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Jin Xin II · 孟子 7B.7

Passage 07

孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「吾wú今jīn而ér後hòu知zhī殺shā人rén親qīn之zhī重zhòng也yě：殺shā人rén之zhī父fù，人rén亦yì殺shā其qí父fù；殺shā人rén之zhī兄xiōng，人rén亦yì殺shā其qí兄xiōng。然rán則zé非fēi自zì殺shā之zhī也yě，一yí間jiàn耳ěr。」

Mencius said, 'From this time forth I know the heavy consequences of killing a man's near relations. When a man kills another's father, that other will kill his father; when a man kills another's elder brother, that other will kill his elder brother. So he does not himself indeed do the act, but there is only an interval between him and it.'

First-principles reading

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