万章上 · 第 06 / 09 章 · 孟子 5A.6

《孟子·万章上》5A.6：为什么不是单纯“传贤”也不是单纯“传子”

孟子讨论尧舜禹的继承，不是把天下当私产，也不是把“传贤”当个人任命，而是强调合法性必须经过天与人心的共同成全。

万章问曰：「人有言『至于禹而德衰，不传于贤而传于子』，有诸？」孟子曰：「否然也。天与贤则与贤，天与子则与子。昔者舜荐禹于天，十有七年；舜崩，三年之丧毕，禹避舜之子于阳城；天下之民从之，若尧崩之后不从尧之子而从舜也。禹荐益于天，七年，禹崩，三年之丧毕，益避禹子于箕山之阴；朝觐讼狱者，不之益而之启，曰：『吾君之子也。』讴歌者不讴歌益而讴歌启，曰：『吾君之子也。』丹朱之不肖，舜之子亦不肖；舜之相尧、禹之相舜也，历年多，施泽于民久。启贤，能敬承继禹之道；益之相禹也，历年少，施泽于民未久。舜、禹、益相去久远，其子之贤不肖皆天也，非人之所能为也。莫之为而为者，天也；莫之致而至者，命也。匹夫而有天下者，德必若舜禹，而又有天子荐之者；故仲尼不有天下。继世而有天下，天之所废，必若桀纣者也；故益、伊尹、周公不有天下。伊尹相汤以王于天下，汤崩，太丁未立，外丙二年，仲壬四年。太甲颠覆汤之典刑，伊尹放之于桐三年；太甲悔过，自怨自艾，于桐处仁迁义，三年以听伊尹之训己也，复归于亳。周公之不有天下，犹益之于夏、伊尹之于殷也。孔子曰：『唐虞禅，夏后、殷、周继，其义一也。』」

wàn zhāng wèn yuē：「rén yǒu yán 『zhì wū yǔ ér dé shuāi， bù chuán wū xián ér chuán wū zǐ』， yǒu zhū？」 mèng zǐ yuē：「fǒu rán yě。 tiān yǔ xián zé yǔ xián， tiān yǔ zǐ zé yǔ zǐ。 xī zhě shùn jiàn yǔ wū tiān， shí yǒu qī nián； shùn bēng， sān nián zhī sāng bì， yǔ bì shùn zhī zǐ wū yáng chéng； tiān xià zhī mín cóng zhī， ruò yáo bēng zhī hòu bù cóng yáo zhī zǐ ér cóng shùn yě。 yǔ jiàn yì wū tiān， qī nián， yǔ bēng， sān nián zhī sāng bì， yì bì yǔ zǐ wū jī shān zhī yīn； cháo jìn sòng yù zhě， bù zhī yì ér zhī qǐ， yuē：『wú jūn zhī zǐ yě。』 ōu gē zhě bù ōu gē yì ér ōu gē qǐ， yuē：『wú jūn zhī zǐ yě。』 dān zhū zhī bú xiào， shùn zhī zǐ yì bú xiào； shùn zhī xiāng yáo、 yǔ zhī xiāng shùn yě， lì nián duō， shī zé wū mín jiǔ。 qǐ xián， néng jìng chéng jì yǔ zhī dào； yì zhī xiāng yǔ yě， lì nián shào， shī zé wū mín wèi jiǔ。 shùn、 yǔ、 yì xiāng qù jiǔ yuǎn， qí zǐ zhī xián bú xiào jiē tiān yě， fēi rén zhī suǒ néng wéi yě。 mò zhī wéi ér wéi zhě， tiān yě； mò zhī zhì ér zhì zhě， mìng yě。 pǐ fū ér yǒu tiān xià zhě， dé bì ruò shùn yǔ， ér yòu yǒu tiān zǐ jiàn zhī zhě； gù zhòng ní bù yǒu tiān xià。 jì shì ér yǒu tiān xià， tiān zhī suǒ fèi， bì ruò jié zhòu zhě yě； gù yì、 yī yǐn、 zhōu gōng bù yǒu tiān xià。 yī yǐn xiāng tāng yǐ wáng wū tiān xià， tāng bēng， tài dīng wèi lì， wài bǐng èr nián， zhòng rén sì nián。 tài jiǎ diān fù tāng zhī diǎn xíng， yī yǐn fàng zhī wū tóng sān nián； tài jiǎ huǐ guò， zì yuàn zì ài， wū tóng chǔ rén qiān yì， sān nián yǐ tīng yī yǐn zhī xùn jǐ yě， fù guī yú bó。 zhōu gōng zhī bù yǒu tiān xià， yóu yì zhī wū xià、 yī yǐn zhī wū yīn yě。 kǒng zǐ yuē：『táng yú shàn， xià hòu、 yīn、 zhōu jì， qí yì yī yě。』」

