Mèng Kē 孟軻
Zì Zǐyú 子輿 (or Zǐchē 子車 in some sources). Native of Zōu 鄒 (modern Zōuxiàn 鄒縣, Shāndōng), once a small Zhōu vassal absorbed by Lǔ. According to Zhào Qí’s 趙岐 Tící 題辭 (preserved at the head of KR1h0002), Mencius descended from the Lǔ ducal cadet line of Mèngsūn 孟孫; he was raised by his widowed mother — the famous “three movings” 三遷 of his upbringing — and studied under disciples of Zǐsī 子思 (Kǒng Jí 孔伋), grandson of Confucius. Hence his school is traditionally placed in the SīMèng 思孟 line of orthodox transmission.
Conventional dates 372–289 BCE, derived from late traditions; modern scholarship treats both endpoints as approximate. Active during the late Warring States as an itinerant counsellor, visiting Liáng (Wèi), Qí, Sòng, Téng and Lǔ, and engaging the rulers Liáng Huì wáng 梁惠王, Qí Xuān wáng 齊宣王, and Téng Wén gōng 滕文公 — all immortalised as chapter-titles in his book.
His seven piān (later subdivided into 14 juàn) preserve dialogues with rulers, disciples (Wàn Zhāng 萬章, Gōngsūn Chǒu 公孫丑, Yuè Zhèngzǐ 樂正子, etc.), rivals (Gàozǐ 告子 on human nature; Xǔ Xíng 許行 on agronomism), and contemporaries. The Mèngzǐ 孟子 was elevated from “Masters” (zǐ 子) to “Classic” (jīng 經) status in the Northern Sòng and incorporated into Zhū Xī’s 朱熹 Sì shū 四書 (KR1h0015–KR1h0017); from 1313 it was a core text of the imperial examinations.
Surviving works in Kanripo: the Mèngzǐ canonical text KR1h0001; Hàn-commentary edition KR1h0002 with Zhào Qí’s 趙岐 注; Sòng zhùshū edition KR1h0003; the Mèngzǐ yīnyì KR1h0009 of Sūn Shì 孫奭; Sū Zhé’s KR1h0011 Mèngzǐ jiě 孟子解; Yú Yǔnwén’s KR1h0014 Zūn Mèng biàn 尊孟辨; Zhāng Jiǔchéng’s KR1h0013 Mèngzǐ zhuàn 孟子傳; Zhāng Shì’s KR1h0022 Guǐsì Mèngzǐ shuō 癸巳孟子說; among many others in this division.