Exaltation of the Virtuous II

Mozi said: The present kings, dukes, and great men, in governing the people, presiding over the altars of the state, and administering the kingdom, desiring to maintain it long without losing it, why do they not examine that honoring the worthy is the foundation of governing the state? How is it known that honoring the worthy is the foundation of governing the state? The answer is: When the noble and wise govern the ignorant and base, the state is well governed; when the ignorant and base govern the noble and wise, the state falls into disorder. Therefore, it is known that honoring the worthy is the foundation of governing the state. Hence, the ancient sage kings greatly honored the worthy and employed the capable, without favoring father or elder brother, without wealth and honor, without doting on beauty. The worthy were promoted and elevated, made wealthy and honored, and appointed as officials; the unworthy were suppressed and discarded, made poor and lowly, and employed as servants. Thus, the common people were all encouraged by rewards and fearful of punishments, leading one another to become worthy. In this way, the worthy became many and the unworthy few; this is called advancing the worthy. Then the sage listened to their words, observed their actions, examined their abilities, and carefully conferred offices; this is called employing the capable. Therefore, those who could govern the state were made to govern the state; those who could manage the government departments were made to manage the government departments; those who could govern the cities were made to govern the cities. All those sent to govern the state, the government departments, and the cities were the worthy of the state.

When the worthy govern the state, they enter the court early and leave late, hearing cases and handling affairs, so the state is well governed and the penal laws are just. When the worthy manage the government departments, they sleep late and rise early, collecting revenues from passes, markets, mountains, forests, lakes, and bridges to enrich the treasury, so the treasury is full and wealth is not lost. When the worthy govern the cities, they go out early and return late, cultivating crops and planting trees, accumulating beans and grains, so beans and grains are abundant and the people are well-fed. Thus, when the state is well governed, the penal laws are just; when the treasury is full, the myriad people are wealthy. Above, they can reverently prepare sweet wine and millet to sacrifice to Heaven and the spirits; abroad, they can prepare furs and silks to interact with neighboring feudal lords; within, they can provide food for the hungry, rest for the weary, and nurture the myriad people; abroad, they can attract the worthy of the world. Therefore, above, Heaven and the spirits make them wealthy; abroad, the feudal lords make them allies; within, the myriad people draw close to them, and the worthy attach themselves to them. Relying on this, when planning affairs, they achieve success; when undertaking tasks, they accomplish them; when defending within, they are strong; when attacking abroad, they are powerful. Thus, the sage kings of the Three Dynasties of Xia, Shang, and Zhou—Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, King Wen, and King Wu—who were able to rule the world and correct the feudal lords, achieved this through this principle.

Having this principle, yet not knowing the method to implement it, then affairs still cannot succeed. Therefore, three fundamental measures must be established. What are the three fundamental measures? The answer is: If the rank is not high, the common people will not revere him; if the salary is not substantial, the common people will not trust him; if the authority over government orders is not exclusive, the common people will not fear him. Therefore, the ancient sage kings gave them high ranks, gave them substantial salaries, entrusted them with affairs, and granted them decision-making power. Was this merely to reward the worthy ministers? It was to enable them to succeed in their tasks. The Book of Songs says: “I tell you to be anxious about sorrow; I teach you to bestow rank. Who can hold something hot, without cooling it with water?” This means that the ancient rulers and feudal lords could not but personally and properly continue and assist, just as when holding something hot, one uses water to cool it, to give the hand rest. The ancient sage kings, when they obtained the worthy and employed them, conferred ranks to make them honored, divided lands to enfeoff them, and never tired of this throughout their lives. The worthy, when they obtained an enlightened ruler to serve, exhausted the strength of their limbs to bear the ruler’s tasks, and never tired throughout their lives. If there was good, they attributed it to the ruler; thus, goodness belonged to the ruler, while resentment and slander belonged to the ministers; peace and joy belonged to the ruler, while worry and sorrow belonged to the ministers. Thus, the ancient sage kings governed the state in this way.

