11. The Nature and Historical Context of the Mencius", Mencius, University of Hawaii Press, pp. 242–281, doi:10.1515/9780824863609-013, ISBN 978-0-8248-6360-9

[:1-2] Fuller, Michael A. (2004-07-01). An Introduction to Literary Chinese. Harvard University Asia Center. doi:10.2307/j.ctt1tg5n4n. ISBN 978-1-68417-322-8.

[:2-3] Kern, Martin (2010-04-01), "Early Chinese literature, beginnings through Western Han", The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature, Cambridge University Press, pp. 1–115, doi:10.1017/chol9780521855587.003, ISBN 978-1-139-09541-9

[1]

[2]

[3]

Early-13th-century Mencius printing held in National Palace Museum
Author	Mencius
Country	China
Language	Chinese
Genre	Philosophy
Publication date	c. 300 BC