Mencius's theory of 'original goodness' and its significance on goodness education in Vietnam nowadays?

AuthorNguyen Thi Tho - Truong Thi Bich - Dao Thi Oanh
PositionHanoi University of Education - Vietnam
Pages59-67
European Journal of Economics, Law and Social Sciences
IIPCCL Publishing, Graz-Austria
Vol. 2 No. 2
June, 2018
ISSN 2519-1284
Acces online at www.iipccl.org
59
Mencius’s theory of “original goodness” and its signi cance on goodness
education in Vietnam nowadays1
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Tho
Hanoi University of Education - Vietnam
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Truong Thi Bich
Hanoi University of Education - Vietnam
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dao Thi Oanh
Hanoi University of Education - Vietnam
Abstract
Respecting and promoting the moral values, good culture of religions is an important task in
school educational process in any country. Confucianism is one of the ideologies which has
great in uence on the Eastern cultural life and thoughts from past to present. Mentioning
Confucianism, it is impossible not to refer to Mencius - one of the great philosophers and
ideologists of China. His perception lies in the theory of goodness. In this article, the authors
clarify the basic content of the theory of original goodness and its meaning in the moral education
of the current young generation in Vietnam.
Keywords: Confucianism, Mencius, Goodness, Ethics, Moral education.
1. About Mencius and the birth of theory of Goodness
1.1. About Mencius
Mencius named Qiang Kha, Zi Du, was born in the reign of King Liet Xing of Zhou,
originated in the Land of Zhou, belonged to Lu, now the city of Zhaucheng, Shandong
Province, China. Mencius was an outstanding representative of Confucianism at the
time of Warring States, the time when big thinkers ourished with movements such
as Fascism, Confucianism, Maoism, etc.
During his youth, Mencius studied at the home of a well-known Confucian scholar
named Tu Tu, who Mencius absorbed basic knowledge, understood moral then found
his own place to practice. However, China was in that "warring state" (the country at
war), the major countries was expanding power, struggling and dividing territories,
so the people supposed that his ideas were unrealistic in the current situation. In
this circumstance, he nally had to return home to establish schools "as a teacher,
there were usually several hundred students following him" (Phan Boi Chau, 2010,
p.368). He spent his free time with poem, “arranging the order in the Testament, Sutra,
paraphrased the Sui Ni arts into Seven books Mencius " (Shi Ma Biography, 2000, p. 33).
“The book narrates the conversations between Mencius and the vassals and with the
followers" (Phung Huu Lan, 1998, p. 82). Thebook wri en by Mencius was later called
1 This article is sponsored by the Key topics at the University Level Program, Hanoi University of
Education, Code: SPHN17-3, VNCSP.

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