議兵

Discourse on Military Affairs

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善附民者善用兵

He Who Wins the People's Attachment Is the Best at Using the Military

孫卿子曰：不然！臣所聞古之道，凡用兵攻戰之本，在乎壹民。弓矢不調，則羿不能以中微；六馬不和，則造父不能以致遠；士民不親附，則湯武不能以必勝也。故善附民者，是乃善用兵者也。故兵要在乎善附民而已。

Xunzi said: Not so! What I have heard of the ancient Way is this: the foundation of all military campaigns lies in unifying the people. If the bow and arrows are not properly attuned, even Yi cannot hit a tiny target. If the six horses are not in harmony, even Zaofu cannot travel far. If the soldiers and people are not attached and loyal, even Tang and Wu could not be certain of victory. Therefore he who excels at winning the people's attachment is the one who excels at using the military. The essential of military affairs lies simply in excelling at winning the people's attachment.

李斯問秦四世有勝

Li Si Asks About Qin's Four Generations of Victory

李斯問孫卿子曰：秦四世有勝，兵強海內，威行諸侯，非以仁義為之也，以便從事而已。孫卿子曰：非汝所知也！汝所謂便者，不便之便也；吾所謂仁義者，大便之便也。

Li Si asked Xunzi: 'Qin has been victorious for four generations, its military is the strongest within the seas, and its authority extends over the feudal lords — not through benevolence and duty, but merely through expedience.' Xunzi replied: 'This is beyond your understanding! What you call expedience is the expedience of what is not truly expedient. What I call benevolence and duty is the great expedience.'

Notes

1person李斯Lǐ Sī

Li Si (李斯, c. 280-208 BC) was Xunzi's student who later became Chancellor of the Qin dynasty and helped implement Legalist policies. This dialogue between teacher and student captures the fundamental divergence between Confucian and Legalist approaches to statecraft.

Edition & Source

Text: 《荀子》 Xunzi
Edition: 《四部叢刊》本
Commentary: Traditional commentaries