The Prominent Schools顯學
世之顯學，儒、墨也。儒之所至，孔丘也；墨之所至，墨翟也。自孔子之死也，有子張之儒，有子思之儒，有顔氏之儒，有孟氏之儒，有漆雕氏之儒，有仲良氏之儒，有孫氏之儒，有樂正氏之儒。自墨子之死也，有相里氏之墨，有相夫氏之墨，有鄧陵氏之墨。故孔、墨之後，儒分爲八，墨離爲三，取舍相反不同，而皆自謂真孔、墨。孔、墨不可復生，將誰使定世之學乎？孔子、墨子俱道堯、舜，而取舍不同，皆自謂真堯、舜。堯、舜不復生，將誰使定儒、墨之誠乎？殷、周七百餘歲，虞、夏二千餘歲，而不能定儒、墨之真；今乃欲審堯、舜之道於三千歲之前，意者其不可必乎！無參驗而必之者，愚也；弗能必而據之者，誣也。故明據先王，必定堯、舜者，非愚則誣也。愚誣之學，雜反之行，明主弗受也。
The learnings that stand out in the world are the Confucians and the Mohists. The utmost of the Confucians is Kong Qiu; the utmost of the Mohists is Mo Di. After Confucius died there were the Confucians of Zizhang, the Confucians of Zisi, the Confucians of the Yan, the Confucians of the Meng, the Confucians of the Qidiao, the Confucians of the Zhongliang, the Confucians of the Sun, and the Confucians of the Yuezheng. After Mozi died there were the Mohists of the Xiangli, the Mohists of the Xiangfu, and the Mohists of the Dengling. So after Confucius and Mozi the Confucians split into eight and the Mohists broke into three. What they take up and what they cast off are contrary and not the same, yet every one of them calls itself the true Confucius and the true Mozi. Confucius and Mozi cannot live again. Who then is to settle the learning of the world? Confucius and Mozi both spoke of Yao and Shun, yet what they took up and cast off was not the same, and each called itself the true Yao and Shun. Yao and Shun do not live again. Who then is to settle which of the Confucians and the Mohists is true? Yin and Zhou are more than seven hundred years, Yu and Xia more than two thousand years, and still the truth of the Confucians and the Mohists cannot be settled. Now men wish to look into the way of Yao and Shun three thousand years back. Surely this cannot be made certain. To make a thing certain without matching and testing is folly. To lean on what cannot be made certain is deceit. So those who say they lean clearly on the former kings and settle Yao and Shun for certain are, if not fools, deceivers. The learning of fools and deceivers, and conduct that is mixed and contrary, an enlightened ruler does not accept.
墨者之葬也，冬日冬服，夏日夏服，桐棺三寸，服喪三月，世主以爲儉而禮之。儒者破家而葬，服喪三年，大毁扶杖，世主以爲孝而禮之。夫是墨子之儉，將非孔子之侈也；是孔子之孝，將非墨子之戾也。今孝、戾、侈、儉俱在儒、墨，而上兼禮之。漆雕之議，不色撓，不目逃，行曲則違於臧獲，行直則怒於諸侯，世主以爲廉而禮之。宋榮子之議，設不鬬爭，取不隨仇，不羞囹圄，見侮不辱，世主以爲寛而禮之。夫是漆雕之廉，將非宋榮之恕也；是宋榮之寛，將非漆雕之暴也。今寛、廉、恕、暴俱在二子，人主兼而禮之。自愚誣之學、雜反之辭爭，而人主俱聽之，故海内之士，言無定術，行無常議。夫冰炭不同器而久，寒暑不兼時而至，雜反之學不兩立而治。今兼聽雜學繆行同異之辭，安得無亂乎？聽行如此，其於治人又必然矣。
In the burials of the Mohists, winter clothes in winter, summer clothes in summer, a paulownia coffin three inches thick, mourning worn for three months. The rulers of the age hold this thrifty and treat them with honor. The Confucians break up the household to bury, and wear mourning for three years, wasting away until they lean on a staff. The rulers of the age hold this filial and treat them with honor. Now if the thrift of Mozi is right, then the extravagance of Confucius must be wrong; if the filial piety of Confucius is right, then the hardness of Mozi must be wrong. Today filial piety and hardness, extravagance and thrift, are all in the Confucians and the Mohists, and the one above honors them together. The doctrine of Qidiao is not to bend in the face, not to flinch in the eye, to give way even to a slave when his own conduct is crooked, and to show anger even to the feudal lords when his conduct is straight. The rulers of the age hold this upright and treat him with honor. The doctrine of Song Rongzi is to settle not to quarrel, to hold to not pursuing a foe, to feel no shame in prison, and to take no insult as disgrace. The rulers of the age hold this broad and treat him with honor. Now if the uprightness of Qidiao is right, then the forbearance of Song Rong must be wrong; if the breadth of Song Rong is right, then the fierceness of Qidiao must be wrong. Today breadth and uprightness, forbearance and fierceness, are all in these two men, and the lord of men honors them together. Since the learning of fools and deceivers and words that are mixed and contrary contend, and the lord of men listens to them all, the knights within the seas have no settled method in speech and no constant doctrine in conduct. Ice and coals do not stay long in one vessel; cold and heat do not come at the same season. Learnings that are mixed and contrary cannot stand two together and bring order. Today the ruler listens together to mixed learning, crooked conduct, and words that agree and differ. How can there be no disorder? When listening and acting are like this, it must be so in the governing of men as well.
