Conforming Upward I尚同上

子墨子言曰：古者民始生未有刑政之时，盖其语，人异义。是以一人则一义，二人则二义，十人则十义。其人兹众，其所谓义者亦兹众。是以人是其义，以非人之义，故交相非也。是以内者父子兄弟作怨恶，离散不能相和合。天下之百姓，皆以水火毒药相亏害，至有余力不能以相劳。腐㱙余财不以相分，隐匿良道不以相教，天下之乱，至若禽兽然。

Master Mozi said: In ancient times, when people first came into being and there was as yet no punishment or government, it was probably the case, as the saying goes, that people differed in their standards of right. Thus one person had one standard of right, two persons had two, and ten persons had ten. The more numerous the people, the more numerous were what they called right. So each person approved his own standard of right and condemned that of others, and consequently they condemned one another. Hence within the family, fathers and sons, elder and younger brothers bore resentment and hatred, and separated, unable to harmonize with one another. The people of the world all harmed and injured one another with water, fire and poison, so that those with surplus strength could not labor for one another, those with surplus wealth let it rot rather than share it with one another, and those with good ways hid them rather than teach one another. The disorder of the world was like that among birds and beasts.

夫明虖天下之所以乱者，生于无政长，是故选天下之贤可者，立以为天子。天子立，以其力为未足，又选择天下之贤可者，置立之以为三公。天子三公既以立，以天下为博大，远国异土之民、是非利害之辩，不可一二而明知，故画分万国，立诸侯国君。诸侯国君既已立，以其力为未足，又选择其国之贤可者，置立之以为正长。正长既已具，天子发政于天下之百姓，言曰：「闻善而不善，皆以告其上。上之所是必皆是之，上之所非必皆非之。上有过则规谏之，下有善则傍荐之。上同而不下比者，此上之所赏而下之所誉也。意若闻善而不善，不以告其上。上之所是弗能是，上之所非弗能非。上有过弗规谏，下有善弗傍荐。下比不能上同者，此上之所罚而百姓所毁也。」上以此为赏罚，甚明察以审信。是故里长者，里之仁人也。里长发政里之百姓，言曰：「闻善而不善，必以告其乡长。乡长之所是必皆是之，乡长之所非必皆非之。去若不善言，学乡长之善言；去若不善行，学乡长之善行。」则乡何说以乱哉？察乡之所以治者，何也？乡长唯能壹同乡之义，是以乡治也。乡长者，乡之仁人也。乡长发政乡之百姓，言曰：「闻善而不善者，必以告国君。国君之所是必皆是之，国君之所非必皆非之。去若不善言，学国君之善言；去若不善行，学国君之善行。」则国何说以乱哉？察国之所以治者，何也？国君唯能壹同国之义，是以国治也。国君者，国之仁人也。国君发政国之百姓，言曰：「闻善而不善，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，学天子之善言；去若不善行，学天子之善行。」则天下何说以乱哉？察天下之所以治者，何也？天子唯能壹同天下之义，是以天下治也。

Understanding that the disorder of the world arose from the absence of governing heads, they therefore selected the most worthy and able man in the world and established him as Son of Heaven. The Son of Heaven being established, and his strength alone being considered insufficient, they further selected worthy and able men of the world and set them up as the Three Dukes. The Son of Heaven and the Three Dukes being established, and the world being vast, the peoples of distant states and different lands and their disputes over right and wrong, benefit and harm could not be clearly known one by one; so they divided it into ten thousand states and established feudal lords and rulers of states. The feudal lords and rulers of states being established, and their strength alone being considered insufficient, they further selected the worthy and able men of their states and set them up as governing heads. The governing heads being all in place, the Son of Heaven issued his government to the people of the world, declaring: "On hearing of good or of evil, all shall report it to their superior. What the superior approves, all must approve; what the superior condemns, all must condemn. When the superior errs, remonstrate with him; when those below do good, recommend them widely. To conform upward and not to band together below: this is what the superior rewards and those below praise. But if on hearing of good or of evil one does not report it to one's superior; if what the superior approves one cannot approve and what the superior condemns one cannot condemn; if one does not remonstrate when the superior errs and does not recommend when those below do good; to band together below and be unable to conform upward: this is what the superior punishes and the people condemn." The superiors made rewards and punishments on this basis, with great clarity and scrutiny, and reliably. Thus the village head was the humane man of the village. The village head issued his government to the people of the village, declaring: "On hearing of good or of evil, you must report it to the district head. What the district head approves, all must approve; what the district head condemns, all must condemn. Cast off your evil words and learn the good words of the district head; cast off your evil conduct and learn the good conduct of the district head." Then on what grounds could the district fall into disorder? If we examine why the district was well ordered, what was it? It was only that the district head was able to unify the standards of right in the district, and so the district was ordered. The district head was the humane man of the district. The district head issued his government to the people of the district, declaring: "On hearing of good or of evil, you must report it to the ruler of the state. What the ruler of the state approves, all must approve; what the ruler of the state condemns, all must condemn. Cast off your evil words and learn the good words of the ruler of the state; cast off your evil conduct and learn the good conduct of the ruler of the state." Then on what grounds could the state fall into disorder? If we examine why the state was well ordered, what was it? It was only that the ruler of the state was able to unify the standards of right in the state, and so the state was ordered. The ruler of the state was the humane man of the state. The ruler of the state issued his government to the people of the state, declaring: "On hearing of good or of evil, you must report it to the Son of Heaven. What the Son of Heaven approves, all must approve; what the Son of Heaven condemns, all must condemn. Cast off your evil words and learn the good words of the Son of Heaven; cast off your evil conduct and learn the good conduct of the Son of Heaven." Then on what grounds could the world fall into disorder? If we examine why the world was well ordered, what was it? It was only that the Son of Heaven was able to unify the standards of right in the world, and so the world was ordered.

天下之百姓皆上同于天子，而不上同于天，则葘犹未去也。今若天飘风苦雨，凑凑而至者，此天之所以罚百姓之不上同于天者也。

But if the people of the world all conform upward to the Son of Heaven and do not conform upward to Heaven, then calamity is still not removed. Now when Heaven sends whirlwinds and bitter rains, arriving again and again, this is how Heaven punishes the people for not conforming upward to Heaven.

是故子墨子言曰：古者圣王为五刑，请以治其民。譬若丝缕之有纪，罔罟之有纲，所以连收天下之百姓不尚同其上者也。

Therefore Master Mozi said: The sage kings of antiquity instituted the five punishments truly in order to bring order to their people. They were like the leading thread of a skein of silk or the main cord of a net: the means of gathering in those among the people of the world who would not conform upward to their superiors.