Mencius
(371-289 BCE)
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Taught by a disciple of
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The
four “beginnings”—
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“Seeds” of virtue. Ag analogies. Ox Mt. (6a8).
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Not
"original goodness" but potentials inclined to the good.
Mencius’
Innovations
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Ren*
should extend
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Graded love not universal, unconditional, as in Mozi and Jesus.
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The
right to revolt against dictators and unjust rulers.
Correlation of
feelings & virtues
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Feeling of commiseration <———> ren*
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Feeling of shame & dislike<———> yi
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Feeling of deference <———> li
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of
right & wrong <———> wisdom (zhi)
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Virtues originate in feelings not reason. Same as David Hume.
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The
Confucians believe in the unity of the virtues just as the Greeks did.
Who is Gaozi
(Kao-tzu)?
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A
Daoist, as some say?
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Much
more likely a Confucian
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Gaozi is closer to Mencius than the Confucian Xunzi (Hsun-tzu), who believes
that human nature is evil.
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For
Gaozi ren* are the basic desires for sex and food.
Gaozi’s
analogies
Parallels vs.
Analogies
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A
parallel argument: all elements are equal or similar in all essential
particulars;
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Or
at least identical syntactical elements in corresponding positions.
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Analogies have neither of these features.
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Mathematical ratios are perfect parallel deductive arguments.
Testing
analogical arguments
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Are
the things compared similar?
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Or
more specifically: Are the things similar in the particular respect in question?
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If
so, then a convincing argument from analogy probably exists.
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The
two things need not be similar in all respects.
Mencius
6a1
Alternative to
6a1:
An Aesthetics Virtue
Mencius
6a2
Mencius
6a3
Accidental vs.
innate qualities
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Nature of an ox is the same as our nature? Reductio ad absurdum.
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Nature of whiteness is not.
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Aristotle: the entelechy of the feather is not whiteness.