Basic Writings of MO TZU, HSUN TZU,

and HAN FEI TZU

Prepared for the Columbia College Program of

Translations from the Asian Classics
Wm. Theodore de Bary, Editor

Number LXXIV of the

RECORDS OF CIVILIZATION: souncES AND STUDIES

Edited under the auspices of the

Department of History, Columbia University
~~ Basic Writings of

••
MO TZU, HSUN TZU,
and HAN FEI TZU

Translated by BURTON WATSO.N

New York

COLU j\f BIA UNIVERSITY PRESS

~ HONORING THE WORTHY
PART I
(SECTION 8)

Master Mo Tzu1 said: These days the rulers and high officials
who govern the nation all desire their states to be rich, their
population numerous, and their administration well ordered.
And yet what they achieve is not wealth but poverty, not a
numerous population but a meager one, not order but chaos.
In actual fact, they fail to get what they seek and instead
achieve what they abhor. Why is this?
Mo Tzu said: It is because the rulers and high officials who
g-overn the nation fail to honor the worthy and employ the
capable in their administration. If a government is rich in
worthy men, then the administration will be characterized by
weight and substance; but if it is poor in such men, then the
administration will be a paltry affair. Therefore the task con­
fronting the high officials is simply to increase the number of
worthy men. But what means are to be used to increase the
number of worthy men?
Mo Tzu said: Let us suppose that one wishes to increase the
number of skilled archers and chariot drivers in the state.
One must set about enriching and honoring such men,
respecting and praising them. Once this has been done, one
will have no difficulty in obtaining a multitude of them. Ho\v
1
This title, Tzu Mo Tzu (1\tfaster Mo Tzu), is repeated innumerable
times in the text. For the sake of brevity, I shall hereafter translate it
simply as "Mo Tzu."
 Honoring the Worthy 19
much more appropriate, therefore, that one should do this for
worthy men, who are ardent in the practice of virtue, skilled
in discourse, and broad in learning! Men such as these are
the treasures of the nation and the keepers of its altars of the
soil and grain. They too should be enriched and honored,
respected and praised, and when this has been done, they may
be obtained in plenty.
Therefore, when the sage kings of ancient times adminis­
tered their states, they announced: "The unrighteous shall
not be enriched, the unrighteous shall not be exalted, the un­
righteous shall be no kin to us, the unrighteous shall not be
our intimates!" When the rich and exalted men of the king­
dom heard this, they all began to deliberate among themselves,
saying, "We have trusted in our wealth and exalted position,
but now the lord promotes the righteous without caring
whether they are poor or humble. We too, then, must become
righteous." Likewise the kin of the ruler began to deliberate,
saying, "We have trusted in the bond of kinship, but now the
lord promotes the righteous without caring how distant the
relationship. We too, then, must become righteous." Those
who were intimate with the ruler deliberated, saying, "We
have trusted in the intimacy we enjoyed, but now the lord
promotes the righteous without caring how far removed they
may have been from him until now. We too, then, must be­
come righteous." And when those who were far removed from
the ruler heard it, they also deliberated, saying, "We used to
believe that, since we were so far removed from the ruler, we
had nothing to trust in. But now the lord promotes the right­
eous without caring how far removed they may be. We too,
then, must become righteous." So the vassals of distant and
outlying areas, as well as the noblemen's sons serving in the
20 Mo Tzu

palace, the multitudes of the capital, and the peasants of the

four borders, in time came to hear of this, and all strove to
become righteous.
Why did the ancient kings do this? Those in a superior posi­
tion have one thing by ·which to attract men to their service­
the promise of material benefits; those in a subordinate posi­
tion have one thing to offer to their superiors-a knowledge of
the arts of government. Let us suppose there is a rich man who
has built a high wall all around his house. When the wall
is finished and plastered with mud, he pierces it with only one
gate. Then, if a thief steals in, he may shut the gate by which
the thief entered and set about searching for him, confident
that the thief has no means of escape. \Vhy? Because the rich
man, like the ruler, has control of the vital point.
Therefore in their administration the sage kings of ancient
times ranked the virtuous high and honored the worthy, and
although a man might be a farmer or an artisan from the
shops, if he had ability they promoted him. Such men vvere
honored with titles, treated to generous stipends, en trusted
·with important matters, and empowered to see that their orders
\Vere carried out. For it was said that if their stipends \Vere not
generous, the people would have no confidence in then1; and
if their orders were not carried out, the people would not stand
in awe of them. These three benefits were bestowed upon the
\vorthy not because the ruler ·wished to reward them for their
·worth but because he hoped thereby to bring about success in
the affairs of govern1nent. Therefore at that time ranks \Vere
assigned according to virtue, duties allotted according to the
office held, and rewards given according to the effort expended;
achievements \Vere 'veighed and stipends distributed accord­
ingly. Thus no official was necessarily assured of an exalted
position for life, nor \Vas any me1nber of the common people
 1-lonoring the Worthy 21

necessarily condemned to remain forever humble. Those with

ability were promoted, those without it \Vere demoted. This is
what it means to promote public righteousness and do away
with private likes and dislikes.
In ancient times Yao raised up Shun from the sunny side of
Fu Lake and entrusted the government to hin1, and the \;vorld
was at peace. Yu raised up Yi from the land of Yin and en­
trusted the government to him, and the nine provinces were
well ordered. T'ang raised up Yi Yin from his labors in the
kitchen and entrusted the government to hi1n, and his plans
\Vere successful. King Wen raised up Hung-yao T'ai-tien from
his place among the hunting and fishing nets and entrusted
the government to him, and the western regions bowed in sub­
mission. 2
So among the officials who enjoyed high ranks and generous
stipends in those days, there \Vere none who \!Vere not un­
failingly cautious and respectful, none who did not encourage
_and strive with each other in honoring virtue. It is gentlemen
of true worth, therefore, who must act to assist and carry on
the government. If the ruler can obtain the services of such
gentlemen, then his plans \Nill never be thwarted nor his body
\Vorn by care; his fame will be established and his undertak­
ings brought to a successful conclusion; his excellence will be
manifest and no evil \Vill appear to mar it. All this \vill come
about because he has obtained the services of gentlemen.
Therefore Mo Tzu said: When things are going well, gen­

2
· Yao, Shun, Yii, T'ang, and King Wen were all ancient sage rulers, the
last three the founders of the Hsia, Shang, and Chou dynasties respectively,
the so-called Three Dynasties. Yi of the land of Yin was an eminent min­
ister of Shun and Yil. Yi Yin was supposed to have been working in
T'ang's royal kitchens when his worth was recognized. The identity of
Hung-yao T'ai-tien and the anecdote upon which Mo Tzu's statement is
based are unknown.
22 Mo Tzu
tlemen of worth must be promoted; and when they are not
going well, gentlemen of worth must be promoted. If one
wishes to emulate and carry on the ways of Yao, Shun, Yi.i,
and T'ang, then one must honor the worthy, for honoring the
worthy is the foundation of good government.

PART II

(SECTION 9)

Mo Tzu said: In caring for the people, presiding over the

altars of the soil and grain, and ordering the state, the rulers
and high officials these days strive for stability and seek to
avoid any error. But why do they fail to perceive that honoring
the worthy is the foundation of government?
How do we know that honoring the worthy is the founda­
tion of government? Because when the eminent and wise rule
over the stupid and humble, then there will be order; but
when the stupid and humble rule over the eminent and wise,
there \vill be chaos. Therefore we know that honoring the
worthy is the foundation of government.
Therefore the sage kings of ancient times took great pains to
honor the worthy and employ the capable, showing no
special consideration for their own kin, no partiality for the
eminent and rich, no favoritism for the good-looking and at­
tractive. They promoted the worthy to high places, enriched
and honored them, and made them heads of government; the
unworthy they demoted and rejected, reduced to poverty and
humble station, and condemned to penal servitude. Thus the
people, encouraged by the hope of reward and awed by the
fear of punishment, led each other on to become worthy, so
 Honoring the Worthy 23
that worthy men increased in number and unworthy men
became few. This is what is called advancing the worthy. And
when this had been done, the sage kings listened to the words
of the worthy, watched their actions, observed their abilities,
and on this basis carefully assigned them to office. This is
called employing the capable. Those who were capable of
ordering the state were employed to order the state; those who
were capable of heading a government bureau were employed
as heads of bureaus; and those who were capable of governing
an outlying district were employed to govern the outlying
districts. Thus the administration of the state, of the govern­
ment bureaus, and of the outlying districts was in every case
in the hands of the most worthy men of the nation.
When a worthy man is given the task of ordering the state,
he appears at court early and retires late, listens to lawsuits
and attends to the affairs of government. As a result the state
is well ordered and laws and punishments are justly adminis­
tered. When a worthy man heads a government bureau, he
goes to bed late and gets up early, collecting taxes on the
barriers and markets and on the resources of the hills, forests,
lakes, and fish weirs, so that the treasury will be full. As a re­
sult the treasury is full and no source of revenue is neglected.
When a worthy man governs an outlying district, he leaves his
house early and returns late, plowing and sowing seed, plant­
ing trees, and gathering vegetables and grain.3 As a result
there will be plenty of vegetables and grain and the people
will have enough to eat. When the state is well ordered, the

• The text reads as though the officials of the outlying districts actually
go out and work in the fields, which seems highly unlikely. The probable
meaning is that they supervise the work of the peasants. Mo Tzu, like
many earlier Chinese writers, is sometimes betrayed by his fondness for
strict verbal parallelism into saying something other than just what< he
means.
24 Mo Tzu

laws and punishments will be justly administered, and when

the treasury is full, the people will be well off. The rulers will
thus be supplied with wine and millet to use in tlieir sacrifices
to Heaven and the spirits, with hides and currency to use in
their intercourse with the feudal lords of neighboring states,
and with the means to feed the hungry and give rest to the
weary within their realm, to nourish their subjects and attract
virtuous men from all over the \vorld~ Then Heaven and the
spirits will send down riches, the other feudal lords will be­
come their allies, the people of their own realm will feel affec­
tion for them, and worthy men will come forward to serve
them. Thus all that they plan for they will achieve, and all
that they undertake will be brought to a succe~sful conclusion.
If they stay within their realm, their position will be secure,
and if they venture forth to punish an enemy, they will be
victorious. It was hy this method alone that the sage kings of
the Three Dynasties, Yao, Shun, Yii, T'ang, Wen, and Wu,
were able to rule the world and become the leaders of the
other lords.
But if one knows only the policy to be adopted, but does not
know what means to use in carrying it out, then he cannot
be sure of success in government. Therefore three principles
should be established. What are these three principles? They
are that if the titles and positions of worthy men are not ex­
alted enough, then the people_ will not respect such men; if
their stipends are not generous, then the people will not have
confidence in them; and if their orders are not enforced, then
the people will not stand in awe -0f them. Therefore the sage
kings of antiquity honored the worthy with titles~ treated them
to generous stipends, entrusted them with important affairs,
and empowered them to see that their orders were carried out.
These benefits were bestowed not hcause the ruler wished to
 Honoring the Worthy 25
reward his ministers, but because he hoped thereby to bring
about success in the affairs of government.
The Book of Odes says:

I admonish you to take thought for the needy;

I teach you how to assign the titles;

For who can take hold of something hot

Without first moistening his hand? 4

This verse shows how important it was for the rulers a·nd
lords of antiquity to secure good men to be their ministers
and aides, and compares this to the necessity of moistening
the hand before grasping anything hot so as to spare the hand
from injury.
Thus the sage kings of antiquity gave all their thought to
finding worthy men and employing them, handing out titles to
honor them, apportioning lands to enfeoff them, and never
to the end of their days stinting their efforts. Worthy men
for their part thought only of finding an enlightened lord and
serving him, exhausting the strength of their four limbs in
carrying out their lord's business, never to the end of their
days growing weary, and if they achieved anything that vvas
beautiful or good, they gave c:~~!~ for it to the ruler. Thus
all that was beautiful and good came to reside in the ruler,
while all grudges and complaints were :directed against his
subordinates. Peace and joy was the portion of the ruler, care
and sorrow that of his ministers. This was how the sage kings
of ancient times administered their rule.
Now the rulers and high officials of the present day attempt
to imitate the ancients in honoring the worthy .and employing
the capable in their governments. But although they honor
them with titles, the stipends which they allot to them do

'Ta ya section, "Sang jou" (Mao text no. 257 ).

