Mencian Great-Man Criterion / 孟子大丈夫标准
Mencian great-man criterion / 孟子大丈夫标准 is the evaluative frame 《资治通鉴·周纪》56丨 瞧瞧两千多年前啥是大丈夫 builds from 孟子 / Mencius’s response to the question of whether 犀首公孙衍 and 张仪 should count as “大丈夫.” The source treats the passage as a direct challenge to judging political greatness by whether rulers fear someone or whether his diplomacy can stop wars.
The criterion is moral before it is reputational. A real great man stands in the right position, follows the right way, acts with the people when successful, preserves himself when unsuccessful, and remains uncorrupted by wealth, unchanged by poverty, and unbent by coercive power. In this episode, that standard turns 纵横家外交 from a question of cleverness into a question of moral direction.
The host then tests the standard against Zhang Yi and 苏秦. They can be defended on consistency and endurance: Zhang Yi remained tied to 连横, Su Qin remained tied to 合纵, and both endured humiliation or pressure. But the later 扬雄 / 《法言》 critique keeps the standard demanding by asking whether such consistency served public righteousness or private wealth and rank.
Key Claims
- “Greatness” is not identical with terrifying rulers or affecting interstate war.
- Moral steadiness under wealth, poverty, and force is the core test.
- Public alignment with the people matters more than private brilliance.
- Political resilience can resemble virtue, but it does not settle whether the action’s direction is righteous.
- The concept connects Mencian ethics to the wiki’s broader 才德之分 and 动机导向的才干评价 branches.