The meaning of benevolence and righteousness?

1, generous and upright.

2, gentle and sensible.

Second, benevolence and righteousness.

1 is an important ethical category of Confucianism. Its original intention is kindness and justice. As early as in the Book of Rites Quli: "Moral benevolence and righteousness are indecent." Mencius in the Warring States period emphasized this concept more. Since then, Dong Zhongshu, a Han Confucian, has inherited his theory and regarded "benevolence and righteousness" as the highest criterion of traditional morality.

2. After the Song Dynasty, due to the explanation and admiration of Neo-Confucianism, "benevolence and righteousness" became another name of traditional morality, and was often called "benevolence and morality" together with "virtue", "courtesy, wisdom and faith".

Extended data:

The reason why "righteousness" in Mencius' thought of "benevolence and righteousness" was put forward

First, the result of the development of the times

1. Compared with Confucius in the Spring and Autumn Period, the environment in which Mencius lived in the middle of the Warring States Period has undergone great changes. Politically, the land ownership of clan lords has gradually changed into the private ownership of landlords, and the contradictions within the ruling class have become increasingly acute and complex. There is a fierce struggle between prefectures and doctors for more land and population, and the merger war is getting worse.

2. Economically, with the wide application of iron smelting technology in production and life, social productivity has been greatly improved and social economy has become increasingly prosperous. The state has taken corresponding reform measures to ensure the rapid development of social economy, and the ruling class cruelly exploited and oppressed the working people;

Culturally, scientific and technological progress has further improved people's ideological understanding. In turbulent times, people are free to move and their thoughts are unprecedentedly active. In this case, Confucius' original "benevolence" has been unable to adapt to the changes of the times. Mencius' unique thought was produced and formed from this. ?

Second, the result of the development of Confucius' theory.

1. Mencius constantly improved and enriched his knowledge while absorbing Confucius' thoughts. In order to make his thoughts more convincing and easily accepted by people, he combined his own experience, centered on Confucius' thought of benevolence, and incorporated righteousness into it, taking benevolence in Confucius' thought as the patriarchal clan ethics principle and righteousness as the relationship between monarch and minister.

2. "Benevolence" is the second of Mencius' four virtues of benevolence, courtesy and wisdom. Although Confucius also put forward these four virtues, he emphasized the "benevolence" that people should love each other and the "courtesy" that maintained the ruling order of the Zhou Dynasty. Mencius supplemented benevolence with righteousness, which made Confucianism more perfect and reasonable.

References:

Renyi-Baidu Encyclopedia