26 Mo Tzu

not follow in proportion. Now if an official has a high-sound­

ing title but a meager stipend, he can hardly inspire the con­
fidence of the people. Such an official will say to himself,
"The ruler does not really appreciate me, but is only making
use of me as a means for his own ends." And how can men
who feel that they are being made use of ever have any affec­
tion for their superiors? Therefore the kings of antiquity used
to say: "He who is greedy for power in government can never
bring himself to assign responsibility to others, and he who
is too fond of wealth can never bring himself to dole out
stipends." And if one refuses to delegate responsibility or dole
out stipends, though one invites all the worthy men of the
world, what inducement will they have to come to the side of
the ruler and his officers?
If the worthy do not come to the side of the ruler and his
officers, it will be the unworthy who will wait at their left and
right, and when the unworthy wait upon their left and right,
then praise will not be meted out to the worthy and censure
to the wicked. If the ruler honors unworthy men such as
these and uses them in governing the state, then rewards will
not necessarily find their way into the hands of the worthy,
and punishments will not necessarily fall upon those who
deserve them. If the worthy are not rewarded and the wicked
are not punished, then there will be no way to encourage the
worthy or put a stop to evil. Unworthy men such as these
are not loving or filial to their parents at home nor respectful
and friendly to the people of their neighborhood. Their ac­
tions show no sense of propriety, their, comings and goings no
sense of restraint, and their relations with the opposite sex
no sense of decorum. Put in charge of a government bureau,
they steal and plunder; assigned to guard a city, they betray
 Honoring the Worthy 27
their trust or rebel. If their lord encounters difficulty, they
will not accompany him into exile. When they are as­
signed the task of hearing lawsuits, their judgments are not
apt; when they are given that of apportioning wealth, their
allotments are not equitable. With men such as these to work
with, the ruler's plans will reach no fulfillment and his under­
takings no success. Though he stays within his realm, he will
knO\V no security, and if he ventures forth to battle, he will
win no victory. It was for this reason alone that the evil kings
of the Three Dynasties, Chieh, Chou, Yu, and Li, lost their
kingdoms and brought destruction to their altars of the soil
and grain. 5
All of this comes about as a result of understanding petty
affairs but failing to understand important ones. Now the
rulers and high officials know that if they cannot cut a suit of
clothes for themselves, they must employ the services of a
skilled tailor, and if they cannot slaughter an ox or a sheep
for , themselves, they must employ the services of a skilled
butcher. In these two instances the rulers are perfectly aware
of the need to honor ·worthy men and employ the capable to
get things done. And yet when they see the state in confusion
and their altars of the soil and grain in danger, they do not
know enough to employ capable men to correct the situation.
Instead they employ their relatives, or men who happen to be
rich and eminent or pleasant-featured and attractive. But just
because a man happens to be rich and eminent or pleasant­
featured and attractive, he will not necessarily turn out to be
wise and alert when placed in office. If men such as these are

• Chieh was the last ruler of the Hsia dynasty, Chou the last ruler of
the Shang, and Yu and Li two rulers of the Chou dynasty in the 9th and
8th centuries B.c. All four are symbols of evil and incompetent rulers. .
28 lvio Tzu
given the task of ordering the state, then this is simply to
entrust the state to men who are neither \vise nor intelligent,
and anyone knows that this \vill lead to ruin.
1V1oreover, the rulers and high officials trust a man's mental
ability because they are attracted by. his looks, and treat him
with affection without bothering to examine his kno\vledge.
As a result a man who is incapable of taking charge of a hun­
dred persons is assigned to a post in charge of a thousand, and
a man who is incapable of taking charge of a thousand persons
is assigned to a post in charge of ten thousand. Why do the
rulers do this? Because if they assign a man they like to such
a post, he will receive an exalted title and a generous stipend.
Hence they employ the n1an sin1ply because they are attracted
by his looks.
Now if a man who is incapable of taking charge of a thou­
sand persons is given a post in charge of ten thousand, then
he is being given a post that requires ten times what he is
capable of. Affairs of governn1ent arise every day and must
be attended to each day, and yet the day cannot be made ten
times longer for the sake of such a man. Furthermore, it takes
kno\vledge to attend to such affairs, but if the man's knowl­
edge cannot be increased tenfold and he is still assigned to a
post that requires ten times what he is capable of, then it vvill
result in his attending to one matter and neglecting nine
others. Though the man \Vorks day and night to attend to
the duties ·of his post, it is obvious that they will never be
attended to. All of this comes about because the rulers and
high officials do not understand how to honor the worthy and
employ the capable in their governme~t.
Earlier I described the method for honoring the vvorthy
and employing the capable in government so as to achieve
order, and here I have described how rejecting the worthy
 Honoring the Worthy 29
and failing to employ the capable in government leads to
chaos. Now if the rulers and high officials truly wish to order
the state properly, to achieve stability and avoid error, why
do they fail to perceive that honoring the worthy is the foun­
dation of good government?
Moreover, this principle, that honoring the worthy is the
foundation of government, is not something asserted by l\1o
Tzu alone. It is the way of the sage kings, and is found
recorded in the books of the former kings and embodied in
the sayings which have been handed down from antiquity.
Thus one book says: "Seek out sages and Vfise men to protect
and aid your' And the ''Oath of T'ang" states: ''Then I sought
out a great sage with whom to unite my strength and join
my mind in governing the empire." 6 These quotations show
that the sages did not fail to honor the worthy and employ the
capable in their governn1ent. Thus the sage kings of .ancient
times gave all their attention to this problem alone, and did
not allow themselves to become distracted by other affairs, ancl
all the world enjoyed the .benefits thereof.
In ancient times Shun farmed at Mount Li, made pottery
on the banks of the river, and fished at Thunder Lake. ·Yao
discovered him on the sunny side of Fu Lake and promote'dl
him to the position of Son of Heaven, turning over to him
the task of ruling the empire and governing the people. Yi
Chih served in the bridal party of the daughter of the Hsin
clan when she went to marry T'ang, and by his own wish
became a cook in T·'ang's kitchens. There T'ang discovered
him and made him his chief minister, turning uver to him the
task of ruling the empire and governing the people. Fu Yiieh,
6
The ''Oath of T'ang" is one of the sections .of the Book oJ Documents,
but no such passage is found in the present text -of that section. The source
of the preceding quotation is unknown.
30 Mo Tzu
wearing a coarse robe and a girdle of rope, was working as a
convict laborer at Fu-yen when Wu-ting discovered him and
made him one of the three highest officers, turning over to
him the task of ruling the empire and governing the people.
How did it happen that these men started out in humble
positions and ended in exalted ones, began in poverty and
ended in riches? Because the rulers and their high officials
understood the importance of honoring the worthy and em­
ploying the capable. So among their people were none who
were hungry and yet found no food, cold and yet found no
clothing, weary and yet found no rest; there were none who
were disorderly and yet in time did not learn obedience.
The ancient sage kings, in giving all their thought to honor­
ing the worthy and employing the capable in government,
were patterning their actions on the ways of Heaven. For
Heaven too shows no discrimination between rich and poor,
eminent and humble, near and far, the closely and the dis­
tantly related. It promotes and honors the worthy, and de­
motes and rejects the unworthy.
If this is so, then who were those that, possessing wealth
and eminence, still strove to be worthy, and received their
reward? The sage kings of the Three Dynasties of old, Yao,
Shun, Yii, T'ang, Wen, and Wu, were such. And how were
they rewarded? When they ruled the world, they loved all
men universally, worked to benefit them, and taught their
subjects to honor Heaven and serve the spirits. Because they
loved and benefited their subjects, Heaven and the spirits
rewarded them by setting them up as Sons of Heaven and
causing them to act as fathers and mothers to the people. The
people in turn praised them, calling them sage kings, and
so they are called even today. These then were the rich and
eminent ones who strove to be worthy and who received their
reward.
 Honoring the Worthy 3I
Who were those that, possessing wealth and eminence, still
practiced evil, and were punished for it? The wicked kings
of the Three Dynasties of old, Chieh, Chou, Yu, and Li,
were such. How do we know that this is so? Because when
they ruled the world, they hated all men universally, set about
to oppress them, and taught the people of the world to curse
Heaven and abuse the spirits. Because they oppressed and
tyrannized their subjects, Heaven and the spirits punished
them by bringing execution and death to their persons, scat­
tering their sons and grandsons, destroying their houses, and
cutting off their descendants. The people accordingly con­
demned them, calling them wicked kings, and so they are
called even today. These then were the rich and eminent
ones who practiced evil and who were punished for it.
Who was it that, though closely related to the ruler, failed
to do good and was punished for it? Such was Lord Kun, the
eldest son of the emperor. 7 He turned his back on the virtuous
ways of the emperor and so was banished to the fields of Yii
and imprisoned where no warmth nor light could reach him,
and the emperor sho\\red him no favor. He, then, was one
who, though closely related to the ruler, failed to do good
and was punished for it.
Who were the capable ones who were employed by Heaven?
Such were Yii, Chi, and Kao T'ao. 8 How do we know that
this is so? Because among the documents of the former kings
is the "Penal Code of Lii," which says: "The august emperor
carefully inquired among the lower people, and there were
7
Various accounts are given of this mythical figure. According to the
one which Mo Tzu appears to be following, he was the son of a ruler
named Chuan Hsii. It is not clear whether Chuan Hsii himself, or one of
his successors, banished Lord Kun.
8
These men were all said to have been enlightened ministers under the
sage Shun. In the quotation from the Book of Documents which follows,
however, Kao T'ao is not mentioned, but instead Po Yi, another eminent
minister of Shun.
32 Mo Tzu
complaints against the Miao barbarians. . .. . The attention
of the various lords was extended among the lower people
and they brought to light the enlightened, no matter who they
were, so that even widowers and widows were not left un­
recognized. The virtuous might of the sovereign overawed
the people; his virtuous enlightenment made them bright.
Then he charged three lords to be zealous in doing good for
the people. Po Yi handed down the statutes, restraining the
people with punishments. Yu regulated the water and the
land and presided over the naming of the hills and rivers. Chi
descended from his high position to sow seed and teach the
people to grow fine grain. \tVhen these three lords had com­
pleted their work, the people were greatly benefited." 9
The three sages mentioned in this passage were careful in
their words, circumspect in their actions, and thorough in
their thoughts and plans. They sought to discover every hid­
den matter in the world, every benefit that had previously
been overlooked. They served Heaven above, and Heaven re­
sponded to their virtue. They acted for the sake of the people
belo\v, and the people received benefit their whole life
through.
Thus the former kings used to say: "This Way! Use it on
a grand scale throughout the world and it will never prove too
petty; use it on a small scale and it will never prove confining;
use it for a long time and the people will benefit their whole
lives through." The hymns of Chou speak of it in these words:
The virtue of the sage
Is high as heaven,
9
From the Lu hsing, or "Penal Code of Lii," in the Book of Documents.
On the whole I have followed the interpretation of Karlgren, though for
"they brought to light the enlightened, no matter who they were,'' he
reads "clearly elucidated the irregular practices (sc. punishments)." In
most cases we can only guess from context how Mo Tzu himself inter­
preted the passages which he quotes from the Odes and Documents.
 Honoring the Worthy 33
Broad as the earth;

It shines upon the world,

Solid as the ground,

Lofty as the mountains,

Never faltering, never failing,

Brilliant like the sun,

Bright like the moon,

Constant as heaven and earth. 10

This describes how brilliant, broad, deep-rooted, and ever..

lasting is the virtue of the sage. The virtue of the sage may
in fact be said to embrace all heaven and earth!
Now the rulers and high officials \vish to rule the world
and become leaders of the feudal lords. Yet if they are without
such virtue and righteousness, what means will they have
to achieve their aims? Some say that such aims can be acc01n­
plished through a display of might and power, but why should
the rulers attempt to display might and power? Those who
strive to overthrow others sin1ply drive the people to their
death. \Vhat the people long for most is life, and what they
hate most is death. Yet under such rulers they cannot achieve
what they long for, but are subjected in case after case to
what they hate. From ancient times duwn to the present there
has never been anyone who succeeded in ruling the world and
becmning the leader of the feudal lords in this way. Now the
rulers and high officials say they \\ ant to rule the world and
1

become leaders of the feudal lords. But if they really wish to

have their way with the world and leave behind them a name
for future generations to remember, why do they not realize
that honoring the worthy is the foundation of good govern­
ment? This is a principle which the sages were most careful
to practice.
10
No such passage is found among the hymns (sung) of Chou pre­
served in the Book of Odes.
~/3
h AGAINST FATALISM
PART I
(SECTION 3 5)

Mo Tzu said: These days the rulers and high officials who
govern the nation all desire their states to be rich, their popu­
lation to be numerous, and their administration to be well
ordered. And yet what they achieve is not wealth but poverty,
not a numerous population but a meager one, not order but
chaos. In actual fact, they fail to get what they seek and
achieve what they abhor. Why is this? Mo Tzu said: It is
because of the large number of fatalists among the people.
The advocates of fatalism say, "If fate decrees that the state
will be wealthy, it will be wealthy; if it decrees that it will
be poor, it will be poor. If it decrees that the population will
be numerous, it will be numerous; if it decrees that it will be
in eager, it will be meager. If it decrees that there will be order,
there will be order; if it decrees that there will be chaos, there
will be chaos. If it decrees that a man will have a long life, he
will have a long life; if it decrees that he will die young, he
will die young. Though a man tries to combat fate, what can
he do?" They expound such doctrines to the rulers and high
officials, and keep the people from pursuing their tasks. Hence
the fatalists are lacking in benevolence, and their words must
therefore be carefullv examined .
.;

Now ho"v are we to go about examining their doctrines?

Mo Tzu said: We must set up a standard of judgment, for to
try to speak without a standard of judgment is like trying to
z18 MoTzu
establish the direction of sunrise and sunset with a revolving
potter's wheel. It will be impossible to determine the differ­
ence between what is right and wrong, what is beneficial and
what is harmful. Therefore a theory must be judged by three
tests. What are these three tests of a theory? Its origin, its
validity, and its applicability. How do we judge its_ origin?
We judge it by comparing the theory with the deeds of the
sage kings of antiquity. How do we judge its validity? We
judge it by comparing the theory with the evidence of the
eyes and ears of the people. And how do we judge its applic­
ability? We judge it by observing whether, \vhen the theory is
put into practice in the administration,. it brings benefit to the
state and the people. This is what is meant by the three tests
of a theory.
Now among the gentlemen of the world there are those
who believe in the existence of fate. Let us try examining this
belief in the light of what we know of the sage kings. In
ancient times chaos prevailed under Chieh, but T'ang fol­
lowed him and there was order; chaos prevailed under Chou,
hut King Wu followed him and there was order. Within a
single generation, with the same people, the world was in
chaos under Chieh and Chou, and well ordered under T'ang
and Wu. How then can we say that order or chaos in the
world are decreed by fate? 1
Yet there are still some gentlemen in the world who believe
in the existence of fate. Let us try examining this belief in the
light of the writings of the former kings. Among the writings
of the former kings are those that were issued by the state and
promulgated among the people, and these were called "stat­

