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Scope: Exaltation of the Virtuous III Request type: Paragraph
Condition 1: Contains text "若苟王公大人本失尚賢為政之本也則不能毋舉物示之乎" Matched:1.
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尚贤下 - Exaltation of the Virtuous III

English translation: W. P. Mei [?] Library Resources
1 尚贤下:
子墨子言曰:“天下之王公大人皆欲其国家之富也,人民之众也,刑法之治也,然而不识以尚贤为政其国家百姓,王公大人本失尚贤为政之本也。若苟王公大人本失尚贤为政之本也,则不能毋举物示之乎?今若有一诸侯于此,为政其国家也,曰:‘凡我国能射御之士,我将赏贵之,不能射御之士,我将罪贱之。’问于若国之士,孰喜孰惧?我以为必能射御之士喜,不能射御之士惧。我赏因而诱之矣,曰:‘凡我国之忠信之士,我将赏贵之,不忠信之士,我将罪贱之。’问于若国之士,孰喜孰惧?我以为必忠信之士喜,不忠不信之士惧。今惟毋以尚贤为政其国家百姓,使国为善者劝,为暴者沮,大以为政于天下,使天下之为善者劝,为暴者沮。然昔吾所以贵尧舜禹汤文武之道者,何故以哉?以其唯毋临众发政而治民,使天下之为善者可而劝也,为暴者可而沮也。然则此尚贤者也,与尧舜禹汤文武之道同矣。
Exaltation of the Virtuous...:
Mozi said: All the rulers in the world desire their states to be wealthy, their people to be many, and their government and jurisdiction to be orderly. But they do not understand to govern their states and people by exaltation of the virtuous. They have missed, indeed, the foundation of government. But can we not point this out to them by means of parallels? Now, supposing, in governing his state, a feudal lord should proclaim: "All those who can shoot (with an arrow) and drive (a chariot) well I shall reward and honour; all those who cannot I shall punish and disgrace." If, then, we should inquire among the people of the state as to who would rejoice and who would be afraid, I suppose naturally those who could shoot and drive would rejoice and those who could not would be afraid. I have followed this (line of argument) and led them supposedly to proclaim: "All the loyal and faithful I shall reward and honour; all the disloyal and unfaithful I shall punish and disgrace." If now we should inquire among the people of the state as to who would rejoice and who would be afraid, I suppose naturally the loyal and faithful would rejoice and the disloyal and unfaithful would be afraid. Therefore the state and the people are to be governed by exalting the virtuous, so that those in the state that do good will be encouraged and those that do evil will be obstructed. To govern the empire seems then to consist of encouraging the good and obstructing the evil. But why is it that I have esteemed the way of Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, Wen, and Wu? Because they administered the government in such a way that those in the empire that did good would be encouraged and those that did evil would be obstructed. So, then, the principle of exaltation of the virtuous is identical with the way of Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, Wen, and Wu.

Total 1 paragraphs. Page 1 of 1.