Mencius (371-289 BC) is one of the most important figures in China's intellectual history. He is revered as the Second Sage of Confucianism, which, through his personal example and the influence of his sayings, he helped to shape as a major ethical system which has impacted every aspect of Chinese civilization down to the present day. Indeed, his stress on the innate goodness of man, which only needs proper cultivation to bring it into full bloom, has a peculiarly modern tone: "The people are the most important," he said, "...the sovereign counts for the least." And, "only when the people have steady livelihoods will they have steady hearts." An unusual aspect of Mencius' life was the influence of his mother, who guided him onto the path of wisdom and truth. To this day, she is revered in China as a model of motherhood.