1
This argument, needless to say, does not refute the claims of the
fatalists, who can just as well assert that the decree of fate changed
abruptly when the rule passed from Chieh to T'ang and from Chou to Wu.
 Against Fatalism I I 9
utes." Among the statutes of the former kings, were there ever
any that said: "Good fortune cannot be sought for and bad
fortune cannot he avoided. Being reverent . will not help your
chances, and doing evil will not harm them."? The writings
by which law cases were settled and crimes punished were
called "codes of punishment." Among the codes of punish­
ment of the former kings, were there ever any. that said: "Good
fortune cannot be sought for and bad fortune cannot be
avoided. Being .reverent will not help your chances, and doing
evil \vill not harm them."? The writings by which the armies
were organized and the soldiers commanded to advance or
retreat were called "declarations." Among the declarations of
the former kings,· were there ever any that said: "Good fortune
cannot be sought for and had fortune cannot be avoided.
Being reverent will not help your chances, and doing evil will
not harm them."? I have not exhausted all the evidence-.it
would be impossible to cite all the excellent writings, in the
world-but have enumerated only a few important examples,
namely, the three types of writings mentioned above. Yet no
matter how we search, we can ·find no evidence to support
the theories of the fatalists. Should not such theories be re­
jected then?
To accept the theories of the fatalists would be to overthrow
righteousness in the world. To overthrow righteousness in the
world would be to replace it with the concept of fate and
create worry for the people. And to expound a doctrine that
creates worry for the people is to destroy the men of the world.
Why do we desire righteous men to be in authority? Be­
cause when righteous men are in authority, the world will be
ordered, the Lord on High, the hills and rivers, and the
ghosts and spirits will have worshipers to sacrifice to them, and
the people will enjoy great benefit. How do we know? Mo Tzu
120 Mo Tzu
said: In ancient times T'ang was enfeoffed in Po. Making
allowances for the irregular boundary line, his domain meas­
ured only a hundred square li. He worked with his people for
universal love and mutual benefit, and shared with them what
was in abundance. He led his people to honor Heaven and
serve the spirits above, and therefore Heaven and the spirits
enriched him, the feudal lords became his allies, the people
loved him, and worthy men came to serve him. Before he
died he became ruler of the world and leader of the other
lords.
In former times King Wen was enfeoffed in Chou at Mount
Ch'i. Making allowances for the irregular boundary line, his
domain measured only a hundred square li. He worked with
his people for universal love and mutual benefit, and shared
with them what was in abundance. So those nearby found
security in his government and those far away were won by
his virtue. All those who heard of King Wen rose up and
went to him, and the morally weak, the unworthy, and the
crippled who could not rise stayed where they were and
pleaded, saying, "Couldn't the domain of King Wen be ex­
tended to our borders, so that we too could benefit? Why can't
we too be like the people of King Wen?" Therefore Heaven
and the spirits enriched him, the feudal lords became his allies,
the people loved him, and worthy men came to serve him.
Before he died he became ruler of the world and leader of the
other lords. Previously I said that when righteous men are in
authority, the world will be ordered, the Lord on High, the
hills and rivers, and the ghosts and spirits will have worshipers
to sacrifice to them, and the people will enjoy great benefit.
And this is how I know that it is so.
Therefore the ancient sage kings issued statutes and pub­
lished laws, providing rewards and punishments in order to
 Against Fatalism 12 I

encourage good and prevent evil. So men were loving and

filial to their parents at home and respectful and friendly to
the people of their neighborhood. Their actions showed a
sense of propriety, their comings and goings a sense of re­
straint, and their relations with the opposite sex a sense of
decorum. Thus, if they 'vere put in charge of a government
bureau, they did not steal or plunder; assigned to guard a city,
they did not betray their trust or rebel. If their lord encoun­
tered difficulties, they "\Vould risk death for him; if he was
forced to flee the state, they would accompany him into exile.
Conduct like this was what the authorities rewarded and
people praised. And yet the advocates of fatalism say: "Who­
ever is rewarded by the authorities was destined by fate to be
rewarded. It is not because of his worthiness that he is re­
warded!"
If this were so, then men would not be loving or filial to
their parents at home nor respectful and friendly to the people
of their neighborhood. Their actions would show no sense of
propriety, their comings and goings no sense of restraint, and
their relations with the opposite sex no sense of decorum. Put
in charge of a government bureau, they would steal and
plunder; assigned to guard a city, they would betray their
_trusts or rebel. If their lord encountered difficulty, they would
not risk death for him; if he was forced to flee the state, they
would not accompany him into exile. Conduct like this is
what the authorities punish and the people condemn~; and yet
the advocates of fatalism say: "Whoever is punished by the
authorities was destined by fate to be punished. It is not be­
cause of his evil actions that he is punished!" Believing this,
rulers would not be righteous and subjects would not be loyal;
fathers would not be loving and sons would not be filial; older
brothers would not be brotherly and younger brothers would
122 Mo Tzu
not be respectful. Those who insist upon holding such views
are the source of pernicious doctrines. Theirs is the way of evil
men!
How do we know that fatalism is the way of evil men?
In ancient times there were impoverished people who were
greedy for food and drink and lazy in pursuing their tasks,
and as a result they did not have enough food and clothing,
and found themselves troubled by cold and hunger. But they
did not have sense enough to say, "We are weak in virtue and
unworthy, and we have not been diligent in pursuing our
tasks.n Instead they said, "Fate has decreed that we shall he
poor!" In ancient times there were evil kings who could not
control the passions of their ears and eyes, or the wicked
d~sires of their hearts. They did not follow the way of their
ancestors, and so in time they lost their countries and brought
destruction to their altars of the soil and grain. But they did
not have sense enough to say, "We are weak in virtue and
unworthy, and have not governed well." Instead they said,
"Fate has decreed that we shall fail!"
The "Announcement of Chung Hui" says: "I have heard
that the man of Hsia, pretending that he was acting under the
mandate of Heaven, issued orders to his people. God was dis­
pleased and destroyed his hosts." 2 This shows how T'ang
condemned Chieh's belief in fate. 3
The "Great Declaration" says: "Chou lived in insolence
and would not serve the Lord on High and the spirits. He cast
2
The "man of Hsia" is Chieh; Chung Hui is identified as a minister of
King T'ang, who overthrew Chieh. Both this and the following quotation
are presumably from lost sections of the Book of Documents.
3
Mo Tzu apparently feels justified in making this statement because
the words translated as "mandate" and "orders" are written with the same
character as the word "fate." Taken in context, however, the words are so
far apart in meaning that the quotation can hardly be said to prove that
Chieh believed in fate.
 Against Fatalism 123

aside his ancestors and the spirits and would not sacrifice to
them, saying, 'My people are ruled by fate.' He gave himself
up to arrogance and tyranny, and Heaven thereupon cast him
aside and would not protect him." This shows how King Wu
condemned Chou's belief in fate.
Now if we were to accept the theories of the fatalists, then
those above would not attend to affairs of state and those
below would not pursue their tasks. If those above do not
attend to affairs of state, then the government will fall into
disorder, while if those below do not pursue their tasks, there
will not be enough wealth and goods. There will be no way
to provide millet and wine for offerings to the Lord on High
and the spirits above, and no way to provide security for the
worthy and able men of the world below. There will be no
means to entertain and conduct exchanges with the feudal
lords who come as guests from abroad, while within the state
there will be no means to feed the hungry, clothe the cold,
and care for the aged and weak. Hence fatalism brings no
benefit to Heaven above, no benefit to the spirits in the middle
realm, and no benefit to mankind below. Those \vho insist
upon holding such views are the source of pernicious doc­
trines, and theirs is the way of evil men.
Therefore Mo Tzu said: If the gentlemen of the world
truly hate poverty and wish to enrich the world, if they truly
hate disorder and wish to bring order to the world, then they
cannot but condemn the doctrines of the fatalists, for these
bring great harm to the world.
~ THE REGULATIONS OF A KING
(SECTION 9)

