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天地设，而民生之。当此之时也，民知其母而不知其父，其道亲亲而爱私。亲亲则别，爱私则险，民众而以别险为务，则民乱。当此时也，民务胜而力征。务胜则争，力征则讼，讼而无正，则莫得其性也。故贤者立中正，设无私，而民说仁。当此时也，亲亲废，上贤立矣。 |
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During the time when heaven and earth were established, and the people were produced, people knew their mothers but not their fathers. Their way was to love their relatives and to be fond of what was their own. From loving their relatives came discrimination, and from fondness of what was their own, insecurity. As the people increased and were preoccupied with discrimination and insecurity, they fell into disorder. At that time, people were intent on excelling others and subjected each other by means of force; the former led to quarrels, and the latter to disputes. If in disputes there were no justice, no one would be satisfied; therefore men of talent established equity and justice and instituted unselfishness, so that people began to talk of moral virtue. At that time, the idea of loving one's relatives began to disappear, and that of honouring talent arose. |
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凡仁者以爱利为务，而贤者以相出为道。民众而无制，久而相出为道，则有乱。故圣人承之，作为土地货财男女之分。分定而无制，不可，故立禁。禁立而莫之司，不可，故立官。官设而莫之一，不可，故立君。既立君，则上贤废，而贵贵立矣。然则上世亲亲而爱私，中世上贤而说仁，下世贵贵而尊官。上贤者，以赢相出也；而立君者，使贤无用也。亲亲者，以私为道也，而中正者使私无行也。此三者，非事相反也，民道弊而所重易也，世事变而行道异也。故曰：“王道有绳。” |
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Now virtuous men are concerned with love and the way of talented men is to outvie one another. As people increased and were not restrained and had for long been in the way of outvying one another, there was again disorder. Therefore a sage, who received the administration, made divisions of land and property, of men and women. Divisions having been established, it was necessary to have restraining measures, so he instituted interdicts. These being instituted, it was necessary to have those who could enforce them. Thereupon he established officials. These having been established, it was necessary to have some one to unify them. So he set up a prince. Once a prince had been set up, the idea of honouring talent disappeared, and that of prizing honour arose. Thus in the highest antiquity, people loved their relatives and were fond of what was their own; in middle antiquity, they honoured talent and talked of moral virtue; and in later days, they prized honour and respected office. Honouring talent means outvying one another with doctrines, but setting up a prince means relegating talented men to unemployment. Loving one's relatives means making selfishness one's guiding principle, but the idea of equity and justice is to prevent selfishness from holding the field. But these three methods did not aim at antagonistic purposes. The guiding principles of the people are base and they are not consistent in what they value. As the conditions in the world change, different principles are practised. Therefore it is said that there is a fixed standard in a king's principles. |
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夫王道一端，而臣道一端；所道则异，而所绳则一也。故曰：“民愚，则知可以王；世知，则力可以王。”民愚，则力有馀而知不足；世知，则巧有馀而力不足。民之性，不知则学，力尽而服。故神农教耕而王天下，师其知也；汤武致强而征诸侯，服其力也。夫民愚，不怀知而问；世知，无馀力而服。故以爱王天下者，并刑；力征诸侯者，退德。 |
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Indeed, a king's principles represent one viewpoint, and those of a minister another. The principles each follows are different, but are one in both representing a fixed standard. Therefore, it is said: 'When the people are stupid, by knowledge one may rise to supremacy; when the world is wise, by force one may rise to supremacy.' That means that when people are stupid, there are plenty of strong men but not enough wise, and when the world is wise, there are plenty of clever men, but not enough strong. It is the nature of people, when they have no knowledge, to study; and when they have no strength, to submit. So when Shen-nong taught ploughing and attained supreme sway, the leadership was by means of his knowledge; when Tang and Wu made themselves strong and attacked the feudal lords, the subjugation was by means of their force. That is, in the case of uneducated people, when they possess no knowledge, they are anxious to learn; in the case of an educated society, not having force, it submits. Therefore, he who wishes to attain supreme sway by means of love, rejects punishments, and he who wishes to subjugate the feudal lords by means of force, relegates virtue to the background. |
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圣人不法古，不修今。法古则后于时，修今则塞于势。周不法商，夏不法虞，三代异势，而皆可以王。故兴王有道，而持之异理。武王逆取而贵顺，争天下而上让；其取之以力，持之以义。今世强国事兼并，弱国务力守；上不及虞夏之时，而下不修汤武之道。汤武之道塞，故万乘莫不战，千乘莫不守。此道之塞久矣，而世主莫之能开也，故三代不四。非明主莫有能听也，今日愿启之以效。古之民朴以厚，今之民巧以伪。 |
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A sage does not imitate antiquity, nor does he follow the present time. If he were to imitate antiquity, he would be behind the times; and if he follows the present time, he is obstructed by circumstances. The Zhou dynasty did not imitate the Shang dynasty, nor did the Xia dynasty imitate the period of Yu; the three dynasties encountered different circumstances, but all three succeeded in attaining supremacy. So to rise to supremacy, there is a definite way, but to hold it there are different principles. For example, Wu as a rebel seized the empire, and yet he prized obedience to the law; he disputed the empire, and yet exalted compliancy; by force he seized it, but by righteousness he held it. Nowadays strong countries aim at annexation, while weak countries are concerned for defence by force, which means that compared with early times they are not equal to the times of Yu and Xia, and compared with later times they do not practise the principles of Tang and Wu. Because the principles of Tang and Wu are obstructed, of the countries of ten thousand chariots there is not one that does not wage war, and of the countries of a thousand chariots there is not one that is not on the defence. These principles (of Tang and Wu) have been obstructed a long time, and none of the rulers of the world is able to develop them. Therefore, there is not a fourth added to the three dynasties, and unless there be an intelligent ruler, there is none who succeeds in being obeyed. Now you want to develop the people by imitating the ancient rulers, but the people of old were simple through honesty, while the people of today are clever through artificiality. |
