On the Psychological Mechanism of Mencius's Philosophy of"Extension"
The term"Tui En"was introduced in Mengzi1A7.Literally,it means"the extension of kind-ness".Therefore,to elucidate the meaning of"Tui En",it is essential to understand the concept of"extension"first.Psychologically,"extension"refers to the process where individuals elicit similar emotional responses in analogous situations.This process is precisely what Mencius described as"taking this heart-mind and applying it to other occasions".This implies that extension is an action that individuals actively make.To understand this activeness,one must distinguish between the immediate emergence of emotions from those deliberate ones.A complete process of extension includes the deliberate expression of emotions that were initially spontaneous.Achieving extension requires one to transform the current situation:to associate the present occasion with some past events where they were touched.The foundation for such transformation of situation lies in introspective reflection on the inherent"four hearts"that all individuals possess.
Menciusextension of kindnessextensiontransformation of situation
万方数据