The present kings, dukes, and great men also wish to imitate others in honoring the worthy and employing the capable to govern affairs, giving high ranks, but not increasing the salaries accordingly. With high ranks but no substantial salaries, the common people will not trust them. They will say: “This is not truly loving me, but merely using me as a tool.” How can the people used as tools be close to their ruler? Therefore, the former kings said: “Those who covet power cannot delegate affairs to others; those who value wealth cannot share salaries with others.” If affairs are not delegated and salaries are not shared, then, pray, how would the worthy of the world come to the side of the kings, dukes, and great men? If the worthy do not come to their side, then the unworthy will be at their left and right. When the unworthy are at their left and right, then those they praise will not be true worthies, and those they slander will not be true tyrants. If the kings, dukes, and great men rely on such people to govern the state, then rewards will inevitably not go to the worthy, and punishments will inevitably not be inflicted on the tyrants. If rewards do not go to the worthy and punishments are not inflicted on the tyrants, then those who act worthily will not be encouraged, and those who act tyrannically will not be stopped. Thus, within, they are not filial and loving to parents; abroad, they are not respectful and yielding to neighbors; their daily conduct lacks restraint; their comings and goings lack rules; men and women are not distinguished. If they manage government departments, they steal; if they guard cities, they rebel; when the ruler faces hardship, they do not die for him; when the ruler flees, they do not follow him. If they hear cases, they are not just; if they distribute wealth, they are not fair. When participating in planning, they achieve no results; when undertaking tasks, they accomplish nothing; in defense within, they are not strong; in attack abroad, they are not powerful. Thus, the tyrants of the Three Dynasties of Xia, Shang, and Zhou—Jie, Zhou, King You, and King Li—who lost their states and overturned their altars, did so for this reason. Why? Because they understood small matters but did not understand great ones.

The present kings, dukes, and great men, when they have a garment that cannot be made, must rely on a good craftsman; when they have an ox or sheep that cannot be slaughtered, must rely on a good butcher. Thus, for these two things, the kings, dukes, and great men know to honor the worthy and employ the capable to handle the affairs. But when it comes to their states being in disorder and their altars in danger, they do not know to employ the capable to govern. They employ relatives; they employ those who are wealthy without merit or beautiful in appearance. When they employ those who are wealthy without merit or beautiful in appearance, are these necessarily wise and capable? If they are made to govern the state, then this is making the unwise govern the state. The disorder of the state can then already be known. Moreover, the kings, dukes, and great men, because they love someone’s beauty, employ them; in their minds, they do not examine their wisdom, yet they give them favor, so that those who cannot govern a hundred people are placed in an office for a thousand; those who cannot govern a thousand people are placed in an office for ten thousand. What is the reason? The answer is: “Because those in office have high rank and substantial salaries, they are employed for their beauty.” Those who cannot govern a thousand people, when placed in an office for ten thousand, then this office is ten times their ability. The affairs of government come daily; daily they govern, but the days do not increase tenfold; using wisdom to govern, wisdom does not increase tenfold, yet the office given is ten times greater, so this is governing one-tenth and abandoning nine-tenths. Even if they work day and night without rest at this office, the office still cannot be well governed. What is the reason? It is because the kings, dukes, and great men do not understand honoring the worthy and employing the capable to govern affairs. Thus, governing by honoring the worthy and employing the capable, and achieving good governance, is as I have said. Governing by despising the worthy, and falling into disorder, is also as I have said.

Now the rulers and high ministers of the present day truly wish to govern their states well, to maintain them for a long time without losing them—why do they not examine that esteeming the worthy is the foundation of governance? Moreover, regarding esteeming the worthy as the foundation of governance, is this merely my words, Master Mo? It is the principle of the sage kings, the words of the former kings’ scriptures, and the ancient transmitted sayings. The ancient texts say: “Seek wise and sagely rulers and intelligent men to assist your own person.” The “Tang Oath” says: “Seek the great sage, unite with him in heart and strength, to govern all under Heaven.” This shows that the sage kings did not abandon esteeming the worthy and employing the capable in governing affairs. Thus the ancient sage kings were able to carefully govern affairs by esteeming the worthy and employing the capable, with nothing else mixed in, and all under Heaven obtained their proper positions. In ancient times, Shun tilled the fields at Mount Li, made pottery by the Yellow River, and fished in Lei Marsh. Yao found him south of Fu Marsh, elevated him to be the Son of Heaven, entrusted him with the governance of all under Heaven, and had him rule the people of the world. Yi Zhi was a dowry servant of the daughter of the Youxin clan, personally working as a cook. Tang obtained him, elevated him to be his prime minister, entrusted him with the governance of all under Heaven, and had him rule the people of the world. Fu Yue wore coarse cloth garments and a rope belt, working as a hired wall-builder at Fu Yan. Wu Ding obtained him, elevated him to be one of the Three Dukes, entrusted him with the governance of all under Heaven, and had him rule the people of the world. For what reason did they begin as lowly and end as noble, begin as poor and end as rich? It is because the rulers and high ministers understood governing affairs by esteeming the worthy and employing the capable. Therefore the people had no case where the hungry could not get food, the cold could not get clothing, the weary could not get rest, or the chaotic could not be governed. Thus the ancient sage kings merely carefully governed affairs by esteeming the worthy and employing the capable, and they took Heaven as their model. Even Heaven does not distinguish between rich and poor, noble and lowly, distant and near, close and distant; it elevates and honors the worthy, and suppresses and discards the unworthy.

