Jin Xin II · Passage 04 / 38 · 孟子 7B.4

Mencius 7B.4: skill in war is a great crime

Mencius argues that turning the arts of battle into admirable expertise already reveals a deeply disordered hierarchy of values.

孟子曰：「有人曰：『我善為陳，我善為戰』，大罪也。國君好仁，天下無敵焉，南面而征北狄怨，東面而征西夷怨，曰：『奚為後我？』武王之伐殷也，革車三百兩，虎賁三千人。王曰：『無畏！寧爾也，非敵百姓也。』若崩厥角稽首。征之為言正也，各欲正己也，焉用戰？」

mèng zǐ yuē：「yǒu rén yuē：『wǒ shàn wéi chén， wǒ shàn wéi zhàn』， dà zuì yě。 guó jūn hǎo rén， tiān xià wú dí yān， nán miàn ér zhēng běi dí yuàn， dōng miàn ér zhēng xī yí yuàn， yuē：『xī wéi hòu wǒ？』 wǔ wáng zhī fá yīn yě， gé jū sān bǎi liǎng， hǔ bì sān qiān rén。 wáng yuē：『wú wèi！ níng ěr yě， fēi dí bǎi xìng yě。』 ruò bēng jué jiǎo qǐ shǒu。 zhēng zhī wéi yán zhèng yě， gè yù zhèng jǐ yě， yān yòng zhàn？」

Mencius said, 'There are men who say "I am skilful at marshalling troops, I am skilful at conducting a battle!" They are great criminals. If the ruler of a State love benevolence, he will have no enemy in the kingdom. When Tang was executing his work of correction in the south, the rude tribes on the north murmured. When he was executing it in the east, the rude tribes on the west murmured. Their cry was "Why does he make us last?" When king Wu punished Yin, he had only three hundred chariots of war, and three thousand life-guards. The king said, "Do not fear. Let me give you repose. I am no enemy to the people!" On this, they bowed their heads to the earth, like the horns of animals falling off. "Royal correction" is but another word for rectifying. Each State wishing itself to be corrected, what need is there for fighting?'