尚賢上Exalting the Worthy I

子墨子言曰：古者王公大人爲政於國家者，皆欲國家之富，人民之衆，刑政之治。然而不得富而得貧，不得衆而得寡，不得治而得亂，則是本失其所欲，得其所惡，是其故何也？

Master Mozi said: In ancient times, the kings, dukes and great men who governed the state all wished the state to be wealthy, its people numerous, and its punishments and government well ordered. Yet instead of wealth they got poverty, instead of numbers they got scarcity, and instead of order they got disorder; thus at the root they lost what they desired and got what they hated. What is the reason for this?

子墨子言曰：是在王公大人爲政於國家者，不能以尚賢事能爲政也。是故國有賢良之士衆，則國家之治厚；賢良之士寡，則國家之治薄。故大人之務，將在於衆賢而已。

Master Mozi said: It lies in the fact that the kings, dukes and great men who govern the state are unable to govern by exalting the worthy and employing the capable. Thus when a state has many worthy and good men, the good order of the state is substantial; when worthy and good men are few, the good order of the state is thin. Therefore the task of the great men lies simply in increasing the number of the worthy.

曰：然則衆賢之術將柰何哉？子墨子言曰：譬若欲衆其國之善射御之士者，必將富之貴之，敬之譽之，然後國之善射御之士將可得而衆也。況又有賢良之士厚乎德行、辯乎言談、博乎道術者乎？此固國家之珍，而社稷之佐也。亦必且富之貴之，敬之譽之，然後國之良士亦將可得而衆也。

It is asked: what then is the method for increasing the number of the worthy? Master Mozi said: Suppose one wished to increase the number of men in the state skilled at archery and charioteering. One would certainly have to enrich and honor them, respect and praise them, and only then could the state's skilled archers and charioteers be obtained in numbers. How much more so with worthy and good men, rich in virtuous conduct, discerning in speech and argument, and broad in their learning of the Way and its arts? These are truly the treasures of the state and the aides of its altars of soil and grain. They too must certainly be enriched and honored, respected and praised; only then can the good men of the state likewise be obtained in numbers.

是故古者聖王之爲政也，言曰：「不義不富，不義不貴，不義不親，不義不近。」是以國之富貴人聞之，皆退而謀曰：「始我所恃者，富貴也。今上舉義不辟貧賤，然則我不可不爲義。」親者聞之，亦退而謀曰：「始我所恃者，親也。今上舉義不辟親疏，然則我不可不爲義。」近者聞之，亦退而謀曰：「始我所恃者，近也。今上舉義不辟遠近，然則我不可不爲義。」遠者聞之，亦退而謀曰：「我始以遠爲無恃。今上舉義不辟遠，然則我不可不爲義。」逮至遠鄙郊外之臣、闕庭庶子、國中之衆、四鄙之萌人，聞之皆競爲義。是其故何也？曰：上之所以使下者，一物也；下之所以事上者，一術也。譬之富者，有高墻深宮，墻立旣謹，上爲鑿一門。有盜人入，闔其自入而求之，盜其無自出。是其故何也，則上得要也。

Therefore when the sage kings of antiquity governed, they declared: "The unrighteous shall not be enriched, the unrighteous shall not be honored, the unrighteous shall not be treated as kin, the unrighteous shall not be kept near." Thereupon the rich and honored men of the state, hearing this, all withdrew and deliberated, saying: "What I relied on at first was wealth and rank. Now the ruler promotes the righteous without excluding the poor and lowly; then I cannot but practice righteousness." The kinsmen, hearing this, likewise withdrew and deliberated, saying: "What I relied on at first was kinship. Now the ruler promotes the righteous without regard to kin or stranger; then I cannot but practice righteousness." Those near at hand, hearing this, likewise withdrew and deliberated, saying: "What I relied on at first was nearness. Now the ruler promotes the righteous without regard to far or near; then I cannot but practice righteousness." Those far away, hearing this, likewise withdrew and deliberated, saying: "At first I thought that being far away left me nothing to rely on. Now the ruler promotes the righteous without excluding the distant; then I cannot but practice righteousness." Even the officers of the distant borderlands and outer districts, the young sons serving at court, the multitudes within the capital, and the common folk of the four frontiers, on hearing this, all vied to practice righteousness. What is the reason for this? It is said: what the ruler uses to direct those below is a single thing, and what those below use to serve the ruler is a single method. It is like a rich man who has high walls and a deep-set mansion; once the walls are firmly built, he cuts a single gate in them. If a thief gets in, he shuts the gate the thief came in by and searches for him, and the thief has no way out. What is the reason for this? It is that the master has hold of the essential point.