今世之學士語治者，多曰：「與貧窮地以實無資。」今夫與人相若也，無豐年旁入之利而獨以完給者，非力則儉也。與人相若也，無饑饉、疾疚、禍罪之殃獨以貧窮者，非侈則墯也。侈而墯者貧，而力而儉者富。今上徵斂於富人以布施於貧家，是奪力儉而與侈墯也，而欲索民之疾作而節用，不可得也。
Today the learned knights of the age who speak of order often say, "Give land to the poor and needy, to fill out those who have no means." Now when a man is the same as others, and without the profit of a good year or income from the side he alone provides for himself in full, it is because he works hard, or else because he is thrifty. When a man is the same as others, and without the calamity of famine, sickness, disaster or crime he alone is poor and needy, it is because he is extravagant, or else because he is idle. The extravagant and the idle are poor, and the hardworking and the thrifty are rich. Today the one above levies on the rich to hand out to poor households. This is to take from the hardworking and the thrifty and give to the extravagant and the idle. Then to seek that the people work hard and spend sparingly cannot be had.
今有人於此，義不入危城，不處軍旅，不以天下大利易其脛一毛，世主必從而禮之，貴其智而高其行，以爲輕物重生之士也。夫上所以陳良田大宅，設爵祿，所以易民死命也。今上尊貴輕物重生之士，而索民之出死而重殉上事，不可得也。藏書策，習談論，聚徒役，服文學而議說，世主必從而禮之，曰：「敬賢士，先王之道也。」夫吏之所稅，耕者也；而上之所養，學士也。耕者則重稅，學士則多賞，而索民之疾作而少言談，不可得也。立節參明，執操不侵，怨言過於耳，必隨之以劒，世主必從而禮之，以爲自好之士。夫斬首之勞不賞，而家鬬之勇尊顯，而索民之疾戰距敵而無私鬬，不可得也。國平則養儒俠，難至則用介士。所養者非所用，所用者非所養，此所以亂也。且夫人主於聽學也，若是其言，宜布之官而用其身；若非其言，宜去其身而息其端。今以爲是也，而弗布於官；以爲非也，而不息其端。是而不用，非而不息，亂亡之道也。
Suppose there is a man here who in righteousness will not enter a city in peril, will not take his place in the army, and will not trade one hair of his shin for the great profit of all under heaven. The rulers of the age are sure to follow after him and treat him with honor, prizing his wisdom and holding his conduct high, and taking him for a knight who makes things light and life heavy. Now the one above sets out good fields and great houses and offers rank and salary in order to trade them for the death of the people. Today the one above honors the knight who makes things light and life heavy, and then seeks that the people go out to die and hold it heavy to give their lives for the ruler's affairs. This cannot be had. Some hide away books and records, practice talk and debate, gather crowds of followers, take up letters and hold forth. The rulers of the age are sure to follow after them and treat them with honor, saying, "To respect worthy knights is the way of the former kings." Now those the clerks tax are the plowmen, and those the one above feeds are the learned knights. The plowman's tax is heavy and the learned knight's reward is great, and then to seek that the people work hard and talk little cannot be had. Some set up their principles and match themselves with the clear-sighted, hold to their integrity and let no man encroach on them, and when a word of resentment passes their ear they follow it at once with the sword. The rulers of the age are sure to follow after them and treat them with honor, taking them for knights who guard their own good name. Now the labor of cutting off heads goes unrewarded, while bravery in private brawls stands high and shines, and then to seek that the people fight hard and hold off the enemy and have no private brawls cannot be had. When the state is at peace it feeds Confucians and swordsmen; when trouble comes it uses armored soldiers. Those it feeds are not those it uses, and those it uses are not those it feeds. This is why there is disorder. Moreover, when the lord of men listens to learning, if the words are right he ought to set them out in the offices and employ the man; if the words are wrong he ought to send the man away and put an end to his beginnings. Today he holds them right and does not set them out in the offices; he holds them wrong and does not put an end to their beginnings. To hold right and not employ, to hold wrong and not put an end, is the road to disorder and ruin.