Someone asked how to govern, and I replied: In the case of

worthy and able men, promote them without waiting for their
turn to come up. In the case of inferior and incompetent men,
dismiss them without hesitation. In the case of incorrigibly
evil men, punish them without trying to reform them. 1 In the
case of people of average capacity, teach them what is right
without attempting to force them into goodness. Thus, even
where rank has not yet been fixed, the distinction between
good and bad will be as clear as that between the left and
right ancestors in the mortuary temple. 2 Although a man may
be the descendant of kings, dukes, or high court ministers,
if he cannot adhere to ritual principles, he should be ranked
among the commoners. Although a man may be the descend­
ant of commoners, if he has acquired learning, is upright in
conduct, and can adhere to ritual principles, he should be
prmnoted to the post of prime minister or high court official.
1
This recognition of a category of incorrigibly bad men seems to contra­
dict the rest of Hsun Tzu's philosophy and is rare in early Confucian
thought as a whole. Nevertheless, Hsi.in Tzu refers to it elsewhere, as in
sec. 18, where he argues that the existence of a very few such perverse and
unteachable men even in the time of a sage ruler is not to be taken as
evidence that the ruler himself is at fault.
2
This sentence has long puzzled commentators, and the translation is
tentative~ According to Chou .practice, the mortuary temple of the founder
of a noble family was placed in the center, with the temples of the second,
fourth and sixth descendants ranged to the left and called chao, while those
of the third, fifth, and seventh descendants were ranged to the right and
called mu.
 34 Hsun Tzu
When it comes to men of perverse "Tords and theories, per­
verse undertakings and talents, or to people \Vho are slippery
or vagrant, they should be given tasks to do, taught \vhat is
right, and allowed a period of trial. Encourage them \Vith
re·wards, discipline them with punishments, and if they settle
down to their work, then look after them as subjects; but if
not, cast them out. In the case of those vvho belong to the five
incapacitated groups, 3 the government should gather them to­
gether, look after them, and give them whatever work they are
able to do. Employ them, provide them with food and cloth­
ing, and take care to see that none\ are left out. If anyone is
found acting or using his talents to work against the good of
the time, condemn him to death without mercy. This is ·what
is called the virtue of Heaven and the government of a true
king.
These are the essential points to remember "''hen listening
to proposals in government. If a man comes forward in good
faith, treat him according to ritual; if he comes forward in bad
faith, meet him with punishment. In this way the two cate­
gories will be clearly distinguished, worthy and unworthy men
·will not be thrown together, and right and wrong will not be
confused. If worthy and un,vorthy men are not thrown to­
gether, then men of extraordinary character will come to you,
and if right and wrong are not confused, then the nation will
be well ordered. This accomplished, your fame will increase
each day, the world will look to you \Vith longing, your orders
will be carried out, your prohibitions heeded, and you will
have fulfilled all the duties of a king.
In listening to reports and proposals, if you are too stern
and severe and have no patience in guiding and drawing
3
Defined by commentators as those who are dumb, deaf, crippled, missing
an arm or leg, or dwarfed.
 The Regulations of a King 35
others out, then your subordinates will be fearful and distant
and will withdraw into themselves and be unwilling· to speak.
In such a case important matters are likely to be left unat­
tended to and minor matters to be botched. If, however, you
are too sympathetic and understanding, too fond of leading
and drawing others out, and have no sense of where to stop,
then men will come with all sorts of perverse suggestions and
you will be flooded with dubious proposals. In such a case you
will find yourself with too much to listen to and too much to
do, and this also will be inimical to good government.
If there are laws, but in actual practice they do not prove to
be of general applicability, then points not specifically covered
by the laws are bound to be left undecided. If men· are ap­
pointed to posts but they have no over-all understanding of
their duties, then matters which do not specifically fall· within
their jurisdiction are bound to he neglected. Therefore there
must be laws that prove applicable in practice and men in
office who have an over-all understanding of their duties.
There must be no hidden counsels or overlooked ability on the
lower levels and all matters must proceed without error. Only
a gentleman is capable of such government.
Fair-mindedness is the balance in which to weigh pro­
posals;4 upright harmoniousness is the line by which to meas­
ure them. Where laws exist, to carry them out; where they do
not exist, to act in the spirit of precedent and analogy-this is
the best way to hear proposals. To show favoritism and par­
tisan feeling and be without any constant principles-this is
the worst you can do. It is possible to have good laws and still
have disorder in the state. But to have a gentleman acting as
ruler and disorder in the state-from ancient times to the
present I have never heard of such a thing. This is what the
~ Reading t' ing instead of chih.
36 Hsun Tzu
old text means when it says, "Order is born from the gentle­
man, disorder from the petty man."
Where ranks are all equal, there \vill not be enough goods
to go around; where power is equally distributed, there \vill be
a lack of unity; where there is equality among the masses, it
wi~l be impossible to employ them. The very existence of
Heaven and Earth exemplifies the principle of higher and
lower, but only when an enlightened king appears on the
throne can the nation be governed according to regulation.
Two men of equal eminence cannot govern each other; t\VO
men of equally humble station cannot employ each other.
This is the rule of Heaven. If men are of equal power and
station and have the same likes and dislikes, then there will
not be enough goods to supply their wants and they will in­
evitably quarrel. Quarreling must lead to disorder, and dis­
order to exhaustion. The former kings abhorred such disorder
and therefore they regulated the principles .of ritual in order
to set up ranks. They established the distinctions between rich
and poor, eminent and humble, making it possible for those
above to join together and watch over those below. This is the
basis upon which the people of the world are nourished. This
is what the Docunients means when it says, "Equality is based
upon inequality." 5
If the horses are frightened of the carriage, then the gentle­
man cannot ride in safety; if the common people are frightened
of the government, then the gentleman cannot occupy his post
in safety. If the horses are frightened of the carriage, the best
thing to do is to quiet them; if the common people are fright­
ened of the government, the best thing to do is to treat them
5
I take it that this is the way Hsun Tzu, quoting very much out of con­
text, wishes us to understand these four characters. In context, in the sec­
tion called Lu-hsing or "The Code of Marquis Lii," they have a quite
different meaning.
 The Regulations of a King 37
with kindness. Select men who are worthy and good for gov­
ernment office, promote those who are kind and respectful,
encourage filial piety and brotherly affection, look after
orphans and widows and assist the poor, and then the com­
mon people will feel safe and at ease with their government.
And once the common people feel safe, then the gentleman
may occupy his post in safety. This is what the old text means
when it says, "The ruler is the boat and the common people
are the water. It is the water that bears the boat up, and the
"''ater that capsizes it." Therefore, if the ge~tleman desires
safety, the best thing for him to do is to govern fairly and to
love the people. If he desires glory, the best thing is to honor
ritual and treat men of breeding with respect. If he desires to
win fame and merit, the best thing is to promote the worthy
and employ men of ability. These are the three great obliga­
tions of the ruler. If he meets these three, then all other obliga­
tions will likewise be met; if he does not meet these three,
then, although he manages to meet his other obligations, it will
scarcely be of any benefit to him. Confucius has said, "If he
meets both his major and minor obligations correctly, he is a
superior ruler. If he meets his major obligations but is incon­
sistent in meeting his minor ones, he is a mediocre ruler. If
he fails to meet his major obligations, though he may meet his
minor ones correctly enough, I do not care to see any more of
. "
hIm.
Marquis Ch'eng and Lord Ssu were rulers who knew how
to collect taxes and keep accounts, hut they did not succeed in
winning the support of the people. 6 Tzu-ch'an won the sup­
6
Two rulers of the state of Wei (the small state northwest of Ch'i, not
to be confused with the much more powerful state in the old territory of
Chin whose name is also read "Wei") in the late fourth century B.c. As
the state of Wei dwindled in size and power, its rulers voluntarily down­
graded themselves from the title of duke to marquis, and later from marquis
to lord.
38 1-lsiin Tzu
port of the people but did not succeed in governing them. 7
Kuan Chung governed the state but did not get around to
promoting ritual. 8 He who promotes ritual will become a true
king; he who governs well will be strong; he who wins over the
people will find safety; but he who pays attention only to the
collection of taxes will be lost. Thus, a king enriches his peo­
ple, a dictator enriches his soldiers, a state that is barely manag­
ing to survive enriches its high officers, and a doomed state
enriches only its coffers and stuffs its storehouses. But if its
coffers are heaped up and its storehouses full, while its people
are impoverished, this is what is called to overflow at the top
but dry up at the bottom. Such a state will be unable to
protect itself at home and unable to fight its enemies abroad,
and its downfall and destruction can be looked for at any
moment. The ruler of such a state, by collecting excessive
taxes, brings about his own destruction, and his enemies, by
seizing his territory, make themselves stronger than ever. Too
much attention to tax collecting invites bandits and fattens
7
Chief minister of the small state of Cheng in the 6th century B .c. (The
Tso chuan records his death in 522 B.c.) He was widely praised for his wise
and benevolent policies, especially by Confucius (see Analects V, 15). But
Hsiin Tzu here follows the more reserved estimation of Mencius (Mencius
IVB, 2): "Tzu-ch'an . . . was kind but did not understand how to
,,
govern.
8
Chief minister to Duke Huan of Ch'i in the 7th century B.c. and a well­
known figure in history and legend. According to Shih chi 32, he died in
645 B.c. The philosophic work known as Kuan Tzu is said to embody his
teachings on economics and statecraft. He is credited with having made
Duke H uan the first of the pa (overlords, dictators, or hegemons). Hsiin
Tzu, like all early Confucian writers, distinguishes carefully between the
wang, the true kings who qualify for their position by virtue and public
sanction and who conduct their government on the basis of correct ritual
principles, and the pa, feudal lords who, by strengthening their military
and economic power and overawing the other feudal lords, were for a time
able to dictate to the empire and even force a kind of recognition from th"
Chou king.
 The Regulations of a King 39
one's enemies. It is the path which leads to the destruction of
the state and the peril of its lord, and for that reason the
enlightened ruler does not follow it.
The king works to acquire men, the dictator works to
acquire allies, and the ruler who relies on force works to
acquire territory. He who acquires men wins the allegiance of
the feudal lords; he who acquires allies.wins the friendship of
the feudal lords; but he who acquires territory incurs their
enmity. He who commands the allegiance of the feudal lords
may become a king; he who wins their friendship may become
a dictator; hut he who incurs their enmity is in danger.
He who lives by force must use his might to conquer the
cities that other men guard and to defeat the soldiers9 that
other men send forth to battle, and in doing so he inevitably
inflicts great injury upon the people of other states. If he
inflicts great injury upon them, they will inevitably hate him
fiercely and will day by day grow more eager to fight against
him. Moreover, he who uses his might to conquer the cities
that other men guard and to defeat the soldiers that other men
send forth to battle must inevitably inflict great injury upon
his own people as well. If he inflicts great injury upon his own
people, they will inevitably hate him fiercely and will day by
day grow less eager to fight his battles. With the people of
other states growing daily more eager to fight against him, and
his own people growing daily less eager to fight in his defense,
the ruler who relies upon strength will on the contrary be
reduced to weakness. He acquires territory but loses the sup­
port of his people; his worries increase while his accomplish­
ments dwindle. He finds himself with more and more cities
to guard and less and less of the means to guard them with;
thus in time the great state will on the contrary be stripped
9
Reading shih instead of ch'u here and in the parallel sentence below.
40 Hsun Tzu
down in this way to insignificance. The other feudal lords
never cease to eye him with hatred and to dream of. revenge; 10
never do they for get their enmity. They spy out his weak
points and take advantage of his defects, so that he lives in
constant peril.
One who truly understands ho\v to use force 11 does not rely
upon force. He is careful to follow the commands of the
nominal king, builds up his might, and creates a fund of good
will. 12 With his might well established, he cannot be weakened
by the other feudal lords; with a fund of good will to rely on,
he cannot be reduced to insignificance by the other feudal
lords. Thus, if he happens to live in a time when there is no
true king or dictator in the world, he will always he victorious.
This is the way of one who truly understands how to use force.
The dictator is not like this. H·e opens up lands for cultiva­
tion, fills the granaries, and sees that the people are provided
with the goods they need. He is careful in selecting his offi­
cials and employs men of talent, leading them on with rewards
and correcting them with punishments. He restores states that
have perished, protects ruling lines that are in danger of dying
out, guards the weak, and restrains the violent. If he shows no
intention of annexing the territories of his neighbors, then the
other feudal lords will draw close to him. If he treats them as
friends and equals and is respectful in his dealings with them,
he will win their favor. He can win their intimacy by not
attempting to annex them, but if he shows any inclination to
annex their lands, they will turn away from him. He can win
their favor by treating them as friends and equals, but if he
1111
Following the interpretation of Liu Shih-p'ei.
11
Reading tao instead of ta.
12
Hsiin Tzu says, literally, "establishes his virtue." But it is clear that he
is using the word te (virtue), not in the higher ethical sense, but in the
sense of favors. or good turns done to others which put them in debt to one.
 The Regulations of a King 41
shows any inclination to treat them as subjects, they will reject
him. Therefore he makes it clear from his actions that he does
not wish to annex their territory, and inspires faith in them
that he will always treat them ·as friends and equals. Thus, if
he happens to live in a time when there is no true king13 inthe
world, he will always be victorious. This is the way of one who
truly understands how to be a dictator. The reason that King
Min of Ch'i was defeated by the armies of the five states, and
that Duke Huan of Ch'i \Vas threatened by Duke Chuang of
Lu was none other than this: they did not follow the way
appropriate to their own positions, but tried to act in the
manner of a true king. 14
The true ·king is not like this. His benevolence is the
loftiest in the world, his righteousness is the loftiest in the
world, and his authority is the loftiest in the world. Since his
benevolence is the loftiest in the world, there is no one in the
world who does not draw close to him. Since his righteousness
is the loftiest in the world, there is no one who does not respect
him. Since his authority is the loftiest in the world, there is no
one who dares to oppose him. With an authority that cannot
be opposed, abetted by ways which win men's allegiance, he
gains victory without battle and acquires territory without
attack. He need not wear out his. inen and arms, and yet the
whole world is won over to him. This is the way of one who
understands how to be a king. He who understands these
13
Omitting the pa, which is clearly superfluous here.
u In 285 B.c., according to Shih chi 46, King Min, who had aroused the
anger of the other feudal lords, was attacked by a combination of them and
driven from his capital. In 68 I B.c., Duke Huan of Ch'i, the first of the
pa or dictators, called the other feudal lords to a conference in Ch'i. Accord­
ing to what is probably a late legend, recorded in the Kung yang Com­
mentary (Duke Chuang 13), the general of Duke Chuang of Lu managed
to threaten Duke Huan with assassination and force him to return to .Lu
the territory which he had earlier seized.
42 Hsun Tzu
three ways may choose to become a king, a dictator, or a man
of force as he wishes.
These are the king's regulations: they do not seek to pattern
themselves on anything earlier than the Three Dynasties, 15
they do not reject the model of later kings. Seeking a pattern
in the age before the Three Dynasties will lead to confusion;
rejecting the model of later kings will lead to inelegance.
Clothing should be of a fixed type, dwellings of fixed size, and
servants and followers of fixed number. Likewise, the vessels
and trappings used in mourning and sacrifice should all be
fixed in accordance with social rank. All music that is lacking
in classical elegance should be abandoned; all decorations that
do not follow old patterns should be given up; all vessels and
trappings that are not like those of earlier times should be
discarded. This is what is called reviving the old. These are
the king's regulations.
These are the judgments of a king: no man of virtue shall
be left unhonored; no man of ability shall be left unemployed;
no man of merit shall be left unrewarded; no man of guilt
shall be left unpunished. No man by luck alone shall attain
a position at court; no man by luck alone shall make his way
among the people. The worthy shall be honored, the able
employed, and each shall be assigned to his appropriate posi­
tion without oversight. The violent16 shall be repressed, the
evil restrained, and punishments shall be meted out without
error. The common people will then clearly understand that,
if they do evil in secret, they will suffer punishment in public.
This is what is called having fixed judgments. These are the
king's judgments.
us The Hsia, Shang or Yin, and Chou dynasties. By Hsiin T zu's time the
Chou dynasty was regarded as extinct in all but name.
ie Reading pao instead of yiian.
 The ·Regulations of a King 43
These are the king's la·ws. 17 They fix the various rates of
taxation, regulate all affairs, exploit the ten thousand things,
and thereby provide nourishment for all people. The tax on
the fields shall be one tenth. At harriers and in markets, the
officials shall examine the goods hut levy no tax. The moun­
tains, fores ts, lakes, and fish weirs shall at certain seasons be
closed and at others opened for use, but no taxes shall be
levied on their resources. Lands shall be inspected and the
amount of tax graded according to their productivity. The
distance over which articles of tribute must be transported
shall be taken into consideration and the amount of tribute
fixed accordingly. Goods and grain shall be allowed to circu­
late freely, so that there is no hindrance or stagnation in dis­
tribution; they shall be transported from one place to another
as the need may arise, so that the entire region within the
four seas becomes like one family. Thus those close to the
king will not hide their talents or be stinted in their labors,
and all regions, even the most distant and out of the way, will
hasten to serve him and find peace and joy under his rule.
This is what is called being the leader of men. These are the
king's laws.
In the far north there are fast horses and howling dogs;
China acquires and breeds them and puts them to work. In
the far south there are feathers, tusks, hides, pure copper, and
cinnabar; China acquires them and uses them in its manufac­
tures. In the far east there are plants with purple dye, coarse
hemp, fish, and salt; China acquires them for its food and
clothing. In the far west there are skins and colored yaks'
tails; China acquires them for its needs. Thus the people
living in lake regions have plenty of lumber and those living
17
Supplying the word fa from the end of the paragraph.
44 Hsun Tzu
in the mountains have plenty of fish. The farmers do not
have ·to carve or chisel, to fire or forge, and yet they have all
the tools and utensils they need; the artisans and merchants
do not have to work the fields, and yet they have plenty of
vegetables and grain. The tiger and leopard are fierce beasts,
but the gentleman strips off their hides for his personal use.
Thus, wherever the sky stretches and the earth extends, there
is nothing beautiful left unfound, nothing useful left unused.
Such goods serve above to adorn ~1 orthy and good men, and
below to nourish the common people and bring them security
and happiness. This is what is called a state ofgodlike order.
The Odes refers to this when it says:
Heaven made a high hill;

T'ai Wang opened it up.

