Superphysics
Good and Bad Government
4 minutes • 674 words
What brings shame?
Pay ever looking to that, whether the country be well or badly governed."
When imperiousness, boastfulness, resentments, and covetousness cease to prevail among the people, may it be considered that mutual good-will has been effected?
A hard thing overcome, it may be considered. But as to the mutual good-will I cannot tell.
Learned officials who hanker after a home life are not worthy of being caled learned. In a country under good government, speak boldly, act boldly.
When the land is ill-governed, though you act boldly, let your words be moderate. Men of virtue will needs be men of words�will speak out�but men of words are not necessarily men of virtue.
Those who care for their fellow-men will needs be bold, but the bold may not necessarily be such as care for their fellow-men.
Nan-kung Kwoh was consulting Confucius.
He observed respecting I, the skilful archer, and Ngau, who could propel a boat on dry land, that neither of them died a natural death; while Yu and Tsih, who with their own hands had labored at husbandry, came to wield imperial sway.
The Master gave him no reply. But when the speaker had gone out he exclaimed
A superior man, that! A man who values virtue, that!
There have been noble-minded men who were lacking in philanthropy. But never has there been a small-minded man who had philanthropy in him.
Can any one refuse to toil for those he loves?
Can any one refuse to exhort, who is true-hearted?
Speaking of the preparation of Government Notifications in his day he said:
P’i would draw up a rough sketch of what was to be said; the Shishuh then looked it carefully through and put it into proper shape;
Tsz-yu next, who was master of the ceremonial of State intercourse, improved and adorned its phrases; and Tsz-ch’an of Tung-li added his scholarly embellishments thereto."
What is your opinion of Tsz-chan of Tung-li?
He was a kind-hearted man.
What about Tsz-si?
Alas for him!
What about Kwan-Chung?
He once seized the town of P’in with its 300 families from the Chief of the Pih clan. That Chief was afterwards reduced to living on coarse rice with all his teeth gone and never uttered a word of complaint.
It is difficult to:
- endure poverty uncomplainingly and
- bear wealth without becoming arrogant
He said that Mang Kung-ch’oh was fit for something better than the post of chief officer in the Chou or Wei families.
- But he was not competent to act as minister in small States like those of T’ang or Sieh.
How would you describe a perfect man?
He would have:
- the sagacity of Tsang Wu-chung
- the freedom from covetousness of Kung-ch’oh
- the boldness of Chwang of P’in
- the attainments in polite arts of Yen-Yu
- the graces taught by the ‘Books of Rites’ and ‘Music’
But what is the need of such in these days?
The man that may be regarded as perfect now is the one who, seeing some advantage to himself, is mindful of righteousness; who, seeing danger, risks his life; and who, if bound by some covenant of long standing, never forgets its conditions as life goes on."
Kung-ming Ki, is it true that your master Kung-shuh Wan never speaks, never laughs, never takes aught from others?
No. My master speaks when there is occasion to do so. Men are not surfeited with his speaking.
When there is occasion to be merry too, he will laugh. But men have never overmuch of his laughing.
Whenever it is just and right to take things from others, he will take them, but never so as to allow men to think him burdensome.
When Tsang Wu-chung sought from Lu the appointment of a successor to him, and for this object held on to his possession of the fortified city of Fang if you say he was not then using constraint towards his prince, I must refuse to believe it.
