The Mencius – Chinese/Korean edition: Early Korean edition – not in National Library of Korea

An extremely rare edition of "Th Mencius". Chinese text with Korean translation in Hangul. The Mencius, Vol. 1 and 2 bound together, 39 and 48 double leaves. 10 lines, 17 characters per line. With single fishtail. Folio, ca. 33.5 x 21.8 cm. Undated. Paper and printing indicate 16th – 17th century printing. Asian stich binding (worn); inside slightly worn; few stains; no insect damage.

I compared this edition with all editions listed in the National Library of Korea catalogue. It matches with UCI G701:B-00047977613. Yet, the National Library of Korea das not have this book. They only have a microfilm. There are no comments, which edition it is. In the literature on the early Korean editions of The Mencius a 1590, and two early 17th century editions are mentioned. My book is probably one of them.

The Mencius is a collection of conversations, anecdotes, and series of genuine and imagined interviews by the Confucian philosopher, Mencius.[1] The book is one of the Chinese Thirteen Classics, and explores Mencius' views on the topics of moral and political philosophy, often as a dialogue with the ideas presented by Confucianism. The interviews and conversations are depicted as being either between Mencius and the various rulers of the Warring States period, or with his students and other contemporaries. The book documents Mencius' travel across the states, and his philosophical conversations and debates with those he meets on his journey. A number of scholars suggest that the text was not written by Mencius himself, but rather by his disciples. The text is believed to have been written during the late 4th century BC.

Mencius (372–289 BC) was a Chinese Confucian philosopher who has often been described as the "second Sage", that is, after only Confucius himself. He is part of Confucius' fourth generation of disciples. Mencius inherited Confucius' ideology and developed it further.[2][3] Living during the Warring States period, he is said to have spent much of his life travelling around the states offering counsel to different rulers. Conversations with these rulers form the basis of the Mencius, which would later be canonised as a Confucian classic.

A key belief of his was that humans are innately good, but that this quality requires cultivation and the right environment to flourish. He also taught that rulers must justify their position of power by acting benevolently towards their subjects, and in this sense they are subordinate to the masses.