Mencius, who lived in the 4th century B.C., is second only to Confucius
in importance in the Confucian tradition. The Mencius consists of
sayings of Mencius and conversations he had with his contemporaries.
When read side by side with the Analects, the Mencius throws a great
deal of light on the teachings of Confucius. Mencius developed many of
the ideas of Confucius and at the same time discussed problems not
touched upon by Confucius. He drew out the implications of Confucius'
moral principles and reinterpreted them for the conditions of his time.
As the fullest of the four great Confucian texts, the Mencius has been
required reading among Chinese scholars for two thousand years, and it
still throws considerable light on the character of the Chinese people.