Li Lou I · Passage 02 / 28 · 孟子 4A.2

Mencius 4A.2: compass, square, and political standards

Mencius uses compass and square to argue that rule cannot depend on mood or appetite: just as shape has a measure.

孟子曰：「規矩，方員之至也。聖人，人倫之至也。欲爲君，盡君道；欲爲臣，盡臣道，二者皆法堯舜而已矣。不以舜之所以事堯事君，不敬其君者也；不以堯之所以治民治民，賊其民者也。孔子曰：『道二，仁與不仁而已矣。』暴其民甚，則身弒國亡，不甚，則身危國削，名之曰『幽』、『厲』，雖孝子慈孫，百世不能改也。《詩》云：『殷鑒不遠，在夏后之世。』此之謂也。」

mèng zǐ yuē：「guī jǔ， fāng yuán zhī zhì yě。 shèng rén， rén lún zhī zhì yě。 yù wéi jūn， jìn jūn dào； yù wéi chén， jìn chén dào， èr zhě jiē fǎ yáo shùn ér yǐ yǐ。 bù yǐ shùn zhī suǒ yǐ shì yáo shì jūn， bú jìng qí jūn zhě yě； bù yǐ yáo zhī suǒ yǐ zhì mín zhì mín， zéi qí mín zhě yě。 kǒng zǐ yuē：『dào èr， rén yǔ bù rén ér yǐ yǐ。』 bào qí mín shèn， zé shēn shì guó wáng， bú shèn， zé shēn wēi guó xiāo， míng zhī yuē 『yōu』、『lì』， suī xiào zǐ cí sūn， bǎi shì bù néng gǎi yě。《shī》 yún：『yīn jiàn bù yuǎn， zài xià hòu zhī shì。』 cǐ zhī wèi yě。」

Mencius said, 'The compass and square produce perfect circles and squares. By the sages, the human relations are perfectly exhibited. He who as a sovereign would perfectly discharge the duties of a sovereign, and he who as a minister would perfectly discharge the duties of a minister, have only to imitate - the one Yao, and the other Shun. He who does not serve his sovereign as Shun served Yao, does not respect his sovereign; and he who does not rule his people as Yao ruled his, injures his people. Confucius said, "There are but two courses, which can be pursued, that of virtue and its opposite." A ruler who carries the oppression of his people to the highest pitch, will himself be slain, and his kingdom will perish. If one stop short of the highest pitch, his life will notwithstanding be in danger, and his kingdom will be weakened. He will be styled "The Dark," or "The Cruel," and though he may have filial sons and affectionate grandsons, they will not be able in a hundred generations to change the designation. This is what is intended in the words of the Book of Poetry, "The beacon of Yin is not remote, It is in the time of the (last) sovereign of Xia."'