Mencius

Mencius (Meng Ke, c. 372–289 BCE) was a Chinese Confucian philosopher who is regarded as the second great teacher of the tradition after Confucius. He travelled among the rival states of the Warring States period advising rulers, and recorded his teachings, with his disciples, in the book that bears his name. Mencius argued that human nature is inclined toward goodness, that the four sprouts of compassion, shame, deference, and right and wrong are innate, and that legitimate rule depends on the welfare of the people. His ideas were later elevated to canonical status and became central to Neo-Confucian thought.