King Hui of Liang I · Passage 01 / 07 · 孟子 1A.1

Mencius 1A.1: why profit cannot be the language of rule

Mencius pulls statecraft back from profit to benevolence and righteousness, arguing that once every level competes for gain, political order decays from within.

孟子見梁惠王。王曰：「叟！不遠千里而來，亦將有以利吾國乎？」孟子對曰：「王！何必曰利？亦有仁義而已矣。王曰：『何以利吾國？』大夫曰：『何以利吾家？』士庶人曰：『何以利吾身？』上下交征利而國危矣。萬乘之國，弒其君者，必千乘之家；千乘之國，弒其君者，必百乘之家。萬取千焉，千取百焉，不為不多矣。苟為後義而先利，不奪不饜。未有仁而遺其親者也，未有義而後其君者也。王亦曰仁義而已矣，何必曰利？」

mèng zǐ jiàn liáng huì wáng。 wáng yuē：「sǒu！ bù yuǎn qiān lǐ ér lái， yì jiāng yǒu yǐ lì wú guó hū？」 mèng zǐ duì yuē：「wáng！ hé bì yuē lì？ yì yǒu rén yì ér yǐ yǐ。 wáng yuē：『hé yǐ lì wú guó？』 dài fu yuē：『hé yǐ lì wú jiā？』 shì shù rén yuē：『hé yǐ lì wú shēn？』 shàng xià jiāo zhēng lì ér guó wēi yǐ。 wàn chéng zhī guó， shì qí jūn zhě， bì qiān chéng zhī jiā； qiān chéng zhī guó， shì qí jūn zhě， bì bǎi chéng zhī jiā。 wàn qǔ qiān yān， qiān qǔ bǎi yān， bù wéi bù duō yǐ。 gǒu wéi hòu yì ér xiān lì， bù duó bú yàn。 wèi yǒu rén ér yí qí qīn zhě yě， wèi yǒu yì ér hòu qí jūn zhě yě。 wáng yì yuē rén yì ér yǐ yǐ， hé bì yuē lì？」

Mencius went to see king Hui of Liang. The king said, 'Venerable sir, since you have not counted it far to come here, a distance of a thousand li, may I presume that you are provided with counsels to profit my kingdom?' Mencius replied, 'Why must your Majesty use that word "profit?" What I am provided with, are counsels to benevolence and righteousness, and these are my only topics. 'If your Majesty say, "What is to be done to profit my kingdom?" the great officers will say, "What is to be done to profit our families?" and the inferior officers and the common people will say, "What is to be done to profit our persons?" Superiors and inferiors will try to snatch this profit the one from the other, and the kingdom will be endangered. In the kingdom of ten thousand chariots, the murderer of his sovereign shall be the chief of a family of a thousand chariots. In the kingdom of a thousand chariots, the murderer of his prince shall be the chief of a family of a hundred chariots. To have a thousand in ten thousand, and a hundred in a thousand, cannot be said not to be a large allotment, but if righteousness be put last, and profit be put first, they will not be satisfied without snatching all. There never has been a benevolent man who neglected his parents. There never has been a righteous man who made his sovereign an after consideration. Let your Majesty also say, "Benevolence and righteousness, and let these be your only themes." Why must you use that word - "profit?".'