澹臺子羽，君子之容也，仲尼幾而取之，與處久而行不稱其貌。宰予之辭，雅而文也，仲尼幾而取之，與處久而智不充其辯。故孔子曰：「以容取人乎，失之子羽；以言取人乎，失之宰予。」故以仲尼而智而有失實之聲。今之新辯濫乎宰予，而世主之聽眩乎仲尼，爲悅其言，因任其身，則焉得無失乎？是以魏任孟卯之辯，而有華下之患；趙任馬服之辯，而有長平之禍。此二者，任辯之失也。夫視鍛錫而察青黄，區冶不能以必劒；水擊鵠鴈，陸斷駒馬，則臧獲不疑鈍利。發齒吻形容，伯樂不能以必馬；授車就駕，而觀其末塗，則臧獲不疑駑良。觀容服，聽辭言，仲尼不能以必士；試之官職，課其功伐，則庸人不疑於愚智。故明主之吏，宰相必起於州部，猛將必發於卒伍。夫有功者必賞，則爵祿厚而愈勸；遷官襲級，則官職大而愈治。夫爵祿大而官職治，王之道也。
Tantai Ziyu had the look of a gentleman. Zhongni drew near and took him in, and after they had lived together a long while his conduct did not match his looks. The speech of Zai Yu was elegant and finely turned. Zhongni drew near and took him in, and after they had lived together a long while his wisdom did not fill out his eloquence. So Confucius said, "Shall I take a man by his looks? With Ziyu I went wrong. Shall I take a man by his speech? With Zai Yu I went wrong." So even with the wisdom of Zhongni there was talk of missing the truth. Today the new debaters run over more than Zai Yu, and the hearing of the rulers of the age is dimmer than Zhongni's. They delight in the words and then hand over office to the man. How can they not go wrong? Thus Wei trusted the eloquence of Meng Mao, and there came the disaster below Huayang; Zhao trusted the eloquence of Mafu, and there came the calamity of Changping. These two are the fault of trusting eloquence. Now if a man looks at the beaten metal and the tin and examines the blue and yellow of it, even Ou Ye could not be sure of a sword. But let it strike swan and wild goose on the water and cut colt and horse on land, and even a slave does not doubt whether it is blunt or sharp. If a man opens the teeth and looks at the mouth and the shape, even Bo Le could not be sure of a horse. But give it a cart to draw and watch it at the end of the road, and even a slave does not doubt whether it is a nag or a fine beast. If a man looks at the face and the dress and listens to the words, even Zhongni could not be sure of a knight. But test him with office and duty and measure his merit, and even an ordinary man does not doubt whether he is a fool or a wise man. So among the officials of an enlightened ruler the prime minister rises from the districts and the fierce general comes out from the ranks. When the man of merit is surely rewarded, rank and salary grow rich and he is the more encouraged. When promotion follows step by step, office grows great and it is the better governed. Rank and salary great and office well governed is the way of a king.
