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Legalism -> Shang Jun Shu -> Elimination of Strength -> 3

If in a country there are the following ten evils: rites, music, odes, history, virtue, moral culture, filial piety, brotherly duty, integrity and sophistry,
使the ruler cannot make the people fight
and dismemberment is inevitable; and this brings extinction in its train.
If the country has not these ten things
使 and the ruler can make the people fight,
he will be so prosperous that he will attain supremacy.
A country where the virtuous govern the wicked,
will suffer from disorder, so that it will be dismembered;
but a country where the wicked govern the virtuous,
will be orderly, so that it will become strong.
A country which is administered by the aid of odes, history, rites, music, filial piety, brotherly duty, virtue and moral culture, will, as soon as the enemy approaches, be dismembered; if he does not approach, the country will be poor.
But if a country is administered without these eight ,
the enemy dares not approach,
and even if he should,
he would certainly be driven off
when it mobilizes its army and attacks,
it will capture its objective,
and having captured it, will be able to hold it;
when it holds its army in reserve, and makes no attack,
it will be rich.
A country that loves force
”; is said to attack with what is difficult;
a country that loves words
”。 is said to attack with what is easy.
A country that attacks with what is difficult
will gain ten points for every one point that it undertakes,
whereas a country that attacks with what is easy
will lose a hundred men for every ten that it marches out.


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