尚同上Conforming Upward I

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。

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。

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。

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。

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.