磐石千里，不可謂富；象人百萬，不可謂强。石非不大，數非不衆也，而不可謂富强者，磐不生粟，象人不可使距敵也。今商官技藝之士亦不墾而食，是地不墾，與磐石一貫也。儒俠毋軍勞，顯而榮者，則民不使，與象人同事也。夫知禍磐石象人，而不知禍商官儒俠爲不墾之地、不使之民，不知事類者也。
A slab of rock a thousand leagues wide cannot be called wealth. A million figures of men cannot be called strength. The stone is not small, the number is not few, yet they cannot be called wealth and strength, because the rock grows no grain and the figures of men cannot be made to hold off an enemy. Today the merchants and the men of craft in the offices also eat without breaking ground. This is land left unbroken, of one piece with the slab of rock. When Confucians and swordsmen stand out and shine without the labor of the army, then the people cannot be employed. This is the same affair as the figures of men. To know the harm of the slab of rock and the figures of men, and not to know the harm of merchants, offices, Confucians and swordsmen, who become unbroken land and people who cannot be employed, is not to know how things fall into kinds.
故敵國之君王雖說吾義，吾弗入貢而臣；關内之侯雖非吾行，吾必使執禽而朝。是故力多則人朝，力寡則朝於人，故明君務力。夫嚴家無悍虜，而慈母有敗子。吾以此知威勢之可以禁暴，而德厚之不足以止亂也。
So though the king of an enemy state delight in my righteousness, I do not send in tribute and serve as his subject; and though a lord within the passes hold my conduct wrong, I make him hold the bird and come to court. Therefore he whose strength is great has others come to his court, and he whose strength is small goes to the court of others. So an enlightened lord works at strength. In a stern house there are no fierce slaves, and a doting mother has a spoiled son. From this I know that awe and power can forbid violence, and that thickness of virtue is not enough to stop disorder.
夫聖人之治國，不恃人之爲吾善也，而用其不得爲非也。恃人之爲吾善也，境内不什數；用人不得爲非，一國可使齊。爲治者用衆而舍寡，故不務德而務法。夫必恃自直之箭，百世無矢；恃自圜之木，千世無輪矣。自直之箭，自圜之木，百世無有一，然而世皆乘車射禽者何也？隱栝之道用也。雖有不恃隱栝而有自直之箭、自圜之木，良工弗貴也。何則？乘者非一人，射者非一發也。不恃賞罰而恃自善之民，明主弗貴也。何則？國法不可失，而所治非一人也。故有術之君，不隨適然之善，而行必然之道。
When the sage governs a state, he does not rely on men becoming good for his sake; he uses their being unable to do wrong. Rely on men becoming good for your sake, and within the borders there will not be ten to count. Use their being unable to do wrong, and a whole state can be made even. He who governs uses the many and sets aside the few, and so he works not at virtue but at law. If a man must rely on arrows that are straight of themselves, there will be no arrow in a hundred generations; if he relies on wood that is round of itself, there will be no wheel in a thousand generations. Of arrows straight of themselves and wood round of itself there is not one in a hundred generations, and yet all the world rides in carts and shoots birds. Why? Because the way of the press and the frame is used. Even if there were an arrow straight of itself and wood round of itself, needing no press and frame, the good craftsman would not prize them. Why? Because those who ride are not one man and those who shoot do not shoot one arrow. To rely not on reward and punishment but on a people good of themselves, an enlightened ruler does not prize. Why? Because the law of the state cannot be let go, and those he governs are not one man. So the lord who has method does not follow the good that happens by chance, but walks the way that is certain.
今或謂人曰「使子必智而壽」，則世必以爲狂。夫智，性也；壽，命也。性命者，非所學於人也，而以人之所不能爲說人，此世之所以謂之爲狂也。謂之不能然，則是諭也，夫諭性也。以仁義教人，是以智與壽說也，有度之主弗受也。故善毛嗇、西施之美，無益吾面；用脂澤粉黛，則倍其初。言先王之仁義，無益於治；明吾法度，必吾賞罰者，亦國之脂澤粉黛也。故明主急其助而緩其頌，故不道仁義。
Today if someone says to a man, "I will make you wise for certain, and long-lived," the world is sure to hold him mad. Wisdom is inborn nature; long life is fate. Nature and fate are not learned from others, and he speaks to men of what men cannot do. This is why the world calls him mad. To tell a man that it cannot be so is to enlighten him, and that is to enlighten him about his nature. To teach men by benevolence and righteousness is to speak to them of wisdom and long life, and a ruler who has measures does not accept it. So praising the beauty of Mao Qiang and Xi Shi does no good to my own face, but use oil and powder and eyebrow black and it is twice what it was at first. To speak of the benevolence and righteousness of the former kings does no good to order. To make my measures clear and my rewards and punishments certain is the oil and powder and eyebrow black of a state. So an enlightened ruler is urgent about what helps him and slow about what praises him, and therefore he does not speak of benevolence and righteousness.