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故效于古者，先德而治；效于今者，前刑而法；此世之所惑也。今世之所谓义者，将立民之所好，而废其所恶；此其所谓不义者，将立民之所恶，而废其所乐也。二者名贸实易，不可不察也。立民之所乐，则民伤其所恶；立民之所恶，则民安其所乐。何以知其然也？夫民忧则思，思则出度；乐则淫，淫则生佚。故以刑治则民威，民威则无奸，无奸则民安其所乐。以义教则民纵，民纵则乱，乱则民伤其所恶。吾所谓利者，义之本也；而世所谓义者，暴之道也。夫正民者：以其所恶，必终其所好；以其所好，必败其所恶。 |
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Wherefore, if you wish to imitate the ancients, you will have orderly government by promoting virtue, and if you wish to imitate modern times, you will have laws by emphasizing punishments, and this is commonly distrusted. What the world now calls righteousness is the establishment of what people like and the abolishment of what they dislike, and what the world calls unrighteousness is the establishment of what people dislike and the abolishment of that in which they take delight. The names and practice of these two methods may be interchanged. It is necessary to examine this: if you establish what people delight in, then they will suffer from what they dislike; but if you establish what the people dislike, they will be happy in what they enjoy. How do I know that this is so? Because, if people are in sorrow, they think, and in thinking they invent various devices. Whereas, if they enjoy themselves, they are dissolute, and dissoluteness breeds idleness. Therefore, if you govern by punishment the people will fear. Being fearful, they will not commit villainies; there being no villainies, people will be happy in what they enjoy. If, however, you teach the people by righteousness, then they will be lax, and if they are lax, there will be disorder; if there is disorder, the people will suffer from what they dislike. What I call profit is the basis of righteousness, but what the world calls righteousness is the way to violence. Indeed, in making the people correct, one always attains what they like by means of what they dislike, and one brings about what they dislike by means of what they like. |
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治国刑多而赏少，乱国赏多而刑少。故王者刑九而赏一，削国赏九而刑一。夫过有厚薄，则刑有轻重；善有大小，则赏有多少。此二者，世之常用也。刑加于罪所终，则奸不去，赏施于民所义，则过不止。刑不能去奸，而赏不能止过者，必乱。故王者刑用于将过，则大邪不生；赏施于告奸，则细过不失。治民能使大邪不生，细过不失，则国治，国治必强。一国行之，境内独治；二国行之，兵则少寝；天下行之，至德复立。此吾以效刑之反于德，而义合于暴也。 |
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In an orderly country, punishments are numerous and rewards rare. Therefore, in countries that attain supremacy, there is one reward to nine punishments, and in dismembered countries, nine rewards to every one punishment. Now, in proportion to the gravity or otherwise of the offence, there are light and heavy punishments, and in proportion to the greatness of the virtue, there are large or small rewards. These two differences are constantly applied in the world. If punishments are applied to accomplished crimes, then villainy will not be banished, and if rewards are bestowed for virtuous actions that have been achieved by the people, then offences will not cease. Now, if punishments cannot banish villainy, nor rewards put an end to offences, there will doubtless be disorder. Therefore, in the case of one who attains supremacy, punishments are applied at the intent to sin, so that great depravity cannot be bred; and rewards are bestowed on the denouncement of villainy, so that minor sins do not escape unnoticed. If, in governing a people, a condition can be brought about, wherein great depravity cannot be bred and minor offences do not escape unnoticed, the state will be orderly, and, being orderly, it is certain to be strong. If one country alone applies this method, there will be order only within its own borders; if two countries apply this method, the armies will have some rest; if the whole world applies this method, the highest state of virtue will be re-established. This is my way of reverting to virtue by death-penalties, and of making righteousness a corollary to violence. |
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古者民藂生而群处乱，故求有上也。然则天下之乐有上也，将以为治也。今有主而无法，其害与无主同；有法不胜其乱，与无法同。天下不安无君，而乐胜其法，则举世以为惑也。夫利天下之民者，莫大于治；而治莫康于立君；立君之道，莫广于胜法；胜法之务，莫急于去奸；去奸之本，莫深于严刑。故王者以赏禁，以刑劝；求过不求善，藉刑以去刑。 |
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Of old, people lived densely together and all dwelt in disorder, so they desired that there should be a ruler. However, why the empire was glad to have a ruler was because he would create order. Now, having rulers but no law, the evil is the same as if there were no rulers, and having laws that are not equal to the disorders is the same as if there were no law. The empire does not feel tranquil without a prince, but it takes pleasure in being stronger than the law, and thus the whole world is perturbed. Indeed, there is no greater benefit for the people in the empire than order, and there is no firmer order to be obtained than by establishing a prince; for establishing a prince, there is no more embracing method than making law supreme; for making law supreme, there is no more urgent task than banishing villainy, and for banishing villainy, there is no deeper basis than severe punishments. Therefore those, who attain supremacy, restrain by rewards and encourage by punishments, seek offences and not virtue, and rely on punishments in order to abolish punishments. |
