Li Lou II · Passage 02 / 33 · 孟子 4B.2

Mencius 4B.2: kindness is not yet government

Through Zi Chan's ferrying of people in his own carriage, Mencius distinguishes personal kindness from political rule.

子產聽鄭國之政，以其乘輿濟人於溱、洧。孟子曰：「惠而不知為政，歲十一月徒杠成，十二月輿梁成，民未病涉也。君子平其政，行辟人可也；焉得人人而濟之？故為政者，每人而悅之，日亦不足矣。」

zǐ chǎn tīng zhèng guó zhī zhèng， yǐ qí chéng yú jì rén wū zhēn、 wěi。 mèng zǐ yuē：「huì ér bù zhī wéi zhèng， suì shí yī yuè tú gàng chéng， shí èr yuè yú liáng chéng， mín wèi bìng shè yě。 jūn zǐ píng qí zhèng， xíng pì rén kě yě； yān dé rén rén ér jì zhī？ gù wéi zhèng zhě， měi rén ér yuè zhī， rì yì bù zú yǐ。」

When Zi Chan was chief minister of the State of Zheng, he would convey people across the Zhen and Wei in his own carriage. Mencius said, 'It was kind, but showed that he did not understand the practice of government. When in the eleventh month of the year the foot-bridges are completed, and the carriage-bridges in the twelfth month, the people have not the trouble of wading. Let a governor conduct his rule on principles of equal justice, and, when he goes abroad, he may cause people to be removed out of his path. But how can he convey everybody across the rivers? It follows that if a governor will try to please everybody, he will find the days not sufficient for his work.'

Priority note

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Central question

Why does Mencius say Zi Chan was kind yet did not understand government?

Direct answer

Because carrying people across the river one by one is a genuine kindness, but government should build the bridge in time so that people no longer suffer the crossing at scale. Mencius is separating ad hoc help from structural settlement.

First principle

A systemic problem cannot be solved by serial rescue alone. Without changing the structure, even repeated kindness gets consumed by recurrence.

Why it matters

This passage strongly serves search intent around governance, systems thinking, and the difference between goodwill and public order in Mencius.

What this passage is doing

This is passage 2 of 33 in Li Lou II. The cleanest entry point is "It was kind, but showed that he did…". In context, it works as part of Mencius's argument about seeing people clearly, ritual restraint, and governing relationships and can be read alongside Humane government / kingly way.

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