故古者聖王之爲政，列德而尚賢，雖在農與工肆之人，有能則舉之，高予之爵，重予之祿，任之以事，斷予之令，曰：「爵位不高則民弗敬，蓄祿不厚則民不信，政令不斷則民不畏。」舉三者授之賢者，非爲賢賜也，欲其事之成。故當是時，以德就列，以官服事，以勞殿賞，量功而分祿。故官無常貴，而民無終賤。有能則舉之，無能則下之。舉公義，辟私怨，此若言之謂也。

Therefore when the sage kings of antiquity governed, they ranked men by virtue and exalted the worthy. Even among farmers or artisans in their workshops, whoever had ability was promoted: given high rank, given generous emolument, entrusted with responsibilities, and given decisive authority to command. For they said: "If rank is not high, the people will not respect him; if emolument is not generous, the people will not trust him; if his orders are not decisive, the people will not fear him." These three things were bestowed on the worthy, not as a gift for being worthy, but out of the wish that their work succeed. So in those times men were ranked by virtue, given duties by office, rewarded according to their labor, and allotted emolument in measure with their achievements. Thus no official was permanently honored, and no commoner was lowly to the end. Whoever had ability was raised up; whoever lacked it was brought down. Promote public righteousness and set aside private grudges: this is what those words mean.

故古者堯舉舜於服澤之陽，授之政，天下平；禹舉益於陰方之中，授之政，九州成；湯舉伊尹於庖廚之中，授之政，其謀得；文王舉閎夭、泰顚於罝罔之中，授之政，西土服。故當是時，雖在於厚祿尊位之臣，莫不敬懼而施；雖在農與工肆之人，莫不競勸而尚意。故士者，所以爲輔相承嗣也。故得士則謀不困，體不勞，名立而功成，美章而惡不生，則由得士也。

Thus in antiquity Yao raised up Shun from the sunny side of Fuze, entrusted him with government, and the world was at peace. Yu raised up Yi from the midst of Yinfang, entrusted him with government, and the nine provinces were brought to completion. Tang raised up Yi Yin from the kitchen, entrusted him with government, and his plans succeeded. King Wen raised up Hong Yao and Tai Dian from among the hunting nets, entrusted them with government, and the western lands submitted. So in those times, even ministers of generous emolument and honored position were without exception respectful, fearful, and diligent; even farmers and artisans in their workshops without exception strove and encouraged one another to raise their aspirations. For men of worth are the means by which rulers are assisted and their work carried on. Hence, gaining such men, one's plans are not frustrated and one's body is not worn out; one's name is established and one's work accomplished; the fine is made manifest and the evil does not arise. All this comes from gaining men of worth.

是故子墨子言曰：得意，賢士不可不舉；不得意，賢士不可不舉。尚欲祖述堯舜禹湯之道，將不可不以尚賢。夫尚賢者，政之本也。

Therefore Master Mozi said: When things go as one wishes, worthy men must be promoted; when things do not go as one wishes, worthy men must still be promoted. If one wishes to follow and carry on the Way of Yao, Shun, Yu and Tang, one cannot but exalt the worthy. Exalting the worthy is the root of government.