Since this is so, then who are those who, being rich and noble yet acting worthily, thereby receive Heaven’s reward? The answer is: They are like the former sage kings of the Three Dynasties of Xia, Shang, and Zhou—Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, King Wen, and King Wu. For what reason do they receive reward? The answer is: They governed all under Heaven, universally loved the people, thereby benefited the people, and also led the myriad people of the world to honor and revere Heaven, serve the ghosts and spirits, and love and benefit the myriad people. Therefore Heaven and the ghosts and spirits rewarded them, established them as Sons of Heaven, made them parents of the people, and the myriad people praised them as sage kings, continuing to this day without ceasing. These are those who, being rich and noble yet acting worthily, thereby receive reward.

Since this is so, then who are those who, being rich and noble yet acting tyrannically, thereby receive Heaven’s punishment? The answer is: They are like the former tyrants of the Three Dynasties of Xia, Shang, and Zhou—Jie, Zhou, King You, and King Li. How is it known to be so? The answer is: They governed all under Heaven, universally hated the people, thereby harmed the people, and also led the myriad people of the world to curse Heaven, slight the ghosts and spirits, and slaughter the myriad people. Therefore Heaven and the ghosts and spirits punished them, causing their own bodies to be executed and slain in punishment, their sons and grandsons scattered, their families and households extinguished, leaving no descendants. The myriad people consequently denounced them as tyrants, continuing to this day without ceasing. These are those who, being rich and noble yet acting tyrannically, thereby receive punishment.

Since this is so, then who are those who, being close yet not good, thereby receive punishment? The answer is: They are like the former Bo Gun, who was the eldest son of Di Yao. He abandoned the virtue and achievements of Di Yao, and later was executed in the wilds of Mount Yu, where even sunlight did not reach, and Di Yao showed him no pity. This is one who, being close yet not good, thereby receives punishment.

Then who are the worthy whom Heaven employs? The answer says: They are like the former Yu, Ji, and Gao Yao—such persons. By what is it known to be so? The “Book of Documents: Lü Xing” of the former kings says: “The Sovereign clearly inquired of the lower people, and against the Three Miao tribes there were resentful words, saying: ‘You feudal lords and those in inferior positions, make bright virtue enduring, and do not oppress widowers and widows. To use virtue as awe is true awe; to use virtue as clarity is true clarity.’ Then he commanded three ministers to labor in the people’s affairs. Bo Yi established the laws and statutes, enabling the people to understand punishments. Yu governed the waters and soils, naming the mountains and rivers. Ji promoted agriculture and sowing, diligently planting good grains. When the three ministers succeeded, it greatly benefited the people.” This means that these three sages were careful in speech, cautious in action, subtle in thought, and sought out the hidden matters and abandoned benefits of the world to serve Heaven, and Heaven thereby enjoyed their virtue. They extended benefits downward to the myriad people, and the myriad people received their benefits, enjoying them throughout their lives without end. Therefore the former kings said: “This Way, when widely applied to all under Heaven, will not be narrow; when applied in small measure, it will not be exhausted; when applied for a long time, the myriad people will receive its benefits, enjoying them throughout their lives without end.” The “Zhou Hymns” says: “The virtue of the sage is like Heaven in its height, like Earth in its breadth, and it shines brightly over all under Heaven. Like the Earth in its firmness, like a mountain in its loftiness, it does not crack nor collapse. Like sunlight in its brightness, like moonlight in its clarity, it is enduring together with Heaven and Earth.” This means that the virtue of the sage is bright and vast, firm and enduring. Thus the virtue of the sage, in general, encompasses the beauty of Heaven and Earth.

Now the rulers and high ministers of the present day wish to rule all under Heaven and correct the feudal lords. If they lack virtue and righteousness, on what will they rely? Their argument must be to rely on strong force and violence. Now from where will the rulers and high ministers obtain strong force and violence? It is nothing but oppressing the lives of the people. As for the people, life is their greatest desire, and death is their most hated thing. If desires are not fulfilled and hated things repeatedly come, from ancient times to the present, no one has ever been able to rule all under Heaven and correct the feudal lords by this means. Now the rulers and high ministers wish to rule all under Heaven and correct the feudal lords, wish to make their intentions realized in the world and their fame spread to later generations—why do they not examine that esteeming the worthy is the foundation of governance? This is the exalted virtue of the sages.