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Jin Xin II · 孟子 7B.13

Passage 13

孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「不bù仁rén而ér得dé國guó者zhě，有yǒu之zhī矣yǐ；不bù仁rén而ér得dé天tiān下xià者zhě，未wèi之zhī有yǒu也yě。」

Mencius said, 'There are instances of individuals without benevolence, who have got possession of a single State, but there has been no instance of the throne's being got by one without benevolence.'

First-principles reading

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