Gao Zi I · 孟子 6A.5

Passage 05

孟mèng季jì子zǐ問wèn公gōng都dōu子zǐ曰yuē：「何hé以yǐ謂wèi義yì內nèi也yě？」曰yuē：「行xíng吾wú敬jìng，故gù謂wèi之zhī內nèi也yě。」「鄉xiāng人rén長cháng於wū伯bó兄xiōng一yí歲suì，則zé誰shuí敬jìng？」曰yuē：「敬jìng兄xiōng。」「酌zhuó則zé誰shuí先xiān？」曰yuē：「先xiān酌zhuó鄉xiāng人rén。」「所suǒ敬jìng在zài此cǐ，所suǒ長cháng在zài彼bǐ。果guǒ在zài外wài，非fēi由yóu內nèi也yě。」公gōng都dōu子zǐ不bù能néng答dá，以yǐ告gào孟mèng子zǐ。孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「『敬jìng叔shū父fù乎hū？敬jìng弟dì乎hū？』彼bǐ將jiāng曰yuē：『敬jìng叔shū父fù。』曰yuē：『弟dì為wéi尸shī，則zé誰shuí敬jìng？』彼bǐ將jiāng曰yuē：『敬jìng弟dì。』子zǐ曰yuē：『惡è在zài其qí敬jìng叔shū父fù也yě？』彼bǐ將jiāng曰yuē：『在zài位wèi故gù也yě。』子zǐ亦yì曰yuē：『在zài位wèi故gù也yě。』庸yōng敬jìng在zài兄xiōng，斯sī須xū之zhī敬jìng在zài鄉xiāng人rén。」季jì子zǐ聞wén之zhī，曰yuē：「敬jìng叔shū父fù則zé敬jìng，敬jìng弟dì則zé敬jìng。果guǒ在zài外wài，非fēi由yóu內nèi也yě。」公gōng都dōu子zǐ曰yuē：「冬dōng日rì則zé飲yǐn湯tāng，夏xià日rì則zé飲yǐn水shuǐ。然rán則zé飲yǐn食shí亦yì在zài外wài也yě？」

The disciple Meng Ji asked Gong Du, saying, 'On what ground is it said that righteousness is internal?' Gong Du replied, 'We therein act out our feeling of respect, and therefore it is said to be internal.' The other objected, 'Suppose the case of a villager older than your elder brother by one year, to which of them would you show the greater respect?' 'To my brother,' was the reply. 'But for which of them would you first pour out wine at a feast?' 'For the villager.' Meng Ji argued, 'Now your feeling of reverence rests on the one, and now the honour due to age is rendered to the other - this is certainly determined by what is without, and does not proceed from within.' Gong Du was unable to reply, and told the conversation to Mencius. Mencius said, 'You should ask him, "Which do you respect most, your uncle, or your younger brother?" He will answer, "My uncle." Ask him again, "If your younger brother be personating a dead ancestor, to which do you show the greater respect, to him or to your uncle?" He will say, "To my younger brother." You can go on, "But where is the respect due, as you said, to your uncle?" He will reply to this, "I show the respect to my younger brother, because of the position which he occupies," and you can likewise say, "So my respect to the villager is because of the position which he occupies. Ordinarily, my respect is rendered to my elder brother; for a brief season, on occasion, it is rendered to the villager."' Meng Ji heard this and observed, 'When respect is due to my uncle, I respect him, and when respect is due to my younger brother, I respect him; the thing is certainly determined by what is without, and does not proceed from within.' Gong Du replied, 'In winter we drink things hot, in summer we drink things cold; and so, on your principle, eating and drinking also depend on what is external!'