國立臺灣大學政治科學論叢

Abstract / Chinese PDF Download

This paper aims at analyzing Mencius’s distinction between propriety and benefit with a new framework. The author constructs four kinds of ideal-type, namely “propriety against benefit” (replacement pattern), “propriety before benefit” (conditional pattern), “propriety qua public interest” (reductive pattern) and “propriety derives benefit” (causal pattern). The paper analyzes the adequateness and interpretive ability of each of these ideal-types. The paper concludes that Mencius held the thickest type of “propriety against benefit” on the level of motivation, and leant toward the type of “propriety derives benefit” on the level of result.