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Two thinkers, side by side

Life

c. 440 BCE – c. 360 BCE

Chinese

The philosopher of the self, who would not give a single hair to save the world, and asked why a life should be spent on anything but living it.

Mencius

c. 372 BCE – c. 289 BCE

ChineseConfucian

Born Zou

Human nature is good. Like water flows downhill, the heart flows toward compassion. Nurture it, and virtue grows.

Connection

Yang Zhu provoked Mencius — Mencius attacked Yang Zhu's egoism as a doctrine that, taken up, would unravel the bonds of society.

Ideas

Nature Inner Freedom

Ren (Benevolence)Virtue Justice Li (Ritual Propriety)Universal Love

Words

“Even to benefit the whole world, I would not give a single hair of my body.”
— Yang Zhu

“If you let people follow their feelings, they will be able to do good. That is what I mean by saying human nature is good.”
— Mencius

Key Moments

c. 440 BCE

Born in the Central States

c. 410 BCE

Preserve Your Nature

c. 400 BCE

Each for Himself

c. 320 BCE

Attacked by Mencius

c. 372 BCE

Born in Zou

c. 340 BCE

Advising the Warring States

c. 320 BCE

The Child at the Well

c. 315 BCE

The Mandate of Heaven

Works

The Yang Zhu Chapter

Mencius

Explore

Compare

Two thinkers, side by side

Life

Yang Zhu

c. 440 BCE – c. 360 BCE

Chinese

The philosopher of the self, who would not give a single hair to save the world, and asked why a life should be spent on anything but living it.

Mencius

c. 372 BCE – c. 289 BCE

ChineseConfucian

Born Zou

Human nature is good. Like water flows downhill, the heart flows toward compassion. Nurture it, and virtue grows.

Connection

Yang Zhu provoked Mencius — Mencius attacked Yang Zhu's egoism as a doctrine that, taken up, would unravel the bonds of society.

Ideas

Nature Inner Freedom

Ren (Benevolence)Virtue Justice Li (Ritual Propriety)Universal Love

Words

“Even to benefit the whole world, I would not give a single hair of my body.”
— Yang Zhu

“If you let people follow their feelings, they will be able to do good. That is what I mean by saying human nature is good.”
— Mencius

Key Moments

c. 440 BCE

Born in the Central States

c. 410 BCE

Preserve Your Nature

c. 400 BCE

Each for Himself

c. 320 BCE

Attacked by Mencius

c. 372 BCE

Born in Zou

c. 340 BCE

Advising the Warring States

c. 320 BCE

The Child at the Well

c. 315 BCE

The Mandate of Heaven

Works

The Yang Zhu Chapter

Mencius