Gao Zi II · Passage 08 / 16 · 孟子 6B.8

Mencius 6B.8: to use the people without teaching

Sending unformed and unsettled people into war is not proper command but injury to the people. Military success cannot come before responsibility for lives.

魯欲使慎子為將軍。孟子曰：「不教民而用之，謂之殃民，殃民者，不容於堯舜之世。一戰勝齊，遂有南陽，然且不可。」慎子勃然不悅曰：「此則滑厘所不識也。」曰：「吾明告子，天子之地方千里；不千里，不足以待諸侯。諸侯之地方百里；不百里，不足以守宗廟之典籍。周公之封於魯，為方百里也；地非不足，而儉於百里。太公之封於齊也，亦為方百里也；地非不足也，而儉於百里。今魯方百里者五，子以為有王者作，則魯在所損乎？在所益乎？徒取諸彼以與此，然且仁者不為，況於殺人以求之乎？君子之事君也，務引其君以當道，志於仁而已。」

lǔ yù shǐ shèn zǐ wéi jiāng jūn。 mèng zǐ yuē：「bú jiào mín ér yòng zhī， wèi zhī yāng mín， yāng mín zhě， bù róng wū yáo shùn zhī shì。 yí zhàn shèng qí， suì yǒu nán yáng， rán qiě bù kě。」 shèn zǐ bó rán bú yuè yuē：「cǐ zé huá lí suǒ bù shí yě。」 yuē：「wú míng gào zǐ， tiān zǐ zhī dì fāng qiān lǐ； bù qiān lǐ， bù zú yǐ dài zhū hóu。 zhū hóu zhī dì fāng bǎi lǐ； bù bǎi lǐ， bù zú yǐ shǒu zōng miào zhī diǎn jí。 zhōu gōng zhī fēng wū lǔ， wéi fāng bǎi lǐ yě； dì fēi bù zú， ér jiǎn wū bǎi lǐ。 tài gōng zhī fēng wū qí yě， yì wéi fāng bǎi lǐ yě； dì fēi bù zú yě， ér jiǎn wū bǎi lǐ。 jīn lǔ fāng bǎi lǐ zhě wǔ， zǐ yǐ wéi yǒu wáng zhě zuò， zé lǔ zài suǒ sǔn hū？ zài suǒ yì hū？ tú qǔ zhū bǐ yǐ yǔ cǐ， rán qiě rén zhě bù wéi， kuàng wū shā rén yǐ qiú zhī hū？ jūn zǐ zhī shì jūn yě， wù yǐn qí jūn yǐ dāng dào， zhì wū rén ér yǐ。」

The prince of Lu wanted to make the minister Shen commander of his army. Mencius said, 'To employ an uninstructed people in war may be said to be destroying the people. A destroyer of the people would not have been tolerated in the times of Yao and Shun. Though by a single battle you should subdue Qi, and get possession of Nan Yang, the thing ought not to be done.' Shen changed countenance, and said in displeasure, 'This is what I, Gu Li, do not understand.' Mencius said, 'I will lay the case plainly before you. The territory appropriated to the sovereign is 1,000 li square. Without a thousand li, he would not have sufficient for his entertainment of the princes. The territory appropriated to a Hou is 100 li square. Without 100 li, he would not have sufficient wherewith to observe the statutes kept in his ancestral temple. When Zhou Gong was invested with the principality of Lu, it was a hundred li square. The territory was indeed enough, but it was not more than 100 li. When Tai Gong was invested with the principality of Qi, it was 100 li square. The territory was indeed enough, but it was not more than 100 li. Now Lu is five times 100 li square. If a true royal ruler were to arise, whether do you think that Lu would be diminished or increased by him? If it were merely taking the place from the one State to give it to the other, a benevolent man would not do it; how much less will he do so, when the end is to be sought by the slaughter of men! The way in which a superior man serves his prince contemplates simply the leading him in the right path, and directing his mind to benevolence.'