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« Daoism as Soft Power? | Main | Yan Xuetong, History and Philosophy »

October 27, 2011

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Hi Sam. I agree with you, and would add this passage from Mencius 2B8 as a footnote:

齊人伐燕。或問曰:“勸齊伐燕,有諸?”
The people of Qi smote [the state of] Yan. Some one asked Mencius, saying, 'Is it really the case that you advised Qi to smite Yan?'
曰:“未也。沈同問‘燕可伐與’?吾應之曰‘可’,彼然而伐之也。彼如曰‘孰可以伐之’?則將應之曰:‘為天吏,則可以伐之。’今有殺人者,或問之曰‘人可殺與’?則將應之曰‘可’。彼如曰‘孰可以殺之’?則將應之曰:‘為士師,則可以殺之。’今以燕伐燕,何為勸之哉?”
He replied, 'No. Shen Tong asked me whether Yan might be smitten, and I answered him, "It may." They accordingly went and smote it. If he had asked me, "Who may smite it?" I would have answered him, "He who is the minister of Heaven may smite it." Suppose the case of a murderer, and that one asks me, "May this man be put to death?" I will answer him, "He may." If he ask me, "Who may put him to death?" I will answer him, "The chief criminal judge may put him to death." But now with one Yan to smite another Yan - how should I have advised this?'

(Legge's translation, from the Chinese Text Project:
http://ctext.org/mengzi?searchu=%E5%AD%B0%E5%8F%AF )

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