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Jin Xin II · 孟子 7B.2

Passage 02

孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「《春chūn秋qiū》無wú義yì戰zhàn，彼bǐ善shàn於wū此cǐ，則zé有yǒu之zhī矣yǐ。征zhēng者zhě，上shàng伐fá下xià也yě，敵dí國guó不bù相xiāng征zhēng也yě。」

Mencius said, 'In the "Spring and Autumn" there are no righteous wars. Instances indeed there are of one war better than another. "Correction" is when the supreme authority punishes its subjects by force of arms. Hostile States do not correct one another.'

First-principles reading

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