ABSTRACT
The message of a universal family is taught by Mencius (Mengzi) 孟子 who was a disciple of Confucius’s grandson Zisi. Mencius (372-289 B.C.E.) is arguably the most famous Chinese philosopher after Confucius in the English-speaking world. This chapter discusses the topic of Global Citizenship Education (GCE) through a Mencian perspective. GCE is part of UNESCO’s mission to advance sustainable development under the Education 2030 Agenda and Framework for Action. The educational thought of Mencius is recorded in Mengzi 孟子, which is the third book in the Four Books. I shall begin by introducing the concept of GCE, followed by an exposition of Mencius’s views with a special focus on his vision of a common humanity and lessons for global citizenship education. A Mencian conception of GCE calls for the extension of one’s moral feelings to all within the four seas through the four seeds of ren (an achieved state of humanity), yi (appropriateness), li (normative behaviours) and zhi (wisdom).
