Against Fatalism, Part Three非命下
子墨子言曰：凡出言談，則不可而不先立儀而言。若不先立儀而言，譬之猶運鈞之上而立朝夕焉也，我以爲雖有朝夕之辯，必將終未可得而從定也。是故言有三法。何謂三法？曰：有考之者，有原之者，有用之者。惡乎攷之？考先聖大王之事。惡乎原之？察衆之耳目之請。惡乎用之？發而爲政乎國家萬民而觀之。此謂三法也。
Mozi said, "In all putting forth of speech, one cannot but set up a gauge first and then speak. If one speaks without setting up a gauge first, it is like setting the marks of sunrise and sunset upon a turning potter's wheel. I hold that though there be a telling of sunrise from sunset, in the end it can never be gained and followed and settled.
Therefore speech has three rules. What are called the three rules? It is said: there is what is examined, there is what is traced to the source, and there is what is put to use.
Where is it examined? It is examined in the affairs of the former sage and great kings. Where is the source traced? In the witness of the ears and eyes of the many. Where is it put to use? It is sent out as government over the state and the ten thousand people, and then it is looked at. These are called the three rules."
故昔者三代聖王禹湯文武方爲政乎天下之時，曰：「必務舉孝子而勸之事親，尊賢良之人而教之爲善。」是故出政施教，賞善罰暴。且以爲若此，則天下之亂也，將屬可得而治也；社稷之危也，將屬可得而定也。若以爲不然，昔桀之所亂，湯治之；紂之所亂，武王治之。當此之時，世不渝而民不易，上變政而民改俗。存乎桀紂而天下亂，存乎湯武而天下治。天下之治也，湯武之力也；天下之亂也，桀紂之罪也。若以此觀之，夫安危治亂存乎上之爲政也，則夫豈可謂有命哉？故昔者禹湯文武方爲政乎天下之時，曰：「必使飢者得食，寒者得衣，勞者得息，亂者得治。」遂得光譽令問於天下，夫豈可以爲命哉？故以爲其力也。今賢良之人，尊賢而好功道術，故上得其王公大人之賞，下得其萬民之譽，遂得光譽令問於天下，亦豈以爲其命哉？又以爲力也。然今執有命者，不識昔也三代之聖善人與？意亡昔三代之暴不肖人與？若以說觀之，則必非昔三代聖善人也，必暴不肖人也。
Therefore in old times the sage kings of the three dynasties, Yu and Tang and Wen and Wu, when they were governing all under heaven, said, "Be sure to work at raising up filial sons and urging them to serve their parents, and at honoring the worthy and good and teaching them to do good." Therefore they sent out government and spread teaching, rewarding the good and punishing the violent.
And they held that if it were like this, the disorder of all under heaven could be gained and set in order, and the danger of the altars of soil and grain could be gained and made settled.
If one thinks it is not so, then in old times what Jie threw into disorder King Tang set in order, and what Zhou threw into disorder King Wu set in order. At that time the age was not altered and the people were not changed, yet when those above changed the government the people changed their customs. Under Jie and Zhou all under heaven was in disorder, and under King Tang and King Wu all under heaven was in order. The order of all under heaven was the strength of King Tang and King Wu, and the disorder of all under heaven was the guilt of Jie and Zhou.
Seen by this, safety and danger, order and disorder, lie in how those above govern. How then can it be said that there is fate?
Therefore in old times Yu and Tang and Wen and Wu, when they were governing all under heaven, said, "Be sure to make the hungry get food, the cold get clothing, the toiling get rest, and the disorderly get order," and in the end they got shining praise and good report in all under heaven. How can this be called fate? Therefore it is held to be their strength.
Now the worthy and good men honor the worthy and love merit and the way and skill. Therefore above they get the rewards of their kings and dukes and great men, and below they get the praise of the ten thousand people, and in the end they get shining praise and good report in all under heaven. How can this too be held to be their fate? This too is held to be strength.
Yet now, as for those who hold that there is fate, it cannot be known whether they are the sage and good men of the three dynasties of old, or the violent and unfit men of the three dynasties of old. Seen by their words, they are surely not the sage and good men of the three dynasties of old, but surely the violent and unfit men.
