Can Yan Be Attacked?

Contents

Text

English translation

Original Chinese text

English translation

Shen Tong asked in a private capacity: “May Yan be attacked?”

Original Chinese text

English translation

Mencius said: “Yes. Zi Kuai may not give Yan to another, and Zi Zhi may not receive Yan from Zi Kuai. Suppose there is a person serving here, and you like him; without reporting it to the king, you privately give him your salary and rank. That officer, likewise without the king’s command, privately receives it from you—would that be permissible? How is that different from this?”

Original Chinese text

English translation

The people of Qi attacked Yan. Someone asked: “You urged Qi to attack Yan—was there such a thing?”

Original Chinese text

English translation

(Mencius) said, “No. Shen Tong asked me, ‘Can Yan be attacked?’ I replied to him, ‘It can.’ He considered it so and attacked it. If he had asked, ‘Who can attack it?’ I would have replied to him, ‘One who is an officer of Heaven can attack it.’ Now there is a man who has killed someone, and someone asks, ‘Can a person be killed?’ I would reply to him, ‘It can.’ If he asked, ‘Who can kill him?’ I would reply to him, ‘One who is a magistrate can kill him.’ Now, using Yan to attack Yan, why would I have encouraged it?”

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