Mencius said:
“Jie of Xia and Zhou of Shang lost the empire because they lost the people;
and they lost the people because they lost their hearts.”
“There is a Way to gain the empire: gain the people, and you gain the empire.
There is a Way to gain the people: win their hearts, and you gain the people.
And there is a Way to win their hearts: give them what they desire and help them accumulate it; do not impose on them what they hate.
The people’s turning toward benevolence is as natural as water flowing downward or wild beasts running to open fields – it cannot be stopped.
Thus, it is the otter that drives fish into the deep pools;
it is the osprey that drives birds into the thickets;
and it was Jie and Zhou themselves who drove the people into the arms of Tang and Wu!
Now, if among the rulers of today there is one who truly loves benevolence,
then all the other feudal lords will be driving the people toward him.
Even if he does not wish to become the true king, he cannot avoid it!
Yet those who seek kingship today are like someone suffering from a seven-year illness trying to cure it with mugwort that has only grown for three years.
If you do not store it in advance, you will never obtain it in your lifetime.
If you do not commit yourself to benevolence, you will suffer worry and disgrace all your life – and end in ruin.
The Book of Poetry says:
‘How can they do good? They only drag others down to drown with them.’
This is exactly what is meant.”
孟子曰：「桀紂之失天下也，失其民也；失其民者，失其心也。得天下有道：得其民，斯得天下矣；得其民有道：得其心，斯得民矣；得其心有道：所欲與之聚之，所惡勿施爾也。民之歸仁也，猶水之就下、獸之走壙也。故為淵敺魚者，獺也；為叢敺爵者，鸇也；為湯武敺民者，桀與紂也。今天下之君有好仁者，則諸侯皆為之敺矣。雖欲無王，不可得已。今之欲王者，猶七年之病求三年之艾也。苟為不畜，終身不得。苟不志於仁，終身憂辱，以陷於死亡。《詩》云『其何能淑，載胥及溺』，此之謂也。」
Note
This passage from Mencius: Li Lou I presents one of the most compelling articulations of Confucian “benevolent governance“, blending political theory, historical insight, vivid metaphor, and classical citation.
Winning the hearts and the empire
Mencius roots political legitimacy not in divine right but in popular consent. Tyrants Jie and Zhou, despite holding imperial titles, lost power because they alienated the people through cruelty – while Tang and Wu, though mere regional lords, gained the Mandate of Heaven by embodying virtue. This develops the Book of Documents’ principle: “The people are the root of the state.”
The practical path to winning hearts
“Give them what they desire… do not impose what they hate” offers a clear policy framework:
Positively: enable livelihood, security, and moral education;
Negatively: abolish oppressive taxes, forced labor, and endless warfare.
This reflects the Confucian ethic of empathy (“Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire”).
The irresistible pull of benevolence
Comparing the people’s attraction to benevolence to water flowing downhill underscores its inevitability. Good governance draws people naturally; no propaganda or coercion is needed. The ruler’s task is not to control, but to become worthy of being followed.
Tyrants as unwitting agents of their rivals
The otter and osprey metaphors brilliantly illustrate how oppression fuels opposition: Jie and Zhou’s cruelty made Tang and Wu appear as saviors. In Mencius’s view, contemporary warlords who exploit their people are similarly “driving” subjects toward any ruler who practices ren.
Long-term preparation
Mugwort must age three years to be medicinal – just as benevolence requires long-term cultivation. Rulers who seek power without prior moral investment are doomed. This rebukes the Warring States obsession with quick military victories over sustainable virtue.
Collective downfall through moral failure
The quoted verse warns that self-destructive leaders do not fall alone – they drag their entire society into ruin. Mencius uses this to stress that a ruler’s ethics determine national fate.
Historical Confirmation: Qin’s Collapse vs. Han’s Rise
The Qin dynasty’s harsh legalism provoked mass rebellion (“driving fish into the deep”), while the early Han’s light governance won popular support – validating Mencius’s model centuries later.
In sum, Mencius argues: True kingship is not seized – it is bestowed by the people. And it can only be earned through consistent, long-term commitment to benevolence.
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