He began the work

And King Wen dwelt there in peace. 18

One starts with general categories and moves to particular

ones; one starts with unity and moves to plurality. What be­
gins must end; what ends must begin again; and so the cycle
repeats itself without interruption. Abandon this principle,
and the empire will fall into decay. Heaven and earth are the
beginning of life, ritual principles are the beginning of order,
and the gentleman is the beginning of ritual principles. Acting
on them, practicing them, guarding them, and loving them
more than anything else-this is the beginning of the gentle­
·man. Therefore Heaven and earth produce the gentleman.and
the gentleman brings order to Heaven and earth. The gentle­
man forms a triad with Heaven and earth; he is the controller
of all things, the father and mother of the people. Without
18
"Hymns of Chou," T'ien-tso, Mao text no. 270. The high hill is Mount
Ch'i, where T'ai Wang, the ancestor of the Chou royal family, built his
capital.
 The Regulations of a King 45
the gentleman, Heaven and earth will lack order and ritual
principles will lack unity. There will be no true ruler or leader
above, no true father or son below. This is what is called the
extreme of chaos. The correct relationships between ruler and
subject, father and son, elder and younger brother, and hus­
band and wife begin and are carried through to the end, end
and begin again. They share the order of Heaven and earth,
they last for ten thousand generations. They are what is called
the great foundation. The rules that govern mourning and
sacrificial rites and the ceremonies of the court and army are
based upon this single foundation. Those which guide the
ruler in honoring or humbling, punishing or freeing, giving or
taking from his subjects are based upon this unity. Those
which teach men how to treat rulers as rulers, subjects as sub­
jects, fathers as fathers, sons as sons, elder brothers as elder
brothers, younger brothers as younger brothers are based upon
this unity. Those which make a farmer a farmer, a man of
breeding a man of ,breeding, an artisan an artisan, and a
merchant a merchant are based upon this unity.
Fire and water possess energy but are without life. Grass
and trees have life but no intelligence. Birds and beasts have
intelligence but no sense of duty. 19 Man possesses energy, life,
intelligence, and, in addition, a sense of duty. Therefore he is
the noblest being on earth. He is not as strong as the ox, nor
as swift as the horse, and yet he makes the ox and the horse
work for him. Why? Because he is able to organize himself in
society and they are not. Why is he able to organize himself
in society? Because he sets _up hierarchical divisions. And how
is he able to set up hierarchical divisions? Because he has a
sense of duty. If he employs this sense of duty to set up hier­
19
Yi. Elsewhere I have translated this word as righteousness.
46 Hsun Tzu
archical divisions, then there will he harmony. Where there
is harmony there will be unity; where there is unity there will
be strength; and where there is strength there will be the
power to conquer all things. Thus men can dwell in security
in their houses and halls. The reason that men are able to
harmonize their actions with the order of the seasons, utilize
all things, and bring universal profit to the world is simply
this: they have established hierarchical divisions and possess
a sense of duty.
Men, once born, must organize themselves into a society.
But if they form a society without hierarchical divisions, then
there will be quarreling. Where there is quarreling, there will
be chaos; where there is chaos, there \Nill be fragmentation;
and where there is fragmentation, men will find themselves
too weak to conquer other beings. Thus they will be unable
to dwell in security in their houses and halls. This is why I
say that ritual principles must not be neglected even for a
moment. He who can follow them in serving his parents is
called filial; he who can follow them in serving his elder
brothers is called brotherly. He who can follow them in serv­
ing his superiors is called obedient; he who can follow them in
employing his inferiors is called a ruler.
The ruler is one who is good at organizing men in society. 20
When society is properly organized, then all things will find
their proper place, the six domestic anirnals21 will breed and
flourish, and all living beings will fulfill their allotted span of
life. If breeding and tending is done at the proper time, the
six domestic animals will increase. If planting and cutting is
20
Hsiin Tzu is here punning on the words chun (ruler) and ch'un (to
form a group).
21
Horses, cows, sheep, pigs, dogs, and chickens. Dogs were raised to be
eaten.
 The Regulations of a King 47
done at the proper time, plants and trees will flourish. If gov­
ernment commands are issued at the proper time, then the
common people will he unified, and worthy and·good men will
offer their services. These are the regulations of a sage king.
When plants and trees are flowering or putting out new
growth, no axes may he taken into the hills and forests, for
they would destroy life and injure the growing things·. When
fish and other water creatures are breeding, no nets or poisons
may he used in the lakes, for they would destroy life and in­
jure the growing things. The farmers plow in spring, weed in
summer, reap in fall, and store away in winter. Because they
do each at the proper season, there is a never-ending supply
of grain and the people have more than enough to ·eat. Be­
cause the lakes and rivers are watched over carefully and
closed off at the proper time, there is an ever-increasing supply
of fish and other water creatures and the people have more
than they can use. Because the felling of trees and cutting of
brush is done only at the proper time, the hills are never de­
nuded and yet the people have all the wood they need. These
are the measures of a sage king. He looks up to examine
heaven, looks down to direct the work of the earth, completes
all that is necessary between heaven and earth, and applies
his action to all things. His actions are dark and yet of bright
result, brief and yet long-lasting, narrow and yet broad. His
understanding is of godlike clarity and breadth, and yet of the
finest simplicity. Therefore it is said, he whose every move is
founded on unity is a sage.22
The list of officials. The master of tiles shall have charge of
22
The end of this paragraph is couched in highly mysterious language
and the translation, particularly of the last sentence, is tentative. Com­
mentators offer various suggestions for amending the text, but none seems
convincing enough to adopt.
48 Hsun Tzu
matters pertaining to the reception of guests, religious cere­
monies, banquets, and sacrifices. The minister of the interior
shall have charge of matters pertaining to clan regulations, the
walling of cities, and the standardization of utensils. The
minister of war shall have charge of matters pertaining to
military expeditions, weapons, carriages, and troop divisions.
To enforce the ordinances and commands, examine songs
and writings, and abolish licentious music, attending to all
matters at the appropriate time, so that strange and barbaric
music is not allowed to confuse the elegant classical modes­
these are the duties of the chief director of music. To repair
dikes and ,weirs, open up canals and irrigation ditches, and
cause water to How freely and to be stored up properly in the
reservoirs, opening or closing the sluice gates at the appropri­
ate time, so that even in times of bad weather, Hood, or
drought, the people have fields that can be planted-these are
the duties of the minister of works. To inspect the elevation
of the fields,. determine the fertility of the soil, decide what
type of grain should be planted, examine the harvest and see
that it is properly stored away, attending to all matters at the
appropriate time, so that the farmers remain honest and hard­
working and do not turn to other occupations-these are the
duties of the administrator of the fields. To enforce the laws
pertaining to the burning off of forests, and to conserve the
resources of the mountains and woods, the marshes and lakes,
such as trees, shrubs, fish, turtles, and various edible plants,
attending to all matters at the appropriate time, so that the
nation has the articles it needs and no resources are depleted
-these are the duties of the director of resources. To order
the provinces and communities, fix the regulations pertaining
to dwellings, promote the raising of domestic animals and the
planting of trees, encourage moral education, and promote
 The Regulations of a King 49
filial piety and brotherly affection, attending to all .matters at
the appropriate time, so that the people are obedient to com­
mands and live in their communities in security and happiness
-these are the duties of the director of communities. To
judge the merits of the various artisans, determine the most
appropriate time for their work, judge the quality of their
manufactures, encourage efficiency and high quality, and see
that all necessary goods are available, making sure that no one
dares to manufacture sculptured or ornamented decorations
privately at home-these are the duties of the director of arti­
sans. To observe the yin and yang, judge the meaning of por­
tents, divine by the tortoise and milfoil, conduct exorcisms,
fortunetelling, and divination by the five types of signs, and
understand all that pertains to good and bad fortune-these
are the duties of hunchback shamanesses and crippled sha­
mans. To attend to affairs of public sanitation, keep the roads
i.n repair, eliminate thieves and highway bandits, insure a fair
assignment of public buildings and market stalls, 23 attending
to all matters at the ~ppropriate time, so that traveling mer­
chants can conduct their business in safety and there is an
unobstructed flow of goods-these are the duties of the direc­
tor of markets. To forestall violence and cruelty, prevent
licentiousness, and wipe out evil, employing the five punish­
ments2~ as a warning, causing the violent and cruel to change
their ways and the wicked to desist from wickedness-these
are the duties of the minister of justice.
To lay the foundation of governmental education, see that
the laws and regulations are upright, receive reports and pro­
posals and review them at fixed times, judge the merits of the
28
Reading ssu instead of lii.
24
Tattooing of criminals, cutting off the nose, cutting off the feet, castra­
tion, and death. ·
50 Hsun Tzu
lesser officials, and decide what rewards or punishments are
to be meted out, attending to all matters carefully and at the
proper time, so that the minor officials are encouraged to do
their best and the common people do not dare to be slack­
these are the duties of the prime minister. To fix rites and
music, reform conduct, spread moral education, and beautify
the customs of the people, taking cognizance of all matters
and harmonizing them into a unity-these are the duties of
the high officials. 25 To complete the Way and its virtue,
establish the highest standards, unite the world in the fullest
degree of order, overlooking not the smallest detail, and caus­
ing all men in the world to be obedient and submissive-these
are the duties of the heavenly king. Therefore, if the affairs
of government are in disorder, it is the fault of the prime
minister. If the customs of the country are faulty, it is due to
the error of the high officials. And if the world is not unified
and the feudal lords are rebellious,26 then the heavenly king
is not the ,right man for the job .
. When27 one has all the appurtenances of a king, he can be
a king; when he has all the appurtenances of a dictator, he
can be a dictator; when he has the appurtenances of a ruler
who can preserve his state, he will preserve his state; and when
he has the appurtenances of a ruler who will destroy his
state, he will destroy it. If one heads a state of ten thousand
war chariots, then his might and authority will naturally corn­
!.'5Following Kanaya, I take the phrase pi-kung to refer to the san-kung
or three high officials: the grand tutor, the grand protector, and the director
of music. They had charge of affairs pertaining to manners and moral edu­
cation. Some translators, however, take pi-kung to refer to the feudal lords.
20
Reading pei instead of su in accordance with the suggestion of Kubo Ai.
n The remainder of the chapter lacks Yang Liang's commentary and is
difficult to make out at numerous points. I have in general followed Kanaya
and somewhat expanded the original in a few places to make it intelligible
in translation.
 The Regulations of a King 51
mand respect, his fame will be widespread, and his enemies
\vill submit. It will he within the power of the ruler himself,
not men of other states, to regulate his safety and goodness. It
will be within the power of the ruler himself, not other men,
to decide whether he will become a king or a dictator, whether
he will choose preservation or destruction. But if his might
and authority are not sufficient to intimidate his neighbors
and his fame is not the kind to spread throughout the world,
then he does not yet have the power to stand alone, so how
can he hope to escape difficulties? Threatened by the power of
some evil neighbor state, he and the rulers of other states may
have to ally themselves with it and be forced to do things they
do not wish to do. But although they may find themselves day
by day imitating the deeds and actions of the tyrant Chieh, it
does not necessarily mean that, given the oppartunity, they
could not become sage rulers like Yao. Only this is not the way
to win merit and fame and to assist other states that are in
danger of being wiped out. The way to win merit and fame
and to assist other states that are in danger of being \viped out
is to remain free and flourishing and to act from the sincerity
of one's innermost heart. If one is truly able to administer
his state in the manner of a king, then he may become a king.
If he administers his state so as to place it in a condition of
danger and near destruction, then he will face danger and
destruction.
He who is in a flourishing condition may stand upon what
is right, showing no favoritism to any side but conducting all
his affairs as he wishes; he may keep his armies at home and sit
back and watch while the evil and violent nations of the
world fall upon each other. If he regulates the teachings of his
government properly, examines carefully the rules and pro­
posals of his officials, and encourages and educates his people,
52 Hsun Tzu
then the day will come when his armies can stand up against
the strongest forces in the vvorld. If he practices benevolence
and righteousness, honors the highest principles, makes his
laws upright, selects worthy and good men for his government,
and looks after the needs of his people, then the day will come
when his reputation may match in fairness that of any ruler
in the world. vVeighty in authority, strong in military might,
fair in reputation-even the sages Yao and Shun who united
the world could find nothing to add to such a ruler.
If schemers and plotters who would overthrow the state are
forced to retire, then men of worth and sage \Visdom will come
forward of themselves. If punishments and government regula­
tions are just, the people harmonious, and the customs of the
country well ·moderated, then the armies will be strong, the
cities secure against attack, and enemy nations will submit of
their own free will. If attention is paid to agriculture, and
wealth and goods are accumulated, if one does not forget to
guard against lavishness and excessive expenditure, and causes
the officials and common people to act in accordance with the
rules and·regulations, then wealth and goods will increase and
the state will automatically grow rich. If these three conditions
are realized, then the whole world will pay allegiance to such
a ruler, and the rulers of evil states will automatically find
themselves unable to use their armies against him. Why?
Because no one will join them in the attack.
If they carry out a military expedition against him, it must
be with the support of their own people. But if their own
people favor the good ruler, look up to him as a father or
mother and rejoice in him as in the fragrance of iris or orchid,
and on the contrary regard their own rulers as so many 'Nield­
ers of branding irons and tattooing knives, as their foes and
enemies, then, human nature beine what it is, even if the
 The Regulations of a King 53
people should be as cruel and violent as the tyrant Chieh or
Robber Chih, how could they be willing to fight for the sake
of men they hate and do harm to one they love? For this
reason such evil rulers will be overthro-wn. Therefore, in an . .
cient times there were men who began as rulers of a single
state and ended by becoming rulers of the world, but it was
not because they went about making conquests. They con­
ducted their government in such a way as to make all men
wish to become their subjects, and in this manner they were
able to punish the violent and suppress the wicked. Thus
when the duke of Chou marched south, the states of the north
were resentful and asked, "Why does he neglect only us?";
and when he marched east, the states of the west grew angry
and asked, 'Why does he leave us to the last?" 28 Who could
stand up against such a ruler? Therefore he who can order his
state in this way may become a true king.
I-le who is in a flourishing condition may hold his armies
in reserve and give his soldiers rest, may love and look after
his people, open up new lands for cultivation, fill his granaries,
and see that all necessary goods are supplied. With care he will
select men of talent and promote them to office, where he \vill
offer rewards to encourage them and threaten strict punish­
n1ents in order to restrain them from evil. He will choose n1en
who know how to handle such things and employ them to
attend to and manage all affairs. Then he may sit back at ease
and goods will pile up, all will be well ordered, and there will
be enough of all things to go around. When it comes to
weapons and military supplies, his war-loving enemies will
day by day be smashing and destroying theirs and leaving
28
l\1encius ( 1B, 11) quotes a similar passage from a lost section of the
Book of Documents where the hero, however, is not the duke of Chou but
T'ang, the founder of the Shang dynasty.
54 Hsun Tzu
them strewn over the plains of battle, while he polishes and
mends his and stacks them away in his arsenals. As for goods
and grain, his enemies will day by day be wasting theirs and
pouring them out to supply the campgrounds, while he
gathers his in and stores them in his granaries and supply
houses. As for men of talent, wise counselors, and brave and
fierce warriors, his enemies will day by day be destroying and
wearing theirs out in strife and battle, while he attracts more
and more of them to his state, selects all those who are worthy,
and trains them at his court. In this way his enemies will
daily pile up depletion while he piles up abundance; they will
daily pile up poverty while he piles up riches; they will daily
pile up labor while he piles up ease. In the states of his ene­
mies relations between ruler and minister, superior and in­
ferior will he pervaded by bitterness and day by day grow
more harsh and strained; while with him such relations will
be marked by warmth and will daily become closer and more
affectionate. Therefore he can stand by and wait for the decay
of his enemies and, ordering his own state in this way, may
become a dictator.
If a ruler follows ordinary customs in his behavior, attends
to affairs in accordance with ordinary practice, selects ordinary
men and promotes them in government, and treats his in­
feriors and the common people with ordinary lenience and
bounty, then he may dwell in safety. If a ruler is frivolous and
coarse in his behavior, hesitant and suspicious in attending to
affairs, selects men for office because they flatter and are glib,
and in his treatment of the common people is rapacious and
grasping, then he will soon find himself in peril. If a ruler is
arrogant and cruel in his behavior, attends to affairs in an
irrational and perverse manner, selects and promotes men who
are insidious and full of hidden schemes, and in his treatment
 The Regulations of a King 55
of the common people is quick to exploit their strength and
endanger their lives but slow to reward their labors and ac­
complishments, loves to exact taxes and duties but neglects
the state of agriculture, then he will surely face destruction.
One must he careful to choose well from among these five
categories, for these are the appurtenances that make one a
king, a dictator, a ruler who dwells in safety, one who faces
peril, or one who faces destruction. He who chooses well can
control others; he who chooses badly will be controlled by
others. He who chooses well may become a king; he who
chooses badly will be destroyed. To be a king or to he de­
stroyed, to control others or to be controlled by them-the two
conditions are far apart indeed!
~ THE WAY OF THE RULER

(SECTION 5)

