Wang Chong’s Critique of Mencius’s Theory of Human Nature

Abstract

Building upon Sima Qian’s work, Ban Gu directly identified Mencius as a disciple of Zisi and established the Mencius as comprising eleven chapters. Ban Gu explicitly opposed Sima Qian’s evaluation of Mencius as “impractical and remote from reality,” arguing instead that Mencius possessed a longer-term perspective than his contemporaries. He also elaborated on Mencius’s doctrine that sovereign power is “conferred by Heaven” and selectively handled historical materials and passages from the Mencius.