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Jin Xin II · 孟子 7B.20

Passage 20

孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「賢xián者zhě以yǐ其qí昭zhāo昭zhāo，使shǐ人rén昭zhāo昭zhāo；今jīn以yǐ其qí昏hūn昏hūn，使shǐ人rén昭zhāo昭zhāo。」

Mencius said, 'Anciently, men of virtue and talents by means of their own enlightenment made others enlightened. Nowadays, it is tried, while they are themselves in darkness, and by means of that darkness, to make others enlightened.'

First-principles reading

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