公孙丑下 · 第 08 / 14 章 · 孟子 2B.8
《孟子·公孙丑下》2B.8:可伐与,不等于谁都可以伐
当沈同问“燕可伐与”时,孟子把“可以受罚”和“谁有资格执行惩罚”分开,说明正当判断不等于机会主义出兵的许可证。
沈同以其私问曰:「燕可伐与?」孟子曰:「可。子哙不得与人燕,子之不得受燕于子哙。有仕于此,而子悦之,不告于王,而私与之吾子之禄爵;夫士也,亦无王命而私受之于子,则可乎?何以异于是?」齐人伐燕。或问曰:「劝齐伐燕,有诸?」曰:「未也。沈同问:『燕可伐与?』吾应之曰:『可。』彼然而伐之也。彼如曰:『孰可以伐之?』则将应之曰:『为天吏则可以伐之。』今有杀人者,或问之曰:『人可杀与?』则将应之曰:『可。』彼如曰:『孰可以杀之?』则将应之曰:『为士师则可以杀之。』今以燕伐燕,何为劝之哉?」
英文参考译文
Shen Tong, on his own impulse, asked Mencius, saying, 'May Yan be smitten?' Mencius replied, 'It may. Zi Kuai had no right to give Yan to another man, and Zi Zhi had no right to receive Yan from Zi Kuai. Suppose there were an officer here, with whom you, Sir, were pleased, and that, without informing the king, you were privately to give to him your salary and rank; and suppose that this officer, also without the king's orders, were privately to receive them from you - would such a transaction be allowable? And where is the difference between the case of Yan and this?' The people of Qi smote Yan. Some one asked Mencius, saying, 'Is it really the case that you advised Qi to smite Yan?' He replied, 'No. Shen Tong asked me whether Yan might be smitten, and I answered him, "It may." They accordingly went and smote it. If he had asked me, "Who may smite it?" I would have answered him, "He who is the minister of Heaven may smite it." Suppose the case of a murderer, and that one asks me, "May this man be put to death?" I will answer him, "He may." If he ask me, "Who may put him to death?" I will answer him, "The chief criminal judge may put him to death." But now with one Yan to smite another Yan - how should I have advised this?'
重点修订页
人工补强的解释层
核心问题
为什么孟子说“燕可伐”,却又否认自己在鼓动齐国伐燕?
直接回答
因为他说的是燕国的政治状态是否已到可被讨伐的程度,不是谁看见有空子就能动兵。正当性判断和执行权威不是一回事。
第一性原理
判断某行为应受惩处,与确认谁有资格实施惩处,必须分开;若两者混同,正义立刻会被强者拿来包装扩张。
为什么重要
这章适合承接“孟子 义战”“正当战争”“authority and intervention”这类搜索,也是仁政政治边界的重要原典。
延伸阅读
这章在做什么
这章是《公孙丑下》第 8 / 14 章,最直接的进入线索是“燕可伐与”。放回全卷,它讨论的是浩然之气、人格判断与公共责任,并可与仁政互相印证。
更宽的搜索入口
如果你带着更宽的问题进入这一章,先从正确的 hub 页进入
全卷语境
《公孙丑下》围绕浩然之气、人格定力和士人的公共责任展开。
关联主题
引用提示
不要只截“可”。后面连用“人可杀与”“谁可以杀之”的追问,才真正把孟子的尺度讲清楚。