Due to the fierce land annexation in the mid-Warring States period, many farmers lost their land, and their lives were too painful, and there was a tendency of "desperate" resistance. Mencius saw the intensification of the contradiction between the landlord class and the peasants, and saw the people's hearts that could not be ignored. In order to ease class contradictions and consolidate feudal rule, he advocated "benevolent government" and put forward "the people are more important than the monarch" and "the country is second" ("wholeheartedly"). In other words, the people are the most valuable, followed by state power, and the monarch is the lightest. Therefore, only by gaining the trust of the people can we be the Emperor, that is, "with the support of the people, we can be the Emperor" (Zuo Zhuan 15 became a public office), and no one can stop the Emperor from unifying the world by stabilizing the people's hearts, that is, "protecting the people as kings is irresistible." Mencius also said: "Three treasures of princes: land, people and politics." Taking the people as one of the three treasures. Mencius also has two well-received famous sayings: "The weather is not as good as the geographical position, and the geographical position is not as good as human harmony", and "Those who gain the Tao help more, while those who lose it help less" (Under the Ugly Sun). Therefore, Mencius believed that the monarch must practice "benevolent governance" and "enjoy the people" to win the support of the people, while the tyrant who can't "benevolent governance" can be exiled or even killed. For example, Zhou Wuwang's crusade against the brutal Shang Zhouwang was aimed at punishing single husbands, not regicide. Mencius criticized the tyrant for being cruel and disregarding people's lives. He revealed that "the blister has fat, the stable has fat horses, the people have hunger, and the road has hunger" is "leading animals to eat people" and "stone" is a murderer (on). That is to say, there is fat in the tyrant's kitchen and fat horses are fed in the stable, but the people are hungry and the starved bodies are lying in the wild. This is a murderer who lures animals to eat people. Mencius' exposure of tyrants within the exploiting classes is subjectively for the rulers, not for the people, but objectively it is beneficial to the people. Moreover, it should be said that Mencius was a great thinker. He saw the power of the people and attached importance to the role of the people in feudal society.
So, what is the main content of Mencius' theory of benevolent government?
First, in view of the private property of ordinary people, the theory of "making property for the people" is put forward. This is in line with Confucius' thought of enriching the people, benefiting the people and helping the people. The difference is that the rulers they defend are not slave owners, but emerging landlords. So people here are not slaves but small farmers. He advocated the implementation of well field system, that is, the feudal country distributed land to farmers in the form of well field system. Mencius imagined the mine field as "a well of one side, with 900 mu of wells, including public fields, and eight private companies, raising public fields together." (Knee Wen Gong Shang) Farmers' private 100 mu is permanent property that can't be bought or sold. They are rescued from hunger and cold, and then they are educated with benevolence, righteousness and morality. This can not only develop the small-scale peasant economy, but also fix the labor force on the land and ease class contradictions. This has a progressive effect on consolidating and developing the feudal economy. Although this theory of benevolent government is not the kindness of rulers to the people, it embodies Mencius' view of valuing the people.
Second, protect agriculture, develop commerce, and advocate that "benevolent government" focuses on revitalizing the economy. Mencius believed that to protect the people, we must first protect agriculture. He suggested that military service and lottery service should not delay the farming season, but should subsidize farmers in need. He said: "The spring province is insufficient for ploughing, and the autumn province gathers help" ("Gao Zi Xia"). He also advocates that the state must actively promote business development in order to revitalize the economy. He said: "and a person's body, and all kinds of work preparation, if you must do it yourself, and then use it, is to lead the world and the road." In other words, everyone's daily needs such as food, clothing, housing and transportation depend on the work and production of people from all walks of life outside themselves, and the exchange and supply of all work products between themselves and others must rely on commercial activities. He also said: "children can easily make up for their shortcomings by admiration, so there are more farmers than Xiaomi and more women than cloth." If the child is familiar with it, the craftsman will have to eat it. "("Teng Wengong ") that is to say, business has the function of simplifying and complementing each other, so that everyone's life and welfare are guaranteed. Commerce can make farmers focus on agriculture, weavers focus on weaving, carpenters focus on wood industry, and turners focus on automobile service. Everyone has professional production work, so they can communicate with each other and share the production results together.
Third, reducing taxes and penalties and developing production are for enriching the people. Mencius advocated thin tax and light punishment, with the same intention as Confucius, aiming to enrich the people and teach the people. He said: "save punishment, collect taxes thinly, and cultivate the land deeply." (Hui Liang Wang Shang) means to reduce punishment, be lenient, win the hearts of the people, reduce the burden on the people and develop agricultural production. Specifically, he only advocates "tithing tax", that is, one tenth of the tax system. Farmers pay land tax with labor rent, that is, the "September 1 Gang" ("Teng Wengong") cultivated by eight families 100 mu of public land. Other exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous fees have been abolished. Similarly, for businessmen, they also advocate "closing the market without levy" (Hui Liang Wang Xia) That is to say, all checkpoints are not taxed, but only responsible for picketing.
Fourth, advocate education. In order to prevent "offence and insurrection", Mencius proposed that "Leon should be established as the teaching rank" (Teng Wengong I). Why did Mencius emphasize education? Because in Mencius' view, "the foundation of the world is in the country, the foundation of the country is at home, and the foundation of the family is in the body." (On Li Lou) That is to say, man is the foundation of the world. With talents, there will be a home, a home, a country, and a country, there will be a world. Therefore, people are expensive, and the rule of the world must start with self-cultivation. Cultivation depends on education.
The content of education is "human relations in Ming Dynasty". That is, "apply for filial piety" and teach it as "father and son are close, monarch and minister are righteous, husband and wife are different, young and old are orderly, and friends have faith." As long as "human feelings are above", it is inevitable that "the heart of a villain will be the belly of a gentleman." In this way, the feudal hierarchy was consolidated. The above is the main content of Mencius' theory of "benevolent government".
Mencius strongly opposed war and advocated reunification. Mencius believed that "the teacher of benevolence and righteousness" did not kill people, and the reunification of the country depended on "benevolent government" rather than force. Only in this way can the people return to their homes, enrich the people's lives, develop production, revitalize the economy, and make the people well fed and live in peace and contentment, and the country can be unified. Therefore, Mencius' theory of "benevolent government" reflects the historical development trend of reunification since the Spring and Autumn Period, objectively conforms to the people's desire to hate war, demand peace and long for reunification, and is also the embodiment of Mencius' view of valuing the people.