Gao Zi I · Passage 05 / 20 · 孟子 6A.5

Mencius 6A.5: why insist that righteousness is internal

Mencius shows through the difference between honoring an elder brother and serving an older villager first that righteousness depends on the heart's judgment.

孟季子問公都子曰：「何以謂義內也？」曰：「行吾敬，故謂之內也。」「鄉人長於伯兄一歲，則誰敬？」曰：「敬兄。」「酌則誰先？」曰：「先酌鄉人。」「所敬在此，所長在彼。果在外，非由內也。」公都子不能答，以告孟子。孟子曰：「『敬叔父乎？敬弟乎？』彼將曰：『敬叔父。』曰：『弟為尸，則誰敬？』彼將曰：『敬弟。』子曰：『惡在其敬叔父也？』彼將曰：『在位故也。』子亦曰：『在位故也。』庸敬在兄，斯須之敬在鄉人。」季子聞之，曰：「敬叔父則敬，敬弟則敬。果在外，非由內也。」公都子曰：「冬日則飲湯，夏日則飲水。然則飲食亦在外也？」

mèng jì zǐ wèn gōng dōu zǐ yuē：「hé yǐ wèi yì nèi yě？」 yuē：「xíng wú jìng， gù wèi zhī nèi yě。」「xiāng rén cháng wū bó xiōng yí suì， zé shuí jìng？」 yuē：「jìng xiōng。」「zhuó zé shuí xiān？」 yuē：「xiān zhuó xiāng rén。」「suǒ jìng zài cǐ， suǒ cháng zài bǐ。 guǒ zài wài， fēi yóu nèi yě。」 gōng dōu zǐ bù néng dá， yǐ gào mèng zǐ。 mèng zǐ yuē：「『jìng shū fù hū？ jìng dì hū？』 bǐ jiāng yuē：『jìng shū fù。』 yuē：『dì wéi shī， zé shuí jìng？』 bǐ jiāng yuē：『jìng dì。』 zǐ yuē：『è zài qí jìng shū fù yě？』 bǐ jiāng yuē：『zài wèi gù yě。』 zǐ yì yuē：『zài wèi gù yě。』 yōng jìng zài xiōng， sī xū zhī jìng zài xiāng rén。」 jì zǐ wén zhī， yuē：「jìng shū fù zé jìng， jìng dì zé jìng。 guǒ zài wài， fēi yóu nèi yě。」 gōng dōu zǐ yuē：「dōng rì zé yǐn tāng， xià rì zé yǐn shuǐ。 rán zé yǐn shí yì zài wài yě？」

The disciple Meng Ji asked Gong Du, saying, 'On what ground is it said that righteousness is internal?' Gong Du replied, 'We therein act out our feeling of respect, and therefore it is said to be internal.' The other objected, 'Suppose the case of a villager older than your elder brother by one year, to which of them would you show the greater respect?' 'To my brother,' was the reply. 'But for which of them would you first pour out wine at a feast?' 'For the villager.' Meng Ji argued, 'Now your feeling of reverence rests on the one, and now the honour due to age is rendered to the other - this is certainly determined by what is without, and does not proceed from within.' Gong Du was unable to reply, and told the conversation to Mencius. Mencius said, 'You should ask him, "Which do you respect most, your uncle, or your younger brother?" He will answer, "My uncle." Ask him again, "If your younger brother be personating a dead ancestor, to which do you show the greater respect, to him or to your uncle?" He will say, "To my younger brother." You can go on, "But where is the respect due, as you said, to your uncle?" He will reply to this, "I show the respect to my younger brother, because of the position which he occupies," and you can likewise say, "So my respect to the villager is because of the position which he occupies. Ordinarily, my respect is rendered to my elder brother; for a brief season, on occasion, it is rendered to the villager."' Meng Ji heard this and observed, 'When respect is due to my uncle, I respect him, and when respect is due to my younger brother, I respect him; the thing is certainly determined by what is without, and does not proceed from within.' Gong Du replied, 'In winter we drink things hot, in summer we drink things cold; and so, on your principle, eating and drinking also depend on what is external!'