The Way is the beginning of all beings and the measure of

right and wrong. Therefore the enlightened ruler holds fast
to the beginning in order to understand the wellspring of all
beings, and minds the measure in order to know the source of
good and bad. He waits, empty and still, 1 letting names de­
fine themselves and affairs reach their own settlement. Being
empty, he can comprehend the true aspect of fullness; being
still, he can correct the mover. 2 Those whose duty it is to
speak will come forward to name themselves; those whose duty
it is to act will produce results. When names and results 3
match, the ruler need do nothing more and the true aspect
of all things will 'be revealed.
Hence it is said: The ruler must not reveal his desires; for
if he reveals his desires his ministers will put on the mask
that pleases him. He must not reveal his will; for if he does
so his ministers will show a different face. So it is said:
Discard likes and dislikes and the ministers will show their
true form; discard wisdom and \Vile and the ministers will
watch their step. Hence, though the ruler is wise, he hatches
no schemes from his wisdom, but causes all men to know
1
Omitting the first ling. This section, like sec. 8 below, is distinguished
by the frequent use of end rhymes.
2
Reading wei for the second chih.
3
Literally, "forms" or "realities." But Han Fei Tzu is discussing concrete
problems of political science, i.e., do the officials really do what they say
they are going to do? Does their actual performance match the title they
hold?
 The Way of the Ruler I 7
their place. Though he has worth, he does not display it in
his deeds, but observes the motives of his ministers. Though
he is brave, he does not flaunt his bravery in shows of indig­
nation, but allows his subordinates to display their valor to
the full. Thus, though he discards wisdom, his rule is en­
lightened; though he discards worth, he achieves merit; and
though he discards bravery, his state grows powerful. When
the ministers stick to their posts, the hundred officials have
their regular duties, and the ruler employs each according to
his particular ability, this is known as the state of manifold
constancy.
Hence it is said: "So still he seems to dwell nowhere at all;
so empty no one can seek him out." The .enlightened ruler
reposes in nonaction above, and below his ministers tremble
with fear.
This is the way of the enlightened ruler: he causes the
wise to bring forth all their schemes, and he decides his af­
fairs accordingly; hence his own wisdom is never exhausted.
He causes the worthy to display their talents, and he employs
them accordingly; hence his own worth never comes to an
end. Where there are accomplishments, the ruler takes credit
for their worth; where there are errors, the ministers are held
responsible for the blame; hence the ruler's name never suf­
fers. Thus, though the ruler is not worthy himself, he is the
leader of the worthy; though he is not wise himself, he is the
corrector of the wise. The ministers have the labor; the ruler
enjoys the success. This is called the maxim of the worthy
ruler.
The Way lies in what cannot be seen, its function in what
cannot be known. Be empty, still, and idle, and from your
place of darkness observe the defects of others. See but do not
appear to see; listen but do not seem to listen; know but do
18 Han Fei Tzu
not let it be known that you know. When you perceive the
trend of a man's words, do not change them, do not correct
them, but examine them and compare them with the results.
Assign one man to each office and do not let men talk to each
other, and then all will do their utmost. Hide your tracks,
conceal your sources, so that your subordinates cannot trace
the springs of your action. Discard wisdom, forswear ability,
so that your subordinates cannot guess what you are about.
Stick to your objectives and examine the results to see ho-w
they match; take hold of the handles of government carefully
and grip them tightly. 4 Destroy all hope, smash all intention
of wresting them from you; allow no man to covet them.
If you do not guard the door, if you do not make fast the
gate, then tigers will lurk there. If you are not cautious in
your undertakings, if you do not hide their true aspect, then
traitors will arise. They murder their sovereign and usurp his
place, and all men in fear make common cause with them:
hence they are called tigers. They sit by the ruler's side and,
in the service of evil ministers, spy in to his secrets: hence they
are called traitors. Smash their cliques, arrest their backers,
shut the gate, deprive them of all hope of support, and the
nation will be free of tigers. Be immeasurably great, be un­
fathomably deep; make certain that names and results tally,
examine laws and customs, punish those who act willfully,
and the state will be without traitors.
The ruler of men stands in danger of being blocked in five
ways. When the ministers shut out their ruler, this is one
kind of block. When they get control of the wealth and re­
sources of the state, this is a second kind of block. When they
are free to issue orders as they please, this is a third kind.
'On the two handles of government-punishment and favor-see below,
sec. 7.
 The Way of the Ruler I 9
When they are able to do righteous deeds in their own name,
this is a fourth kind. When they are able to build up their
ovvn cliques, this is a fifth kind. If the ministers shut out the
ruler, then he loses the effectiveness of his position. If they
control wealth and resources, he loses the means of dispensing
bounty to others. If they issue orders as they please, he loses
the means of command. If they are able to carry out righteous
deeds in their own name, he loses his claim to enlightenment.
r'\nd if they can build up cliques of their own, he loses his
supporters. All these are rights that should be exercised by
the ruler alone;. they should never pass into the hands of his
ministers.
The way of the ruler of men is to treasure stillness and
reserve. Without handling affairs himself, he can recognize
clumsiness or skill in others; without laying plans of his own,
he knows what will bring fortune or misfortune. Hence he
need speak no word, but good answers will be given him;
he need exact no promises, but good works will increase.
When proposals have been brought before him, he takes
careful note of their content; when undertakings are well on
their way, he takes careful note of the result; and from the
degree to which proposals and results tally, rewards and
punishments are born. Thus the ruler assigns undertakings
to his various ministers on the basis of the words they speak,
and assesses their accomplishments according to the way they
have carried out the undertaking. When accomplishments
match the undertaking, and the undertaking matches what
\vas said about it, then he rewards the man; when these things
do not match, he punishes the man. It is the way of the en­
lightened ruler never to allow 5 his ministers to speak words
that cannot be matched by results.
6
Supplying te before ch'en.
20 Han Fei Tzu
The enlightened ruler in bestowing rewards is as benign
as the seasonable rain; the dew of his bounty profits all men.
But in doling out punishment he is as terrible as the thunder;
even the holy sages cannot assuage him. The enlightened
ruler is never overliberal in his rewards, never overlenient
in his punishments. If his rewards are too liberal, then minis­
ters who have won merit in the past will grow lax in their
duties; and if his punishments are too lenient, then evil min­
isters will find it easy to do wrong. Thus if a man has truly
won merit, no matter how humble and far removed he may
be, he must be rewarded; and if he has truly committed error,
no matter how dose and dear to the ruler he may be, he
must be punished. If those who are humble and far removed
can be sure of reward, 6 and those close and dear to the ruler
can be sure of punishment, then the former will not stint in
their efforts and the latter will not grow proud.
• This first clause has dropped out of the text but can be restored from
a quotation preserved elsewhere.
~ WIELDING POWER 1

(SECTION 8)

Both Heaven [Nature] and man have their fixed destinies.

Fragrant aromas and delicate flavors, rich wine and fat meat
delight the palate but sicken the body. Fair lineaments and
pearly teeth warm the heart but waste the spirit. Therefore
renounce riot and excess, for o~ly then can you keep your
health unharmed.
Do not let your power be seen; be blank and actionless.
Government reaches to the four quarters, but its source is in
the center. The sage holds to the source and the four quarters
come to serve him. In emptiness he awaits them, and they
spontaneously do what is needed. When all within the four
seas have been put in their proper places, he sits in darkness
to observe the light. When those to his left and right have
taken their places, he opens the gate to face the world. He
changes nothing, alters nothing, but acts with the two handles
of reward and punishment, acts and never ceases: this is what
is called walking the path of principle.
Things. have their proper place, talents their proper use.
vVhen all are in their proper place, then superior and inferior
may be free from action. Let the cock herald the dawn, let the
cat catch rats. When each exercises his ability, the ruler need
do nothing. If the ruler tries to excel, then nothing will go
1
In this chapter, Han Fei Tzu borrows the laconic language 0f Taoist
quietism to express his political philosophy, using short, neatly balanced
phrases with frequent end rhymes. Because of the deliberately arcane
mode of expression he employs, commentators disagree at many points on
exactly what he is saying.
36 Han Fei Tzu
right. If' he boasts of an eye for the abilities of others, he will
invite deceit among his subordinates. If he is lenient and fond
of sparing lives, his subordinates will impose upon his kind na­
ture. If superior and inferior try to change roles, the state will
never be ordered.
Use the single Way and make names the head of it. When
names are correct, things stay in place; when names are
twisted, things shift about. Hence the sage holds to unity in
stillness; he lets names define themselves and affairs reach
their own settlement. He does not reveal his nature, and his
subordinates are open and upright. He assigns them tasks ac­
cording to their ability and lets them settle2 things for them­
selves; he hands out rewards according to the results and lets
them raise their own station. He establishes the standard,
abides by it, and lets all things settle themselves. On the basis
of names he makes his appointments, and where the name is
not clear, he looks to the actual achievement it applies to. Ac­
cording to how achievement and name tally, he dispenses the
reward or punishment deserved. When rewards and punish­
ments are certain to be handed out, then subordinates will
bare their true nature.
Attend diligently to these -matters, await the decree of
Heaven, do not lose hold of the vital point, and you may be­
come a sage. Discard wisdom and \tvile, for, if you do not, you
\ivill find it hard to remain constant. When the people use
wisdom and wile, they bring grave danger to themselves;
when the ruler uses them, his state faces peril and destruction.
Follow the way of Heaven, reflect on the principle behind hu­
man affairs; investigate, examine, and compare these things,
and when you come to the end, begin again. Be empty, quiet,
and retiring; never put yourself forward. All the worries of
e.l Reading ting instead of shih.
 Wielding Power 37
the ruler come about because he tries to be like others. Trust
others but never be like the1n, and then the myriad people
will follow you as one man.
The Way is vast and great and \rVithout form; its Power is
clear and orderly and extends everywhere. Since it extends to
all living beings, they may use it proportionately; but, though
all things flourish through it, it does not rest among things.
The Way pervades all affairs here below. Therefore examine
and obey the decrees of Heaven3 and live and die at the right
time; compare names, differentiate events, comprehend their
unity, and identify yourself with the Way's true nature.
Thus it is said: The Way does not identify itself with the
1nyriad beings; its Power does not identify itself with the yin
and yang, any more than a scale identifies itself with heavi­
ness or lightness, a plumb line with bumps and hollows, a
reed organ with dampness or dryness, 4 or a ruler with his
ministers. All these [the myriad beings, the yin and yang,
heaviness and lightness, etc.] are products of the Way; but the
Way itself is never plural-therefore it is called a unity. For
this reason the enlightened ruler prizes solitariness, which is
the characteristic of the Way. The ruler and his ministers do
not follow the same way. The ministers name their proposals,
the ruler holds fast to the name, and the ministers come for­
ward with results. When names and results match, then supe­
rior and inferior will achieve harmony.
The way to listen to the words of the ministers is to take the
statements that come from them and compare them with the
po\vers that have been invested in them. Therefore you must
3
Reading t'ien instead of erh. In Taoist terminology, Heaven is synony­
mous with the Way, or Tao.
4
A kind of reed musical instrument whose pitch was said to remain un­
affected by changes of humidity; 'it could therefore be used to set the pitch
for other instruments.
38 Han Fei Tzu
examine names carefully in order to establish ranks, clarify
duties in order to distinguish worth. This is the way to listen
to the words of others: be silent as though in a drunken
stupor. Say to yourself: Lips! teeth! do not be the first to move;
lips! teeth! be thicker, be clumsier than ever! Let others say
their piece-I will gain knowledge thereby.
Though right and \vrong swann about him, the ruler does
not argue with them. Be empty, still, inactive, for this is the
true nature of the Way. Study, compare, and see what
matches, for this will reveal ho,v much has been accomplished.
Compare with concrete results; check against empty assertions.
Where the root and base of the affair are unshaken, there will
be no error in movement or stillness. Whether you move or
remain still, transform all though inaction. If you show de­
light, your affairs will multiply; if you show hatred, resent­
ment will be born. Therefore discard both delight and hatred
and·with an empty mind become the abode of the Way.
The ruler does not try to work side by side with his people,
and they accordingly respect the dignity of his position. He
does not try to tell others what to do, but leaves them to do
things by themselves. Tightly he bars his inner door, and from
his room looks out into the courtyard; he has provided the
rules and yardsticks, so that all things know their place. 5
Those who merit reward are rewarded; those who deserve
punishment are punished. Reward and punishment follow
the deed; each man brings them upon himself. Therefore,
whether the result is pleasant or hateful, who dares to ques­
tion it? When compass and rule have marked out one corner
of truth, the other three corners will become evident of them­
selves.
If the ruler is not godlike in his isolation, his subordinates
6
Omitting ts'an and reading chih (to know) in place of the present chih.
 Wielding Power 39
will find ways to move him. If his management of affairs is
nqt impartial, they will guess at his inclinations. Be like
Heaven, be like earth, and all coils will be untangled. Be like
Heaven, be like earth; then who will be close to you, who will
be distant? I-Ie who can model himself on Heaven and earth
may be called a sage.
Would you order the affairs of the palace? Delegate the1n
and be intimate with no one. Would you order outside affairs?
Appoint one man to each office. Let no one do as he pleases,
and never permit men to change office or to hold two offices at
the same time. Take warning when there are many men gath­
ered at the gates of the high ministers! The height of good gov­
ernment is to allow your subordinates no 111eans of taking ad­
vantage of you. Make certain that name and result match, and
then the people will stick to their posts. If you discard this
and look for some other method to rule, you will win the
name of one who is profoundly deluded; wily men will only
increase, and evil ministers fill your ranks. Hence it is said:
Never enrich a man to the point where he can afford to turn
against you; 6 never ennobl~ a man to the point where he be­
comes a threat; never put all your trust in a single man and
thereby lose your state.
When the shin grows stouter than the thigh, it is hard to
run; when the ruler loses his godlike qualities, tigers prowl
behind him. If the ruler fails to take notice of them, then he
and his ministers, \ivho should be tigers themselves, become as
impotent as dogs. If the ruler fails to check the danger, then
the dogs will continue to increase in number; the tigers 'vill
form a band and assassinate their master. A ruler who has no
ministers-how can he keep possession of a state? Let the
ruler apply the laws, and the greatest tigers will tremble; let
8
Reading erh instead of tai..
40 Han Fei Tzu
him apply punishments, and the greatest tigers will grow
docile. If laws and punishments are justly applied, then tigers
will be transformed into men again and revert to their true
form. 7
If you \Vish to govern the state, you must make certain to
destroy conclaves; if you do not do so, they will only grow
more numerous. If you wish to govern the land, you must
make certain that your bestowals pass into the right hands; if
you do not do so, then unruly men will come seeking gain . If
you grant what they seek, you will be lending a battle-ax to
your enemies; this you must not do, for it will only be used
against you.
The Yellow Emperor used to say, "Superior and inferior
fight a hundred battles a day." The subordinates hide their
private desires and see what they can get from the ruler; the
ruler employs his standards and measures to weigh what they
are up to. Thus the standards and measures that are set up are
the ruler's treasures; and the parties and cliques that are
formed are the ministers' treasures. The only reason the minis­
ters do not assassinate their sovereign is that their parties and
cliques are not strong enough. Hence, if the ruler loses an
inch, his subordinates gain a yard.
The ruler who knows how to govern his state does not let
his cities grow too large; the ruler \vho understands the Way
does not enrich the powerful farnilies8 nor ennoble his minis­
ters. Were he to enrich and ennoble them, they would turn
about and try to overthrov1 him. Guard against danger, fear
peril, make haste to designate your heir, and misfortune will
have no means to arise.
7
There are various theories on the symbolic meaning of the tigers and
dogs in this paragraph, depending upon which the interpretation of the
passage differs considerably. I have followed that of T'ao Hung-ch'ing.
8
Reading chiin instead of ch'en and fu instead of kuei.
 Wielding Power 41
In ferreting out evil within the palace and controlling it
outside, you yourself must hold fast to your standards and
measurements. Whittle away from those who have too much,
enhance those who have too little, but let the taking and the
giving be according to measure. Never allow men to form
cliques or join together to deceive their superiors. Let your
whittling be as gradual as the slimming moon, your en­
hancing like a slow-spreading heat. Simplify the laws and be
cautious in the use of penalties but, where punishments are
called for, make certain they are carried out. Never loosen your
bo\v, or you will find two cocks in a single roost, squawking in
fierce rivalry. When wildcat and wolf break into the fold, the
sheep are not likely to increase. When one house has two
venerables, its affairs will never prosper. When husband and
wife both give orders, the children are at a loss to know which
one to obey.
The ruler of men must prune his trees from time to time
and not let them gro\v too thick for, if they do, _they will block
his gate; while the gates of private men are crowded with
visitors, the ruler's courts will stand empty, and he will be
shut in and encircled. I-le must prune his trees from time to
time and not let them obstruct the path for, if they do, they
will impinge upon his dwelling. He must prune his trees from
time to time and not let the branches grow larger than the
trunk for, if they do, they will not be able to bear up under
the spring wind, and will do injury to the heart of the tree.
When cadet houses become too numerous, the royal family
will face anxiety and grief. The \Vay to prevent this is to prune
your trees from time to time and not let the branches gro'v
too luxurious. If the trees are pruned from time to time,
cliques and parties will be broken up. Dig them up from the
roots, and then the trees cannot spread. Fill up the pools, and
42 Han Fei Tzu
do not let water collect in them. 9 Search out the hearts of
others, seize their power from them. The ruler himself should
possess the power, wielding it like lightning or like thunder.
9
Omitting hsiung and reading yen for ch'ing in accordance with the
suggestion of Ch'en Ch'i-yu. The language of these last two paragraphs
is so extravagantly metaphorical that it presents difficulties of interpretation
at numerous points.
 BOOK IA

