Impartial Care I兼爱上

圣人以治天下为事者也，必知乱之所自起，焉能治之；不知乱之所自起，则不能治。譬之如医之攻人之疾者然，必知疾之所自起，焉能攻之；不知疾之所自起，则弗能攻。治乱者何独不然，必知乱之所自起，焉能治之；不知乱之所自起，则弗能治。

The sage who takes the ordering of the world as his task must know where disorder arises before he can bring it to order; if he does not know where disorder arises, he cannot bring it to order. It is like a physician treating a person's illness: he must know where the illness arises before he can treat it; if he does not know where the illness arises, he cannot treat it. How should one who treats disorder be any different? He must know where disorder arises before he can bring it to order; if he does not know where disorder arises, he cannot bring it to order.

圣人以治天下为事者也，不可不察乱之所自起。当察乱何自起？起不相爱。臣子之不孝君父，所谓乱也。子自爱不爱父，故亏父而自利；弟自爱不爱兄，故亏兄而自利；臣自爱不爱君，故亏君而自利。此所谓乱也。虽父之不慈子，兄之不慈弟，君之不慈臣，此亦天下之所谓乱也。父自爱也，不爱子，故亏子而自利；兄自爱也，不爱弟，故亏弟而自利；君自爱也，不爱臣，故亏臣而自利。是何也？皆起不相爱。虽至天下之为盗贼者亦然。盗爱其室，不爱异室，故窃异室以利其室；贼爱其身，不爱人，故贼人以利其身。此何也？皆起不相爱。虽至大夫之相乱家、诸侯之相攻国者亦然。大夫各爱其家，不爱异家，故乱异家以利其家；诸侯各爱其国，不爱异国，故攻异国以利其国。天下之乱物，具此而已矣。

The sage who takes the ordering of the world as his task cannot fail to examine where disorder arises. Now, when we examine it, where does disorder arise? It arises from people not caring for one another. A minister or a son failing in filial devotion to his ruler or his father is what we call disorder. A son cares for himself and not for his father, and so he injures his father to benefit himself; a younger brother cares for himself and not for his elder brother, and so he injures his elder brother to benefit himself; a minister cares for himself and not for his ruler, and so he injures his ruler to benefit himself. This is what we call disorder. And even a father's lack of kindness toward his son, an elder brother's lack of kindness toward his younger brother, a ruler's lack of kindness toward his minister: this too is what the world calls disorder. The father cares for himself and not for his son, and so he injures his son to benefit himself; the elder brother cares for himself and not for his younger brother, and so he injures his younger brother to benefit himself; the ruler cares for himself and not for his minister, and so he injures his minister to benefit himself. Why is this? It all arises from people not caring for one another. It is the same even with the thieves and robbers of the world. A thief cares for his own house and not for other houses, and so he steals from other houses to benefit his own house; a robber cares for his own person and not for other people, and so he does violence to others to benefit his own person. Why is this? It all arises from people not caring for one another. It is the same even with the great officers who throw one another's households into disorder and the lords who attack one another's states. Each great officer cares for his own household and not for other households, and so he throws other households into disorder to benefit his own household; each lord cares for his own state and not for other states, and so he attacks other states to benefit his own state. All the things that bring disorder to the world are contained in this, and nothing more.

察此何自起？皆起不相爱。若使天下兼相爱，爱人若爱其身，犹有不孝者乎？视父兄与君若其身，恶施不孝？犹有不慈者乎？视弟子与臣若其身，恶施不慈？故不慈不孝亡。犹有盗贼乎？视人之室若其室，谁窃？视人身若其身，谁贼？故盗贼有亡。犹有大夫之相乱家、诸侯之相攻国者乎？视人家若其家，谁乱？视人国若其国，谁攻？故大夫之相乱家、诸侯之相攻国者有亡。若使天下兼相爱，国与国不相攻，家与家不相乱，盗贼无有，君臣父子皆能孝慈，若此则天下治。

When we examine where these arise, they all arise from people not caring for one another. If the people of the world were made to care for one another impartially, caring for others as they care for their own persons, would there still be anyone lacking in filial devotion? If one regarded one's father, elder brother, and ruler as one's own person, on whom could one inflict a lack of filial devotion? Would there still be anyone lacking in kindness? If one regarded one's younger brother, son, and minister as one's own person, on whom could one inflict a lack of kindness? So lack of kindness and lack of filial devotion would vanish. Would there still be thieves and robbers? If one regarded others' houses as one's own house, who would steal? If one regarded others' persons as one's own person, who would do violence? So thieves and robbers would vanish. Would there still be great officers throwing one another's households into disorder and lords attacking one another's states? If one regarded others' households as one's own household, who would throw them into disorder? If one regarded others' states as one's own state, who would attack? So great officers throwing one another's households into disorder and lords attacking one another's states would vanish. If the people of the world were made to care for one another impartially, state would not attack state, household would not throw household into disorder, there would be no thieves or robbers, and rulers and ministers, fathers and sons would all be able to be filial and kind. If it were like this, the world would be in order.

故圣人以治天下为事者，恶得不禁恶而劝爱？故天下兼相爱则治，交相恶则乱。故子墨子曰不可以不劝爱人者，此也。

Therefore, how could the sage who takes the ordering of the world as his task fail to prohibit hatred and encourage care? So when the people of the world care for one another impartially there is order, and when they hate one another there is disorder. This is why Master Mozi said that one cannot fail to encourage caring for others.