The Duties of Ruler and Minister

English translation

Mencius said, “The compass and square are the utmost standards for circles and squares; the sages are the utmost models for human relations. Whoever would be a ruler must fulfill the ruler’s way; whoever would be a minister must fulfill the minister’s way. Both need only take Yao and Shun as their models. To serve one’s ruler otherwise than Shun served Yao is to disrespect him; to govern the people otherwise than Yao governed them is to injure them. Confucius said, ‘There are only two ways: benevolence and its opposite.’ If a ruler abuses his people severely, he will be killed and his state lost; if less severely, he will be endangered and his state diminished. He will be given the posthumous titles “You” or “Li,” which even filial descendants cannot alter for a hundred generations. The Book of Songs says, ‘The warning mirror of Yin is not far away; it is in the age of the Xia rulers.’ That is what this means.”