[1A1] Mencius merwirh King Hui ofLiang. 1

The king said, "Venerable sir, you have nor considered a thousand IP
too far to come. Surely you have some means to profit our state?"
Mencius replied: "Why must the king speak of profit? I have only
[teachings concerning] humaneness and rightness. If the king says,
'How can I profit my stare?' the officers will say, 'How can I profit my
house?' and the gentlemen and the common people will say, 'How can
I profit myself?' Those above and those below will compete with one
another for profit, and the state will be imperiled. One who murders
the ruler over a state of ten thousand chariots surely will be from a
house of a thousand chariots; one who murders the ruler over a state of
a thousand chariots surely will be from a house of a hundred chariots.'
A share of a thousand in ten thousand or a hundred in a thousand is
hardly negligible; yet, when rightness is subordinated ro profit the urge
to lay claim to more becomes irresistible. le has never happened that
one given ro htunaneness abandons his parents, nor rhar one given ro
rightness subordinates the interests of his lord. Let the king speak only
of humaneness and righmess. \Vhat need has he ro speak of profit?"

[1A2] Mencius went to see King Hui of Liang. As he stood overlooking a

pond, watching the geese and the deer, the king asked, "Do the virtu­
ous also enjoy such things?"

t. King Hui of Liang was known during his Lifetime as Marquis Ying of Wei, or, after
moving his capital to Daliang, in 361 , as Marquis Ying of Liang. Having ruled from 370 co
319 s.c . E., he became known poschumously as King Hui of Liang.
2. A Ii j l is a unic of linear measure equal co around a th ird of a mile.
3. The chariot was used for military purposes and cherefore che imporcance of a scace
was measured in cerms of che number of chariocs ic possessed and could field .

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 MENCIUS 2

Mencius replied, "Only [he virtuous [[fuly) are able co enjoy dlese
things. Those who are no[ virruous, ahhough d1ey migll[ have such
things, cannot fmily) enjoy them. 4 The ode says,

He began by measuri ng the spirit cower,

He measured it and planned ic.
The common people worked on ic,
Finishing before a day was out.
ln beginning co measure he urged against haste,
Yee the people came as if chey were his d1ildren.
The king was in the spirit park,
The doe lying down,
Tue doe glistening,
The white bird glittering.
The king was by his spirit pond,
How full ic was with dancing fish!5

"King Wen used die strength of rhe people ro build his rower and
his pond, and [he people found rheir delight and rheir joy in ir. They
called his tower 'rhe spirit tower' and his pond 'rhe spirit pond' and
found joy in his having deer, and birds, and curries. The ancients shared
meir joys with rhe people and ir was rhis rhar enabled rhem co feel joy.
"'The Declaration of Tang' says,

0 sun, when will you perish?

We will die along with you. 6

4. As Mencius will go on co argue, only a virtuous person can enjoy such [hings wi[h
ochers and chereby enjoy chem fully. He also invokes che idea, seen in rexrs like rhe Xtmzi,
rhar a ruler who does nor share his joy wirh his people cannoc re.mai n secu re in his enjoy­
menr of such pleasures.
5. Ode 242. See James Legge, a·ans., The Chinese Classie5, 5 vols. (Hong Kong: Univer­
sity of Hong Kong Press, 1970), 4:456-57. 'The ode refers. as Legge purs ir, co "che joy of rhe
people [n che growing opulence and dignity of King Wen ."
6. From che Classic of Doc11mems, in Legge, Chinese Classics, p75. The passage refers ro
che people's desire for che deach ofJie, known as rhe "bad lasr ruler" of che Xia dynasty. The
apparenc meaning is char che people were so anxious co see Jie's deach char they were willing
co die chemselves if chis would ensure his deach as well.

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 3 BOOK IA

"If che people wished co die along wich him, although he had a
cower and pond, how could he enjoy them alone?"

[1A3) King Hui of Liang said, "I, chis solitary man,7 devotes his entire mind
co the stace. \X'hen the year is bad within the river, I transfer people
co the east of the river and transfer grain co the area within the river.
When che year is bad co the east of the river, again, I ace accordingly.
Look into the governments of neighboring scaces: there is no one as
mindful as I, and yet people in che neighboring staces do not decrease,
nor do my people increase. Why should this be?"
Mencius said, "The king is fond of war; so please allow an analogy
rhac derives from war. Drums rumbling, che soldiers having crossed
weapons, some then flee, abandoning their armor and trailing their
weapons behind them. Some scop afrer a hundred paces and some after
fifty paces. How would it be if those who ran only fifry paces were co
laugh at chose who ran a hundred paces?"
The king said, "That would not do. Ir was only that they did not run
a hundred paces, that is all. But rhey ran just the same."
Mencius said, "If the king u11derstands chis, there is no reason to
expect the people to be more numerous than they are in neighboring
stares. If rhe agricultural seasons are nor interfered with, there will be
more grain rhan can be eaten. If close-meshed nets are not allowed in
the pools and ponds, there will be more fish and curries than can be
eaten. And if axes are allowed in the mountains and forests only in the
appropriate seasons, there will be more timber than can be used. When
grain, fish, and turtles are more than can be eaten, and timber is more
than <:.'ln be used, this will mean that rhe people can nourish their lives,
bury their dead, and be without rancor. Making it possible for chem to
nourish their lives, bury their dead, and be without rancor is rhe begin­
ning of kingly government.
"Let mulberry trees be planted around households of five mu, 8 and
people of fifry will be able co be clothed in silk. In the raising of chickens,

7. The Chi nese cerm g11a rm 'Sf,.A. (l icerall)', lonel)' or friendless person) was one used b)'
rulers co speak of chemselves. lc implies a sense (or precense) of self-depreciacion. Hereafter,
ic will be cranslaced simpl)' as "!."
8. A mu iitl, is a measure of area; 6.6 mu equal 1 acre.

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 M ENCI US 4

pigs, dogs, and S\vine, do not neglect the appropriate breeding rimes,
and people of seventy will be able ro ear mear. With fields of a hun­
dred mu do nor interfere with rhe appropriate seasons of cultivarion,
and families wirh several mouths ro feed will be able ro avoid hunger.
Anend carefully ro rhe educarion provided in rhe schools, 9 which
should include insrrucrion in the dury of fi1al and frarernal devotion,
and gray-haired people will nor be seen carrying burdens on rhe roads.
The ruler of a scare in which people of sevenry wear silk and ear mear
and where rhe black-haired people are neirher hungry nor cold has
never failed ro become a rrue king. 10
"The king's dogs and pigs ear food intended for human beings and
he does not know enough ro prohibir this. On the roads rhere are peo­
ple dying of srarvation, and he does nor know enough ro disrribute
food. People die, and he says, ' It was not I; it was the year.' How is this
differenr from killing a person by stabbing him and rhen saying, 'Ir was
not I; it was rhe weapon'? When the king ceases co place the blame on
the year, then the people of rhe world will come ro him."

[1A4} King Hui of Liang said, "I would like a quier moment in which to
receive your instruction."
Mencius replied, saying, "Is rhere any difference between killing a
man with a stick or killing him with a blade?"
He said, "There is no difference."
"And if ir were done with a blade or rhrough government, would
rhere be any difference?"
He said, "There is no difference."
Mencius said, "In your kitchen, rl1ere is far meat, and in your sca­
bies far horses. Yer rhe people have a hungry look, and our beyond, in
rl1e more wild regions, lie the bodies of chose who have died of srarva­
rion. This is ro lead animals ro devour people. 11 Now, animals devour

9. Mencius here mentions rwo kinds of schools, the ximzg Wi and the xu ff. In JAJ, he
refers to these and several more, explaining char xiang was a Zhou term, while xu was a term
used in rhe Yin or Shang dynasry.
10. Thar is to say, one who attracrs loyal subjects to him and thereby unifies the empire.
11. In 3a9, rhe preceding three sentences are amibuted to Gongming Yi, identified by

Zheng Xuan in his commentary on rhe "Jiyi" chapter of the Book ofRites (Liji i'l\tift'.) as a
disciple of Zengzi.

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 5 BOOK IA

one another, and people hare this about them. If one governs as farher
and morher of rhe people and yet is nor deterred from leading animals
ro devour people, in what sense is he father and morher of the people?
Confucius said, 'The one who first made grave figures-was he nor
wirhour posreriry?'12 This was because he made human images for such
a use. How then should it be with one who causes his people ro die
of srarvarion?"

[1A5] King Hui of Liang said, "Under Heaven rhere was no srare srronger
than Jin, 13 as you, venerable sir, are aware. Bur when it came ro my
reign, Jin was defeated by Qi in rhe east, and my oldest son died there.
In rhe west seven hundred Ii were losr ro Qin, while in rhe south we
were htLmiliared by Chu. 14 Having incurred such shan1e, I wish, for rhe
sake of rhe departed, ro expunge ir. How may this be done?"
Mencius replied, "Wirh a rerrirory of no more rhan one hundred Ii,
one can become a rrue king. If the king bestows humane govenunent
on rhe people, reduces punishments, and lightens taxes, causing rhe
plowing to be deep and rhe weeding thorough, rhe strong will be able
ro use rheir leisure time to culrivare filialiry and brotherliness. Wirhin
the home they will serve their fathers and brothers; ourside rhey will
serve their elders and superiors. They can rhen be made to rake up
sticks and overcome the strong armor and the sharp weapons of Qin
and Chu.
"Those orher rulers lay claim to the time of their people, so rhar they
are wrnble ro plow or to weed and rims to nourish their parents. Their
parents rhen suffer from cold and hu11ger; older and younger brothers
are parred; wives and children arc separated. These rulers bury their
people and drown them. Were you ro go and punish rhem, who would

L2. TI1ese were wooden [mages in human form used in bw·ials in che belief chac chey

could perform service for che deceased. This, though, reinfo rces the deeply inhumane idea
and encourages che practice of human sacri6ces to che dead.
13. In the middle of che 6fth century s.c.E., che srate of Jin was divided up among che
ruling families of Han, Zhao, and Wei and became known as che chree Jin . King Hui is here
referring to his state of Wei.
14. ·foe chain of eve.ms referred co by King Hui began when Jin arcacked Han and Han
called for help from Qi.

