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Gao Zi I · 孟子 6A.11

Passage 11

孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「仁rén，人rén心xīn也yě。義yì，人rén路lù也yě。舍shè其qí路lù而ér弗fú由yóu，放fàng其qí心xīn而ér不bù知zhī求qiú。哀āi哉zāi！人rén有yǒu雞jī犬quǎn放fàng，則zé知zhī求qiú之zhī；有yǒu放fàng心xīn，而ér不bù知zhī求qiú。學xué問wèn之zhī道dào無wú他tā，求qiú其qí放fàng心xīn而ér已yǐ矣yǐ。」

Mencius said, 'Benevolence is man's mind, and righteousness is man's path. How lamentable is it to neglect the path and not pursue it, to lose this mind and not know to seek it again! When men's fowls and dogs are lost, they know to seek for them again, but they lose their mind, and do not know to seek for it. The great end of learning is nothing else but to seek for the lost mind.'

First-principles reading

Begin with the words and context, expose the premise beneath the argument, then test the conditions and limits of the principle.