英文参考译文

Wan Zhang asked Mencius, saying, 'People say, "When the disposal of the kingdom came to Yu, his virtue was inferior to that of Yao and Shun, and he transmitted it not to the worthiest but to his son." Was it so?' Mencius replied, 'No; it was not so. When Heaven gave the kingdom to the worthiest, it was given to the worthiest. When Heaven gave it to the son of the preceding sovereign, it was given to him. Shun presented Yu to Heaven. Seventeen years elapsed, and Shun died. When the three years' mourning was expired, Yu withdrew from the son of Shun to Yang Cheng. The people of the kingdom followed him just as after the death of Yao, instead of following his son, they had followed Shun. Yu presented Yi to Heaven. Seven years elapsed, and Yu died. When the three years' mourning was expired, Yi withdrew from the son of Yu to the north of mount Ji. The princes, repairing to court, went not to Yi, but they went to Qi. Litigants did not go to Yi, but they went to Qi, saying, "He is the son of our sovereign;" the singers did not sing Yi, but they sang Qi, saying, "He is the son of our sovereign. That Dan Zhu was not equal to his father, and Shun's son not equal to his; that Shun assisted Yao, and Yu assisted Shun, for many years, conferring benefits on the people for a long time; that thus the length of time during which Shun, Yu, and Yi assisted in the government was so different; that Qi was able, as a man of talents and virtue, reverently to pursue the same course as Yu; that Yi assisted Yu only for a few years, and had not long conferred benefits on the people; that the periods of service of the three were so different; and that the sons were one superior, and the other superior - all this was from Heaven, and what could not be brought about by man. That which is done without man's doing is from Heaven. That which happens without man's causing is from the ordinance of Heaven. In the case of a private individual obtaining the throne, there must be in him virtue equal to that of Shun or Yu; and moreover there must be the presenting of him to Heaven by the preceding sovereign. It was on this account that Confucius did not obtain the throne. When the kingdom is possessed by natural succession, the sovereign who is displaced by Heaven must be like Jie or Zhou. It was on this account that Yi, Yi Yin, and Zhou Gong did not obtain the throne. Yi Yin assisted Tang so that he became sovereign over the kingdom. After the demise of Tang, Tai Ding having died before he could be appointed sovereign, Wai Bing reigned two years, and Zhong Ren four. Tai Jia was then turning upside down the statutes of Tang, when Yi Yin placed him in Tong for three years. There Tai Jia repented of his errors, was contrite, and reformed himself. In Tong be came to dwell in benevolence and walk in righteousness, during those three years, listening to the lessons given to him by Yi Yin. Then Yi Yin again returned with him to Bo. Zhou Gong not getting the throne was like the case of Yi and the throne of Xia, or like that of Yi Yin and the throne of Yin. Confucius said, "Tang and Yu resigned the throne to their worthy ministers. The sovereign of Xia and those of Yin and Zhou transmitted it to their sons. The principle of righteousness was the same in all the cases."'

重点修订页

人工补强的解释层

核心问题

为什么孟子说，天下不是尧舜私相授受的，而要看“天与贤”还是“天与子”？

直接回答

因为政治继承不是家主分财产，也不是圣人凭喜好点名接班。若人心、功业与天命都归向某人，他才有资格承接天下；否则单靠个人意愿并不成立。

第一性原理

最高统治权若不受更大公共正当性约束，就会滑成私有物；真正的继承必须超出私人偏好。

为什么重要

这章适合承接“禅让还是世袭”“天与贤”“Mencius on political succession”这类搜索，是政治合法性专题的重要支点。

这章在做什么

这章是《万章上》第 6 / 9 章，最直接的进入线索是“人有言至于禹而德衰，不传于贤而传于子…”。放回全卷，它讨论的是臣道、忠告与政治担当，并可与仁政、浩然之气互相印证。

更宽的搜索入口

全卷语境

《万章上》反复讨论臣道、忠告和政治责任的边界。

关联主题

仁政：政治的第一目标是安顿民生

浩然之气：把义持续做成气质

引用提示

不要把它读成简单为世袭辩护，也不要读成孟子天真主张随时传贤。孟子真正要守的是：天下不是任何人可私自处分的东西。

章句资料

卷次: 万章上
定位: 孟子 5A.6
顺序: 第 06 / 09 章
对齐置信度: 99%