Gao Zi I · 孟子 6A.6

Passage 06

公gōng都dōu子zǐ曰yuē：「告gào子zǐ曰yuē：『性xìng無wú善shàn無wú不bú善shàn也yě。』或huò曰yuē：『性xìng可kě以yǐ為wéi善shàn，可kě以yǐ為wéi不bú善shàn，是shì故gù文wén武wǔ興xīng則zé民mín好hǎo善shàn，幽yōu厲lì興xīng則zé民mín好hǎo暴bào。』或huò曰yuē：『有yǒu性xìng善shàn，有yǒu性xìng不bú善shàn，是shì故gù以yǐ堯yáo為wéi君jūn而ér有yǒu象xiàng，以yǐ瞽gǔ瞍sǒu為wéi父fù而ér有yǒu舜shùn，以yǐ紂zhòu為wéi兄xiōng之zhī子zǐ且qiě以yǐ為wéi君jūn，而ér有yǒu微wēi子zǐ啟qǐ、王wáng子zǐ比bǐ干gān。』今jīn曰yuē『性xìng善shàn』，然rán則zé彼bǐ皆jiē非fēi歟yú？」孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「乃nǎi若ruò其qí情qíng則zé可kě以yǐ為wéi善shàn矣yǐ，乃nǎi所suǒ謂wèi善shàn也yě。若ruò夫fū為wéi不bú善shàn，非fēi才cái之zhī罪zuì也yě。惻cè隱yǐn之zhī心xīn，人rén皆jiē有yǒu之zhī；羞xiū惡è之zhī心xīn，人rén皆jiē有yǒu之zhī；恭gōng敬jìng之zhī心xīn，人rén皆jiē有yǒu之zhī；是shì非fēi之zhī心xīn，人rén皆jiē有yǒu之zhī。惻cè隱yǐn之zhī心xīn，仁rén也yě；羞xiū惡è之zhī心xīn，義yì也yě；恭gōng敬jìng之zhī心xīn，禮lǐ也yě；是shì非fēi之zhī心xīn，智zhì也yě。仁rén義yì禮lǐ智zhì，非fēi由yóu外wài鑠shuò我wǒ也yě，我wǒ固gù有yǒu之zhī也yě，弗fú思sī耳ěr矣yǐ。故gù曰yuē：求qiú則zé得dé之zhī，舍shè則zé失shī之zhī。或huò相xiāng倍bèi蓰xǐ而ér無wú算suàn者zhě，不bù能néng盡jìn其qí才cái者zhě也yě。《詩shī》曰yuē：『天tiān生shēng蒸zhēng民mín，有yǒu物wù有yǒu則zé。民mín之zhī秉bǐng彝yí，好hǎo是shì懿yì德dé。』孔kǒng子zǐ曰yuē：『為wéi此cǐ詩shī者zhě，其qí知zhī道dào乎hū！故gù有yǒu物wù必bì有yǒu則zé，民mín之zhī秉bǐng彝yí也yě，故gù好hǎo是shì懿yì德dé。』」

The disciple Gong Du said, 'The philosopher Gao says, "Man's nature is neither good nor bad." Some say, "Man's nature may be made to practise good, and it may be made to practise evil, and accordingly, under Wen and Wu, the people loved what was good, while under Yu and Li, they loved what was cruel." Some say, "The nature of some is good, and the nature of others is bad. Hence it was that under such a sovereign as Yao there yet appeared Xiang; that with such a father as Gu Sou there yet appeared Shun; and that with Zhou for their sovereign, and the son of their elder brother besides, there were found Qi, the viscount of Wei, and the prince Bi Gan. And now you say, "The nature is good." Then are all those wrong?' Mencius said, 'From the feelings proper to it, it is constituted for the practice of what is good. This is what I mean in saying that the nature is good. If men do what is not good, the blame cannot be imputed to their natural powers. The feeling of commiseration belongs to all men; so does that of shame and dislike; and that of reverence and respect; and that of approving and disapproving. The feeling of commiseration implies the principle of benevolence; that of shame and dislike, the principle of righteousness; that of reverence and respect, the principle of propriety; and that of approving and disapproving, the principle of knowledge. Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and knowledge are not infused into us from without. We are certainly furnished with them. And a different view is simply owing to want of reflection. Hence it is said, "Seek and you will find them. Neglect and you will lose them." Men differ from one another in regard to them - some as much again as others, some five times as much, and some to an incalculable amount - it is because they cannot carry out fully their natural powers. It is said in the Book of Poetry, "Heaven in producing mankind, Gave them their various faculties and relations with their specific laws. These are the invariable rules of nature for all to hold, And all love this admirable virtue." Confucius said, "The maker of this ode knew indeed the principle of our nature!" We may thus see that every faculty and relation must have its law, and since there are invariable rules for all to hold, they consequently love this admirable virtue.'