Conforming with the Superior, Part One尚同上
子墨子言曰：古者民始生未有刑政之時，蓋其語，人異義。是以一人則一義，二人則二義，十人則十義。其人茲衆，其所謂義者亦茲衆。是以人是其義，以非人之義，故交相非也。是以內者父子兄弟作怨惡，離散不能相和合。天下之百姓，皆以水火毒藥相虧害，至有餘力不能以相勞。腐㱙餘財不以相分，隱匿良道不以相教，天下之亂，至若禽獸然。
Mozi said, "In ancient times, when the people first came into being and there were as yet no punishments and no government, it was said that every person differed in what he held to be right. So with one person there was one right, with two people two rights, with ten people ten rights. The more people there were, the more so-called rights there were.
Thus each person held his own right to be right and held the right of others to be wrong, and so they condemned one another. Within the home fathers and sons, elder and younger brothers made resentment and hatred, and they scattered apart and could not live in harmony.
The people of the world all tore at one another and harmed one another with water and fire and poison. Though they had strength to spare, they would not work for one another. They let surplus goods rot and stink rather than share them. They hid the good ways and would not teach one another. The disorder of the world was like that of birds and beasts."
夫明虖天下之所以亂者，生於無政長，是故選天下之賢可者，立以爲天子。天子立，以其力爲未足，又選擇天下之賢可者，置立之以爲三公。天子三公旣以立，以天下爲博大，遠國異土之民、是非利害之辯，不可一二而明知，故畫分萬國，立諸侯國君。諸侯國君旣已立，以其力爲未足，又選擇其國之賢可者，置立之以爲正長。正長旣已具，天子發政於天下之百姓，言曰：「聞善而不善，皆以告其上。上之所是必皆是之，上之所非必皆非之。上有過則規諫之，下有善則傍薦之。上同而不下比者，此上之所賞而下之所譽也。意若聞善而不善，不以告其上。上之所是弗能是，上之所非弗能非。上有過弗規諫，下有善弗傍薦。下比不能上同者，此上之所罰而百姓所毀也。」上以此爲賞罰，甚明察以審信。是故里長者，里之仁人也。里長發政里之百姓，言曰：「聞善而不善，必以告其鄉長。鄉長之所是必皆是之，鄉長之所非必皆非之。去若不善言，學鄉長之善言；去若不善行，學鄉長之善行。」則鄉何說以亂哉？察鄉之所以治者，何也？鄉長唯能壹同鄉之義，是以鄉治也。鄉長者，鄉之仁人也。鄉長發政鄉之百姓，言曰：「聞善而不善者，必以告國君。國君之所是必皆是之，國君之所非必皆非之。去若不善言，學國君之善言；去若不善行，學國君之善行。」則國何說以亂哉？察國之所以治者，何也？國君唯能壹同國之義，是以國治也。國君者，國之仁人也。國君發政國之百姓，言曰：「聞善而不善，必以告天子。天子之所是皆是之，天子之所非皆非之。去若不善言，學天子之善言；去若不善行，學天子之善行。」則天下何說以亂哉？察天下之所以治者，何也？天子唯能壹同天下之義，是以天下治也。
It was made clear that the world fell into disorder because there were no chiefs to govern it, and so the worthy and able men of the world were chosen and set up as Son of Heaven.
When the Son of Heaven had been set up, his strength was still not enough, and so again the worthy and able men of the world were chosen and set up as the Three Dukes. When the Son of Heaven and the Three Dukes had been set up, the world was wide and great, and the people of far countries and other lands, and the telling apart of right and wrong and of gain and harm, could not be known clearly one by one. So the world was divided into ten thousand states, and feudal lords and rulers of states were set up. When the feudal lords and rulers of states had been set up, their strength was still not enough, and so again the worthy and able men of their states were chosen and set up as upright chiefs.
When the upright chiefs were all in place, the Son of Heaven sent out his government to the people of the world, saying, "When you hear of what is good and of what is not good, report it all to your superior. What the superior holds right you must all hold right; what the superior holds wrong you must all hold wrong. If the superior has a fault, admonish him straightly; if there is goodness below, bring it forward and recommend it. The man who conforms upward and does not form cliques below is the one whom the superior rewards and the people below praise.
But suppose a man hears of what is good and of what is not good and does not report it to his superior; cannot hold right what the superior holds right, and cannot hold wrong what the superior holds wrong; does not admonish the superior when he has a fault, and does not bring forward goodness when there is goodness below; forms cliques below and cannot conform upward. He is the one whom the superior punishes and the people revile."
The superior made reward and punishment out of this, and he looked into things with great clearness and weighed them with care and good faith.
So the village head is the benevolent man of the village. The village head sent out his government to the people of the village, saying, "When you hear of what is good and of what is not good, you must report it to the district head. What the district head holds right you must all hold right; what the district head holds wrong you must all hold wrong. Put away your bad words and learn the good words of the district head. Put away your bad conduct and learn the good conduct of the district head." Then for what reason would the district fall into disorder?
Look into why the district was well ordered. What is it? The district head alone was able to make the rightness of the district one and the same, and so the district was well ordered.
The district head is the benevolent man of the district. The district head sent out his government to the people of the district, saying, "When you hear of what is good and of what is not good, you must report it to the ruler of the state. What the ruler of the state holds right you must all hold right; what the ruler of the state holds wrong you must all hold wrong. Put away your bad words and learn the good words of the ruler of the state. Put away your bad conduct and learn the good conduct of the ruler of the state." Then for what reason would the state fall into disorder?
Look into why the state was well ordered. What is it? The ruler of the state alone was able to make the rightness of the state one and the same, and so the state was well ordered.
The ruler of the state is the benevolent man of the state. The ruler of the state sent out his government to the people of the state, saying, "When you hear of what is good and of what is not good, you must report it to the Son of Heaven. What the Son of Heaven holds right you must all hold right; what the Son of Heaven holds wrong you must all hold wrong. Put away your bad words and learn the good words of the Son of Heaven. Put away your bad conduct and learn the good conduct of the Son of Heaven." Then for what reason would the world fall into disorder?
Look into why the world was well ordered. What is it? The Son of Heaven alone was able to make the rightness of the world one and the same, and so the world was well ordered.
天下之百姓皆上同於天子，而不上同於天，則葘猶未去也。今若天飄風苦雨，湊湊而至者，此天之所以罰百姓之不上同於天者也。
If the people of the world all conform upward to the Son of Heaven but do not conform upward to Heaven, then calamity is still not taken away. When Heaven now drives whirlwinds and bitter rains that come on and on, this is how Heaven punishes the people who do not conform upward to Heaven.
是故子墨子言曰：古者聖王爲五刑，請以治其民。譬若絲縷之有紀，罔罟之有綱，所以連收天下之百姓不尚同其上者也。
So Mozi said, "The sage kings of old made the five punishments, and with them they governed their people. It is like threads having a main cord, or a net having its head rope. They are the means by which the people of the world who do not conform to those above are drawn in and gathered together."