然今以命爲有者，昔三代暴王桀紂幽厲，貴爲天子，富有天下。於此乎不而矯其耳目之欲，而從其心意之辟，外之𢿛騁田獵畢弋，內湛於酒樂，而不顧其國家百姓之政。繁爲無用，暴逆百姓，遂失其宗廟。其言不曰：「吾罷不肖，吾聽治不强。」必曰：「吾命固將失之。」雖昔也三代罷不肖之民，亦猶此也。不能善事親戚君長，甚惡恭儉而好簡易，貪飲食而惰從事，衣食之財不足，是以身有陷乎飢寒凍餒之憂。其言不曰：「吾罷不肖，吾從事不强。」必曰：「吾命固將窮。」昔三代僞民，亦猶此也。
Yet now those who say that there is fate are like this. The violent kings of the three dynasties of old, Jie and Zhou and King You and King Li, were honored as Sons of Heaven and rich in holding all under heaven, and even so they did not bind the desires of their ears and eyes but followed the crookedness of their hearts and wills. Abroad they galloped and hunted and netted and shot with corded arrows, and at home they sank into wine and music, and they did not look to the government of their states and their people. They made much ado over what was of no use, they were violent and contrary toward their people, and in the end they lost their ancestral temples.
In their words they did not say, "I am unfit, and I am not strong in attending to government." They would surely say, "My fate from the first was to lose it."
Even the unfit people of the three dynasties of old are like this. They cannot serve their kin and their rulers and elders well. They deeply hate respect and thrift and love ease and looseness. They are greedy for food and drink and lazy in following their work, and the goods for clothing and food are not enough, and thus their bodies fall into the sorrow of hunger and cold and freezing. In their words they do not say, "I am unfit, and I am not strong in following my work." They surely say, "My fate from the first was to be hard pressed." The false people of the three dynasties of old are also like this.
昔者暴王作之，窮人術之，此皆疑衆遲樸，先聖王之患之也，固在前矣。是以書之竹帛，鏤之金石，琢之盤盂，傳遺後世子孫。曰：何書焉存？禹之《總德》有之，曰：「允不著惟天，民不而葆。既防凶心，天加之咎。不慎厥德，天命焉葆？」《仲虺之告》曰：「我聞有夏人矯天命于下，帝式是增，用爽厥師。」彼用無爲有，故謂矯。若有而謂有，夫豈謂矯哉？昔者桀執有命而行，湯爲《仲虺之告》以非之。《太誓》之言也，於《去發》曰：「惡乎君子，天有顯德，其行甚章。爲鑑不遠，在彼殷王。謂人有命，謂敬不可行，謂祭無益，謂暴無傷。上帝不常，九有以亡；上帝不順，祝降其喪。惟我有周，受之大帝。」昔紂執有命而行，武王爲《太誓》《去發》以非之。曰：子胡不尚考之乎商周虞夏之記，從《卜簡》之篇以尚皆無之也？
In old times the violent kings made this and hard pressed men practiced it. All of this makes the many doubt and holds back the simple, and the trouble the former sage kings took over it came long before. Therefore they wrote it on bamboo and silk, carved it on metal and stone, and cut it into basins and bowls, to hand it down and leave it to the sons and grandsons of later ages.
It is asked: in what book is it found? The Zongde (總德) of Yu has it. It says, "If good faith is not made clear to Heaven, the people are not kept. If an ill heart is not blocked, Heaven adds blame to it. If a man is not careful of his virtue, how shall the mandate of Heaven keep him?"
The Announcement of Zhonghui says, "I have heard that the men of Xia falsified the mandate of Heaven below, and the Lord on High hated this the more and made them lose their host." That man called what was not there a thing that was, and so it is called falsifying. If a man calls a thing that is a thing that is, how could that be called falsifying?
In old times Jie held that there is fate and acted on it, and King Tang made the Announcement of Zhonghui to hold it wrong.
The words of the Great Declaration are in the Qufa (去發). It says, "Ah, gentlemen. Heaven has virtue made clear, and its working is very bright. What is to be taken as a mirror is not far off. It is in that king of Yin. He said that men have fate. He said that reverence cannot be practiced. He said that sacrifice brings no gain. He said that violence brings no harm. The Lord on High did not hold him right, and the nine regions perished by it. The Lord on High did not go along with him, and sent down his death. It is our house of Zhou that received this from the Great Lord."
In old times Zhou held that there is fate and acted on it, and King Wu made the Great Declaration and the Qufa to hold it wrong.
It is said: why do you not look up and examine the records of Shang and Zhou and Yu and Xia, and see from the chapter of the Bujian (卜簡) upward that in none of them is there any such thing?
