Li Lou II · Passage 06 / 33 · 孟子 4B.6

Mencius 4B.6: the great person rejects false righteousness

Mencius draws a hard line against acts that wear the name of ritual or righteousness while violating their substance. Form alone does not make an act just.

孟子曰：「非禮之禮，非義之義，大人弗為。」

mèng zǐ yuē：「fēi lǐ zhī lǐ， fēi yì zhī yì， dà rén fú wéi。」

Mencius said, 'Acts of propriety which are not really proper, and acts of righteousness which are not really righteous, the great man does not do.'

Priority note

A human-edited reading layer

Central question

Why does Mencius say that the great person will not perform ritual that is not really ritual or righteousness that is not really righteous?

Direct answer

Because naming does not create moral reality. When an act copies the shell of ritual or claims the title of righteousness while betraying their real measure, it is not worthy of the great person.

First principle

A concept's name cannot replace its content. Good judgment asks whether an act truly fulfills what it claims to be.

Why it matters

This passage sharpens the site's treatment of formalism, moral disguise, and why something that looks correct may still be false in substance.

What this passage is doing

This is passage 6 of 33 in Li Lou II. The cleanest entry point is "Acts of propriety which are not really proper,…". In context, it works as part of Mencius's argument about seeing people clearly, ritual restraint, and governing relationships and can be read alongside Flood-like qi.

Broader search routes