今巫祝之祝人曰：「使若千秋萬歲。」千秋萬歲之聲括耳，而一日之壽無徵於人，此人所以簡巫祝也。今世儒者之說人主，不善今之所以爲治，而語已治之功；不審官法之事，不察姦邪之情，而皆道上古之傳譽、先王之成功。儒者飾辝曰：「聽吾言，則可以霸王。」此說者之巫祝，有度之主不受也。故明主舉實事，去無用，不道仁義者故，不聽學者之言。
Today the shaman prays for a man, saying, "May you live a thousand autumns and ten thousand years." The sound of a thousand autumns and ten thousand years fills the ear, but not one day of life has ever shown itself in the man. This is why men make light of shamans. Today when the Confucians of the age speak to the lord of men, they do not speak well of what makes order now, but talk of the merit of what was already ordered. They do not look into the affairs of office and law, nor examine the workings of the crooked and the wicked, but all of them tell of the handed-down praise of high antiquity and the finished merits of the former kings. The Confucians dress up their words and say, "Listen to my words and you can be hegemon and king." This is the shaman's work of the persuaders, and a ruler who has measures does not accept it. So an enlightened ruler takes up real affairs and casts off what is of no use. He does not speak of the reasons of benevolence and righteousness, and he does not listen to the words of the learned.
今不知治者必曰：「得民之心。」欲得民之心而可以爲治，則是伊尹、管仲無所用也，將聽民而已矣。民智之不可用，猶嬰兒之心也。夫嬰兒不剔首則腹痛，不㨽痤則寖益。剔首、揊痤，必一人抱之，慈母治之，然猶啼呼不止，嬰兒子不知犯其所小苦、致其所大利也。今上急耕田墾草以厚民産也，而以上爲酷；脩刑重罰以爲禁邪也，而以上爲嚴；徵賦錢粟以實倉庫，且以救飢饉、備軍旅也，而以上爲貪；境内必知介而無私解，并力疾闘，所以禽虜也，而以上爲暴。此四者，所以治安也，而民不知悅也。夫求聖通之士者，爲民知之不足師用。昔禹決江濬河，而民聚瓦石；子産開畝樹桑，鄭人謗訾。禹利天下，子産存鄭人，皆以受謗，夫民智之不足用亦明矣。故舉士而求賢智，爲政而期適民，皆亂之端，未可與爲治也。
Today those who do not know order are sure to say, "Win the hearts of the people." If order could be made by winning the hearts of the people, then Yi Yin and Guan Zhong would be of no use, and it would be enough to listen to the people. The wisdom of the people cannot be used; it is like the mind of an infant. An infant whose head is not shaved has a pain in the belly, and a boil not opened grows worse and worse. In shaving the head and opening the boil one man must hold the child while the doting mother tends it, and still it cries and screams without stopping, for the infant does not know that bearing a small pain brings on a great profit. Today the one above is urgent about plowing the fields and clearing the grass, and it is to make the people's produce rich, yet they hold the one above harsh. He trims the punishments and makes the penalties heavy, and it is to forbid wickedness, yet they hold the one above stern. He levies cash and grain to fill the granaries, and it is to save them from famine and to make ready for the army, yet they hold the one above greedy. He sees that within the borders all know armor and none get off by private favor, and that they join their strength and fight hard, and it is to take the enemy captive, yet they hold the one above cruel. These four are what bring order and peace, and the people do not know enough to be pleased. He seeks knights who are sage and penetrating because the wisdom of the people is not enough to take as a master. Long ago Yu cut through the Jiang and dredged the He, and the people gathered tiles and stones to throw at him. Zichan opened up the fields and planted mulberries, and the men of Zheng reviled him. Yu profited all under heaven and Zichan kept the men of Zheng alive, and both were reviled for it. That the wisdom of the people is not enough to use is clear enough. So to raise up knights while seeking the worthy and wise, and to govern while looking to suit the people, are both the beginning of disorder, and with them order cannot be made.