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 MENCIUS 6

oppose you?15 Therefore, ir may be said char rhe humane man has no
enemy. May ir please the king ro have no doubc abouc rhis." 16

[1A6) Mencius saw King Xiang of Liang.17 On emerging he said co someone,

"Seeing him from a discance, he does nor appear co be a ruler of men;
approaching him, one sees noching imposing abouc him. He abrupcly
asked, 'How can che empire be sercled?'
"I replied: 'It can be settled rhrough unity.'
"'Who is able ro uni re it?'
"I replied: 'One who is nor fond of killing people can unite it.'
"'Who can give ir to him?'
"I replied: 'There is no one in the empire who will deny ic co him.
Does the king know the way of seedlings? If there is drought in the
seventh or eighth month, the seedlings dry out. But when dense clouds
gather in the sky and the rain falls in torrents the planes spring up
and are revived. When this happens, who can stop chem? Now, among
the herders of men in rhe world chere is none who is not fond of kill­
ing people. If there were one who was nor fond of killing people, the
people of the empire would crane their necks to look for him. If this
were truly to happen, the people would return ro him like water flow­
ing downward, torrencially-who could stop chem?'"

[rA7) King Xuan of Qi 18 asked, "Would ir be possible ro hear about the affairs
of Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Wen of Jin?"19

15. The word rransbted "pun ish" here is zheng ·fiE, which has rhe special connotation
of a justified military campaign carried our by a legitimate authority. Compare rn11 , 702,
and 7 04.
16. For Mencius's judgment of King Hui, see 7at.
17. The successor co King Hui, he ruled from 318 ro 296 a.c.E.
18. King Xuan ruled in the powerful scare of Qi from 319 co 301 0.c .E.
19. Duke Huan of Qi (r. 685-643 0.c.E.), one of the most powerful feudal lo rds of the
sevenrh century, was considered the fi rst of rhe "Five Hegemons," and Duke Wen of Jin (r.
636-628 0.c.E.) was considered rhe second . Mencius's sracemenr in rhe ensu ing passage
char he has "heard norhing about" chese hegemons is nor co be taken literally. 111e reputa­
tion of neither ruler was enrirely negative, bm Mencius is making rhe poinr here chat he
prefers co talk about o-ue kings (wang ; E) rarher than lord-protecrors o r hegemons (ba ~),
whose claim co rule w:JS believed by Confucians co be, morally speaking, more ambiguous.

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 7 BOOK IA

Mencius replied, "The followers of Confucius did nor speak of rhe

affairs of Huan and Wen, and rhus nothing abom chem has been rrans­
mirred co lacer generations. Nor having heard, and having no[hing co
say on char maHer, how would ir be if I were co speak abour being a
rrue king?"
The king said, "Whar muse one's Virrue be like in order co become
a rrue king?" 20
Mencius said, "One who prorecrs rhe people becomes a rrue king,
and no one is able co scop him."
"Could someone like me prorecr rhe people?"
"He could."
"How do you know char I could?"
"I have heard Hu He say char while rhe king was seared in rhe upper
pare of rhe hall someone led an ox pas[ rhe hall below fin rhe courryard).
On seeing chis, rhe king asked where rhe ox was going and was cold char
ir was being taken co serve as a blood sacrifice in rhe consecration of a
bell. The king said, 'Spare iL I can nor bear its trembling, like one who,
rhough blameless, is being led co the execution grOlrnd.' Asked wherher
in char case rhe consecration of rhe bell should be dispensed with, rhe
king said, 'How can ir be dispensed wirh? Subsrirure a sheep insread.'
Did chis actually happen?"
"It did."
Mencius said, "Wirh such a mind21 one has whar ir rakes co become
a rrue king. Though the people all thoughr ir was because rhe king
grudged rhe ox, I know ir was surely because rhe Icing could nor bear co
see irs suffering."
The king said, "Thar is so. The people muse rruly have rhoughr chis,
bur, alrhough rhe stare of Qi is small and narrow, how could I grudge a
single ox? Ir was because I could nor bear irs trembling-like one who,

20. 'TIH.• word cranslaced "Vircue" here is de~. le connoces the moral quality of a per­
son's character-good or bad. One with abundant, good Virrue enjoys a kind of moral
charisma, which amacts and secures the support of ochers. For a study of chis notion in
early Chinese philosophy, see David S. Nivison, "'Virtue' in Bronze and Bone" and "'TI1e
Paradox of 'Vircue,"' both in 7hc \Vays oJConfiicianism: Investigations in Chinese Philosophy,
ed. Bryan W. Van Norden, 17-43 (la Salle, Ill.: Open Courc, 1996).
21. In speaking of"such a mind," Mencius is obviously referring not co the ki ng's intel­
lective or racional abilicies but co his capacity for empathy.

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 MENC I US 8

rhough blameless, was being led to rhe execution ground-rhar I had a

sheep subsrirured instead."
Mencius said, "The king should nor rhink ir srrange thar rhe people
assumed rhat he grudged rhe ox. How could rhey know why he sub­
stitu ted rhe smaller creature for rhe larger one? If rhe king had been
grieved over its being led, blameless, to rhe execution ground, then
what was rhere to choose berween an ox and a sheep?"
The king smiled and said, "W'hat kind of mind was this, after all?
Ir was nor rhat I grudged rhe expense, yer I did exchange rhe ox for a
sheep. No wonder the people said that I grudged ir."
Mencius said, "There is no harm in rhis. This was after all rhe work­
ing of humaneness-a matter of having seen rhe ox but nor the sheep.
This is rhe way of rhe noble person in regard to animals: if he sees rhem
alive, rhen he cannot bear to see them die, and if he hears their cries,
rhen he cannot bear to ear their flesh. And so rhe noble person srays far
away from rhe kitchen."
The king was pleased and said, "When rhe ode says, 'What other
people have in their minds, I measure by reflecrion,' 22 it is speaking
about someone like you. When I tried reflecting, going back and seek­
ing my motive, I was unable to grasp my own mind. Yer when you
spoke of it, my mind experienced a kind of stirring. How is it rhar rhis
mind of mine accords wirh that of a true king?"
Mencius replied, "Suppose someone were to report to rhe king, say­
ing, 'My srrength, while sufficient to lifr a hundred jun, is nor sufficienr
to lift a feather. 23 My sight, while sufficienr to scrutinize the rip of an
autumn hair, is nor sufficient to see a cartload of firewood.' Would the
king accep r this?"
"No," he said.
"How do these examples differ from rhe case of kindness sufficienr
ro extend to animals yer without its benefirs reaching rhe people? Not
lifting a feather is the result of not exerting one's srrengrh to do so; not
seeing a cartload of firewood is rhe result of nor employing his eyesight
on ir. Thar rhe people are nor protected is because one does nor exercise

22 Ode 198. Translation adapced from Legge, Chinm C/11uics, 4:342.

23. Aj1111 f=J was a cradicional measure of weighc, around 30 caccies, or 40 pounds.

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 9 BOOK IA

kindness toward them. Therefore, that the king is nor a true king is
because he does nor do it; it is nor because he is unable to do ir."
The king asked, "How can one distinguish between 'nor doing some­
thing' and 'nor being able ro do ir'?" 24
Mencius said, "If it were a matter of raking MoLmt Tai under one's
arm ;md jumping over the North Sea with it, and one were to tell peo­
ple, 'I am unable to do it,' this would truly be a case of being unable
to do it. If it is a matter of bowing respectfully to an elder, and one
tells people, 'I am wrnble to do ir,' this is a case of nor doing it rarher
than a case of being LLnable to do ir. 25 And so the king's failure ro be a
true king is not in rhe category of raking Mount Tai under one's arm
and jumping over the North Sea with it; his failure to be a rrue king is
in the category of nor bowing respectfully to an elder. By treating the
elders in one's own family as elders should be treated and extending this
to rhe elders of other families, and by treating the young of one's own
family as the young ought to be treated and extending this to the young
of other people's families, the empire can be turned around on the palm
of one's hand. 26 The ode says,

He set an example for his wife;

le excended co his brochers,
And from there ro che family of the state. 27

"This ode simply speaks of raking this mind and extending it to

others. Thus, if one extends his kindness it will be enough to protect

24. For a discussion of the issue raised in this and other passages in Mencius concern­
ing the di fference between nor doing something and not being able to do it, see David
S. Nivison, "Mengzi: Just Not Doing Ir," in Essa)~ 011 the Moral Philosophy ofMengzi, ed.
Xiusheng Liu and Philip J. Ivanhoe, 132- 42 (Indianapolis: Hackm, 2002).
25. The inrerpremion of chis line is in fluenced by rhe very helpful comments of Yang
Bojun (Yang Bojun, miEI~. Mengzi yizJm ~+~i.l [Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, t960],
24, n. 24).
26. \Vhat Mencius means by "extension" is a matter chat has generated considerable
scholarly debare. For a review of this literature, see Philip J. Ivanhoe, "Confucian Self­
Culcivation and Mengzi's Norion of Extension," in Essays 011 the Moral Philosophy ofMeng­
zi, i,21-41.
27. Ode 240 is a poem abour rhe morally influential mother of King Wen. See Legge,
Chinese Classics, 4:446-48.

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 MEN CI US 10

all within rhe four seas, whereas if one fails to extend ir, he will have
no way ro prorecr his wife and children. 28 The reason che anciencs so
greatly surpassed mosr people was norhing ocher rhan chis: they were
good ar exrending whar rhey did. Now, your kindness is sufficienr to
extend to rhe animals bur rhe benefirs do nor reach rhe people. Why do
you make an exceprion in tl1e case [of rhe peoplel?
"Ir is by weighing char we know which things are lighr and which
are heavy, and by measuring char we know which are long and which
are shore. This is rrue of all rhings, and especially so wich regard ro rhe
mind. May ir please rhe king to measure his mind. When tl1e king
raises arms, endangers his subjecrs, and excires rhe enmiry of rhe orher
feudal lords-does chis perhaps bring pleasure to his mind?"
The king replied, "No. How could I rake pleasure from this? Ir is jusr
tlrnr I seek to realize what I gready desire."
"May I hear abour whar iris thar rhe king greatly desires?"
The king smiled and did nor speak.
Mencius said, "Is it char rhe king does not have enough rich and
sweer foods to sarisfy his mourh? Or enough lighr and warm clothing
for his body? Or enough beauriful colors for his eyes to gaze upon, or
enough sounds for his ears to listen co? Is ir char he does nor have ser­
vanrs enough to come before him and receive orders? The king's minis­
rers are sufficienc to provide for all of this. How could rhe king's desire
be for any of rhese rhings?"
He said, "No, ir is none of rhese."
Mencius said, "Then whar rhe king greatly desires can be known.
His desire is co expand his rerritory, ro bring Qin and Chu inro his
courr, co rule rhe Cenrral Kingdom, and ro pacify the four Yi. 29 Bur to
pursue such a desire by acring in rhe way you do is like climbing a rree
in search of a fish."
The king said, "Is ir as bad as that?"
"Ir is even worse. When one climbs a rree in search of a fish, rhough
one gers no fish, no disasrer will ensue. Bur if one aces in rhe way you
do in pursuir of whar you desire, and devores rhe full srrengrh of his
mind to such endeavor, disasrer is bound co ensue."

28. ~'lencius makes a similar claim in 2A6.

29. The four Yi were non-Chinese peoples.

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 II BOOK IA

"May I hear abou r chis?"

"If rhe people of Zou were to go to war with the people of Chu,
who, in the king's opinion, would win?"
"The people of Chu would win."
"Thus rhe small definitely cannot contend with the large, the few
definirely cannot contend with the many, and the weak defini rely can­
not contend with the strong. Within the seas, there are nine territories
of a thousand leagues square, and Qi is only one of them. What dif­
ference is there between one part arracking the other eight and Zou
contending with Chu? Why nor rather return to the root of the matrer?
If the Icing were to institute a government that dispensed humaneness,
he would make all the officers in the world wish to srand in his court,
all the tillers wish to rill his fields, all the merchants wish to entrust
their goods to his marketplaces, and all travelers wish to journey upon
his roads. All those in the world who have grievances to express against
their rulers would wish to lay their complaints before him. If you could
bring this to pass, who could stop you from becoming a true king?
The king said, "I ;un unintelligent and incapable of following this
advice. I should like you to assist my will and be clear in giving me
instruction, so that, while not clever, I may endeavor to carry it our."
"Ir is only a gentleman who will be able to have a constant mind
despite being without a constant means oflivelihood. The people, lack­
ing a constant means of livelihood, will lack constant minds, and when
they lack constant minds there is no dissoluteness, depraviry, deviance,
or excess to which rhey will not succumb. If, once they have sunk into
crime, one responds by subjecting them to punishment-this is to en­
trap rhe people. Wirh a person of humaniry in a posirion of aurhoriry,
how could the entrapment of the people be allowed to occur?3° There­
fore, an enlightened ruler will regulare the people's livelihood so as to
ensure that, above, they have enough to serve their parents and, below,
they have enough to support their wives and children. 11 years of pros­
periry they always have enough to eat; in years of dearth they are able to
escape starvation. Only then does he urge the people toward goodness;
accordingly, they find it easy to comply.

30. Mencius is recorded, in 3A3, as saying the same thing, in almost e.xacdy rhe same
words, co Duke Wen ofTeng.

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 MENC IUS 12

"Ar presenr, rhe regularion of rhe people's livelihood is such rhar,

above, rhey do nor have enough to serve rheir parems and, below, they
do nor have enough to supporr wives and children. Even in years of
prosperiry their lives are biner, while in years of deanh rhey are unable
ro escape starvarion. Under rhese circumstances they only rry to save
rhemselves from death, fearful thar chey will nor succeed. How could
rhey spare che rime for the praccice of rices and righcness?
"If che king wishes co pm dus imo praccice, he should return to che
rooc of che macter.·11 Lee mulberry rrees be planced around households
of five mu, and people of fifcy will be able co be cloched in silk. In che
raising of chickens, pigs, dogs, and swine, do nor neglecc rhe appropri­
ace breeding rimes, and people of sevenry will be able co ear meac. Wirh
fields of a hundred mu, do nor incerfere with che appropriare seasons of
culcivacion, and families wich eighc mourhs to feed will be able co avoid
hunger. Attend carefully to the education provided in rhe schools,
which should include instruccion in rhe ducy of filial and fraternal de­
vocion, and gray-haired people will not be seen carrying burdens on che
roads. The ruler of a state in which people of sevency wear silk and ear
meac and where che black-haired people are neither hungry nor cold
has never failed to become a rrue king.

31. \'<'hat Mencius describes here as returning co "the root of che marcer," or to what is
fundamencal, repeats almost exacdy what he said, in JAJ, co King HLLi of Liang.

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