The Chinese notion of moral responsibility was explained by Mencius (371-289 BC) when he cited the case of the famously skilful archer Hou Yi who was shot by a student Feng Meng who had mastered everything Yi had taught him. Mencius considered Hou Yi should also be held responsible for his own death because he failed to make a sound judgment before taking someone into his confidence.
However, Mencius’ purpose in citing the story is also to show just the opposite that the shot was indeed a bad one because it assaulted the ritual (li) on several fronts. By killing his teacher - presumably for fame, as the student would have then been the best archer in the land - the student simultaneously ignored the importance of the student-teacher relationship and the norms that maintain it, threatened the integrity of the tradition, and reduced the skill to a mere means that allowed him to attain an external good.
The followings are extracted from the book ‘Mencius’.
Feng Meng learned archery of Hou Yi. When he had acquired completely all the science of Hou Yi, he thought that in the entire kingdom only Hou Yi was superior to himself, and so he slew him.
Mencius said, ‘In this case Hou Yi also was to be blamed.’
Gong Meng Yi said, ‘It would appear as if he were not to be blamed.’
Mencius said,
But he thereby only meant that his blame was slight. How can he be held without any blame? The people of Zheng sent Zi Zhuo Ru Zi to make a stealthy attack on Wei, which sent Yu Gong Zhi Si to pursue him. Zi Zhuo Ru Zi said, ‘I feel unwell today, so much that I cannot hold my bow. I am a dead man!’
At the same time he asked his driver, ‘Who is it that is pursuing me?’ The driver said, ‘It is Yu Gong Zhi Si,’ on which, Zi Zhuo Ru Zi exclaimed, ‘I shall live.’
The driver said, ‘Yu Gong Zhi Si is the best archer of Wei, what do you mean by saying 'I shall live?'’
Zi Zhuo Ru Zi replied, ‘Yu Gong Zhi Si learned archery from Yin Gong Zhi Tuo, who again learned it from me. Now, Yin Gong Zhi Tuo is an upright man, and the friends of his selection must be upright also.’
When Yu Gong Zhi Si came up, he said, ‘Master, why are you not holding your bow?’ Zi Zhuo Zhi SI answered him, ‘I am feeling unwell today, and cannot hold my bow.’ On this Yu Gong Zhi Si said, ‘I learned archery from Yin Gong Zhi Tuo, who again learned it from you. I cannot bear to injure you with your own skills. However, the prince has ordered me to deal with you, which I dare not neglect.’
He then took his arrows, knocked off their steel points against the carriage-wheel, discharged four of them, and returned.
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孟子（公元前370-289）以后羿被杀来说明道德责任。后羿在当时是最有名的好弓箭手，逢蒙学会了后羿所有手艺后把后羿杀死。孟子认为后羿对自己的死也有责任，因为他不能慧眼识人。
但是，孟子讲这个故事的目的也是要表明逢蒙的那一箭实在是‘坏’箭，因为它与礼节不符。杀死他的老师 - 看来是为了名誉吧，因为他的老师是当时最好的射手 - 这个学生忽略了师生的关系，与用于维持这种关系的准则，因而危害了传统的完整，这样就把一门技艺当成是获得体外利益的工具。
以下是《孟子》所记载的故事：
逢蒙学射於羿，尽羿之道；思天下惟羿为愈己，於是杀羿。
孟子曰：‘是亦羿有罪焉。’
公明仪曰：‘宜若无罪焉。’
曰：
薄乎云尔，恶得无罪！郑人使子濯孺子侵卫，卫使庾公之斯追之。子濯孺子曰：‘今日我疾作，不可以执弓，吾死矣夫！’
问其仆曰：‘追我者谁也？’其仆曰：‘庾公之斯也。’曰：‘吾生矣！’
其仆曰：‘庾公之斯，卫之善射者也。夫子曰：“吾生。”何谓也？’
曰：‘庾公之斯学射於尹公之他，尹公之他学射於我。夫尹公之他，端人也，其取友必端矣。’
庾公之斯至，曰：‘夫子何为不执弓？’曰：‘今日我疾作，不可以执弓。’曰：‘小人学射於尹公之他，尹公之他学射於夫子。我不忍以夫子之道，反害夫子。虽然，今日之事，君事也，我不敢废。’
抽矢扣轮，去其金，发乘矢而後反。
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