The People Before the Ruler

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孟（mèng）子（zǐ）曰（yuē）：（）“（）民（mín）为（wéi）贵（guì），（）社（shè）稷（jì）次（cì）之（zhī），（）君（jūn）为（wéi）轻（qīng）。（）是（shì）故（gù）得（dé）乎（hū）丘（qiū）民（mín）而（ér）为（wéi）天（tiān）子（zǐ）；（）得（dé）乎（hū）天（tiān）子（zǐ）为（wéi）诸（zhū）侯（hóu）；（）得（dé）乎（hū）诸（zhū）侯（hóu）为（wéi）大（dà）夫（fū）。（）诸（zhū）侯（hóu）危（wēi）社（shè）稷（jì），（）则（zé）变（biàn）置（zhì）；（）牺（xī）牲（shēng）既（jì）成（chéng），（）粢（zī）盛（chéng）既（jì）洁（jié），（）祭（jì）祀（sì）以（yǐ）时（shí），（）然（rán）而（ér）旱（hàn）干（gān）水（shuǐ）溢（yì），（）则（zé）变（biàn）置（zhì）社（shè）稷（jì）。（）”（）

Mencius said, “The people are most important; the altars of state come next; the ruler is least important. Therefore, one who wins the support of the common people becomes Son of Heaven; one who wins the Son of Heaven’s trust becomes a feudal lord; one who wins a lord’s trust becomes a high minister. If a lord endangers the altars of state, he should be replaced. If the sacrificial animals have been raised, the grain offerings are clean, and the rites have been performed at the proper times, yet drought or flood still occurs, then the state’s tutelary altars—their sacrificial establishment—must be changed.”

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The People Before the Ruler

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