Mencius 7A.15
Mencius (孟子), Book 7, Part I: Jin Xin I 盡心上
孟子曰：「人之所不學而能者，其良能也；所不慮而知者，其良知也。孩提之童，無不知愛其親者；及其長也，無不知敬其兄也。親親，仁也；敬長，義也。無他，達之天下也。」
Mencius said, 'The ability possessed by men without having been acquired by learning is intuitive ability, and the knowledge possessed by them without the exercise of thought is their intuitive knowledge. Children carried in the arms all know to love their parents, and when they are grown a little, they all know to love their elder brothers. Filial affection for parents is the working of benevolence. Respect for elders is the working of righteousness. There is no other reason for those feelings - they belong to all under heaven.'
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 人rénman, person; people
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 學xuélearning, knowledge, science; to study,
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 良liánggood, virtuous, respectable
- 也yěalso, too
- 慮lǜanxious, concerned, worried
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 孩háibaby, child; children
- 提títo hold in the hand; to lift, to raise
- 童tóngchild, boy; servant boy; virgin
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 愛àito love, to like, to be fond of; love, a
- 親qīnrelatives, parents; intimate; the hazeln
- 及jíto extend; to reach; and; in time
- 長zhǎnglong, lasting; to excel in
- 敬jìngto respect, to honor; respectfully
- 兄xiōngelder brother
- 仁rénbenevolent, humane, kind
- 義yìright conduct, propriety; justice
- 他tāother, another; he, she, it
- 達dáto reach, to arrive at; intelligent
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
Passages with shared wording
- Mencius 6B.3
- Zhuangzi Lieh Tzŭ
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 21
- Zhuangzi The Empire
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0); Chinese Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.