Jin Xin I · Passage 31 / 46 · 孟子 7A.31

Mencius 7A.31: Yi Yin's purpose or usurpation

Mencius says the same outer act can be correction or usurpation depending on whether it truly seeks the ruler's reform and the restoration of rightful order.

公孫丑曰：「伊尹曰：『予不狎于不順。』放太甲于桐，民大悅；太甲賢，又反之，民大悅。賢者之為人臣也，其君不賢，則固可放與？」孟子曰：「有伊尹之志，則可；無伊尹之志，則篡也。」

gōng sūn chǒu yuē：「yī yǐn yuē：『yǔ bù xiá yú bú shùn。』 fàng tài jiǎ yú tóng， mín dà yuè； tài jiǎ xián， yòu fǎn zhī， mín dà yuè。 xián zhě zhī wéi rén chén yě， qí jūn bù xián， zé gù kě fàng yǔ？」 mèng zǐ yuē：「yǒu yī yǐn zhī zhì， zé kě； wú yī yǐn zhī zhì， zé cuàn yě。」

Gong Sun Chou said, 'Yi Yin said, "I cannot be near and see him so disobedient to reason," and therewith he banished Tai Jia to Tong. The people were much pleased. When Tai Jia became virtuous, he brought him back, and the people were again much pleased. When worthies are ministers, may they indeed banish their sovereigns in this way when they are not virtuous?' Mencius replied, 'If they have the same purpose as Yi Yin, they may. If they have not the same purpose, it would be usurpation.'

Priority note

A human-edited reading layer

Central question

Why does Mencius say that exiling a ruler is permissible only with Yi Yin's purpose?

Direct answer

Because the issue is not whether the act looks similar, but whether it bears the aim of reform, the willingness to restore the ruler, and the refusal to convert exception into seizure.

First principle

Legitimate correction and usurpation may share an outward form. The difference lies in purpose, reversibility, and willingness to return power to rightful order.

Why it matters

This passage serves searches around Yi Yin, exiling rulers, correction, and the boundary between reform and usurpation.

What this passage is doing

This is passage 31 of 46 in Jin Xin I. The cleanest entry point is "Yi Yin said, "I cannot be near and…". In context, it works as part of Mencius's argument about exhausting the heart, sincerity, and preserving the original heart and can be read alongside Humane government / kingly way.

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