This book is a comparison of the thought of Mencius and Wang Yang-ming. Mencius (4th century B.C.) is probably the most influential Confucian philosopher (next to Confucius himself). Wang Yang-ming (A.D. 1472-1529) was a charismatic general, statesman and influential Neo-Confucian philosopher, who saw himself as defending the doctines of Mencius against misinterpretations by earlier scholars (especially Chu Hsi, A.D. 1130-1200). However, as Ivanhoe shows, there are important differences between the views of Mencius and Wang on such topics as "The Nature of Morality," "Human Nature," "The Origin of Evil," "Self-Cultivation," and "Sagehood." Novices will find this book a very accessible introduction to both thinkers. Scholars of Chinese philosophy will find that it presents an iconoclastic but well-documented interpretation of the Confucian tradition.