是故子墨子曰：今天下之君子之爲文學、出言談也，非將勤勞其喉舌，而利其脣呡也，中實將欲爲其國家邑里萬民刑政者也。今也王公大人之所以蚤朝晏退，聽獄治政，終朝均分而不敢怠倦者，何也？曰：彼以爲强必治，不强必亂，强必寧，不强必危，故不敢怠倦。今也卿大夫之所以竭股肱之力，殫其思慮之知，內治官府，外斂關市、山林、澤梁之利，以實官府，而不敢怠倦者，何也？曰：彼以爲强必貴，不强必賤，强必榮，不强必辱，故不敢怠倦。今也農夫之所以蚤出暮入，强乎耕稼樹蓺，多聚叔粟，而不敢怠倦者，何也？曰：彼以爲强必富，不强必貧，强必飽，不强必饑，故不敢怠倦。今也婦人之所以夙興夜寐，强乎紡績織絍，多治麻絲葛緒，捆布縿，而不敢怠倦者，何也？曰：彼以爲强必富，不强必貧，强必煖，不强必寒，故不敢怠倦。今雖毋在乎王公大人，蕢若信有命而致行之，則必怠乎聽獄治政矣，卿人夫必怠乎治官府矣，農夫必怠乎耕稼樹藝矣，婦人必怠乎紡績織絍矣。王公大人怠乎聽獄治政，卿大夫怠乎治官府，則我以爲天下必亂矣。農夫怠乎耕稼樹蓺，婦人怠乎紡績織絍，則我以爲天下衣食之財將必不足矣。若以爲政乎天下，上以事天鬼，天鬼不使；下以持養百姓，百姓不利，必離散不可得用也。是以入守則不固，出誅則不勝。故雖昔者三代暴王桀紂幽厲之所以失抎其國家，傾覆其社稷者，此也。
Therefore Mozi said, "Now when the gentlemen of all under heaven do writing and learning and put forth speech, it is not to work their throats and tongues hard and to ply their lips. Within their hearts it is for the sake of the punishment and government of their states and towns and villages and the ten thousand people.
Now the kings and dukes and great men come to court early and withdraw late, hearing cases and governing, and all morning long they share out evenly and do not dare to be idle. Why is this? It is said: they hold that if they strive there is surely order and if they do not strive there is surely disorder, and that if they strive there is surely peace and if they do not strive there is surely danger. Therefore they do not dare to be idle.
Now the ministers and great officers use up the strength of their arms and legs and spend all the knowledge of their thought. Within they govern the offices, and without they gather in the yield of the passes and markets, of the hills and forests, of the marshes and fish weirs, to fill the offices, and they do not dare to be idle. Why is this? It is said: they hold that if they strive they are surely honored and if they do not strive they are surely lowly, and that if they strive they are surely glorious and if they do not strive they are surely disgraced. Therefore they do not dare to be idle.
Now the farmers go out early and come in at dusk, striving at plowing and planting and tending, and gathering much beans and millet, and they do not dare to be idle. Why is this? It is said: they hold that if they strive they are surely rich and if they do not strive they are surely poor, and that if they strive they are surely full and if they do not strive they are surely hungry. Therefore they do not dare to be idle.
Now the women rise at dawn and sleep at night, striving at spinning and weaving, working much hemp and silk and kudzu, and weaving cloth, and they do not dare to be idle. Why is this? It is said: they hold that if they strive they are surely rich and if they do not strive they are surely poor, and that if they strive they are surely warm and if they do not strive they are surely cold. Therefore they do not dare to be idle.
Now if the kings and dukes and great men truly believe that there is fate and carry it out to the full, they will surely be idle in hearing cases and governing, the ministers and great officers will surely be idle in governing the offices, the farmers will surely be idle in plowing and planting and tending, and the women will surely be idle in spinning and weaving.
If the kings and dukes and great men are idle in hearing cases and governing, and the ministers and great officers are idle in governing the offices, then I hold that all under heaven will surely fall into disorder. If the farmers are idle in plowing and planting and tending, and the women are idle in spinning and weaving, then I hold that the goods for clothing and food of all under heaven will surely not be enough.
If all under heaven is governed in this way, then above, Heaven and the ghosts are served but Heaven and the ghosts do not employ them, and below, the people are held and nourished but the people are not benefited, and they will surely scatter and cannot be gained and used. Thus if one goes in to guard, the guard is not firm, and if one goes out to strike, the strike does not win. Therefore this is the reason why the violent kings of the three dynasties of old, Jie and Zhou and King You and King Li, lost their states and overturned their altars of soil and grain."
是故子墨子言曰：今天下之士君子，中實將欲求興天下之利，除天下之害，當若執有命者之言，不可不强非也，曰：命者，暴王所作，窮人所術，非仁者之言也。今之爲仁義者，將不可不察而强非者此也。
Therefore Mozi said, "If now the officers and gentlemen of all under heaven within their hearts wish to raise up the benefit of all under heaven and to remove the harm of all under heaven, they cannot but strongly hold wrong the words of those who hold that there is fate. It is said: fate is what the violent kings made and what hard pressed men practiced, and it is not the word of a benevolent man. What those who now do benevolence and righteousness cannot but examine and strongly hold wrong is this."