Bu Ren 不忍 (Cannot Bear to Harm) in the Mencius

This article analyzes the psychological conditions of bu ren 不忍 in Menicus' thought. I identify four necessary psychological conditions of one who experiences bu ren: (1) she adopts an unmediated perspective, (2) she adopts an involved stance, (3) she identifi es the victim as a particular, and (4) she does not want the victim to be harmed. The proposed interpretation highlights the relation-regarding nature of bu ren and suggests that, for Mencius, we naturally see ourselves as involved in the circumstances of harm that others are in.