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Only two Chinese philosphers have the distinction of being known consistently to the West by a latinized name. The first is Confucius (孔子). The second is Mencius, whose name is 孟子. That Mencius should share this distinction is by no means an insignificant fact, for he is without a doubt second only to Confucius in importance in the Confucian tradition, a fact officially recognized in China for over a thousand years.[i]
- from the Introduction to DC Lau’s translation of the Mencius.|↩|