Mencius on "Benevolent Government": The Synthesis of the Governance Theories of the Three Dynasties

Mencius portrays "benevolent government" as a broad vision for state governance, which also serves as the core and substance of his Mencius. Epitomized the governance theories of the Three Dynasties, "benevolent government" takes the "Way of Yao and Shun" as its "root, " the "reigns of the Three Dynasties" as its "thread, " and the "teachings of the Duke of Zhou and Confucius" as its "spirit, " thus making it the collective intelligence of the ancient sages embedded in the Chinese culture. It is not some "didactic generality", but a well-developed philosophy focused on "practising benevolent government towards the people" by "reducing punishment and taxation, " "getting the people to plough deeply and weed promptly, " and "learning to be good sons and good younger brothers, loyal to their prince and true to their word in the spare time."