Li Lou I · Passage 18 / 28 · 孟子 4A.18

Mencius 4A.18: why the superior person does not

The issue is not education itself, but that in the closest relationship direct moral correction can quickly damage both teaching and the bond.

公孫丑曰：「君子之不教子，何也？」孟子曰：「勢不行也。教者必以正；以正不行，繼之以怒；繼之以怒，則反夷矣。『夫子教我以正；夫子未出於正也。』則是父子相夷也。父子相夷則惡矣。古者易子而教之，父子之間不責善，責善則離，離則不祥莫大焉。」

gōng sūn chǒu yuē：「jūn zǐ zhī bú jiào zǐ， hé yě？」 mèng zǐ yuē：「shì bù xíng yě。 jiào zhě bì yǐ zhèng； yǐ zhèng bù xíng， jì zhī yǐ nù； jì zhī yǐ nù， zé fǎn yí yǐ。『fū zǐ jiào wǒ yǐ zhèng； fū zǐ wèi chū wū zhèng yě。』 zé shì fù zǐ xiāng yí yě。 fù zǐ xiāng yí zé è yǐ。 gǔ zhě yì zǐ ér jiào zhī， fù zǐ zhī jiàn bù zé shàn， zé shàn zé lí， lí zé bù xiáng mò dà yān。」

Gong Sun Chou said, 'Why is it that the superior man does not himself teach his son?' Mencius replied, 'The circumstances of the case forbid its being done. The teacher must inculcate what is correct. When he inculcates what is correct, and his lessons are not practised, he follows them up with being angry. When he follows them up with being angry, then, contrary to what should be, he is offended with his son. At the same time, the pupil says, 'My master inculcates on me what is correct, and he himself does not proceed in a correct path." The result of this is, that father and son are offended with each other. When father and son come to be offended with each other, the case is evil. The ancients exchanged sons, and one taught the son of another. Between father and son, there should be no reproving admonitions to what is good. Such reproofs lead to alienation, and than alienation there is nothing more inauspicious.'