Nie Que was a man from the time of Emperor Yao. Xu You was the disciple of Nie Que.
Emperor Yao asked Xu You: “Can Nie Que be matched with Heaven? I intend to invite him through Wang Ni to take the throne.”
Xu You replied: “Dangerous! It would bring peril to the world. As for Nie Que’s character: he is intelligent, wise, sharp, and agile; his nature surpasses that of ordinary men. Yet, he relies on human effort to receive what belongs to Heaven. He is meticulous in prohibiting errors, but he does not know the origin from which errors arise. How could such a one be matched with Heaven?
“He rides upon human artifice and lacks the natural Heaven.
He makes himself the standard and distinguishes forms;
He exalts knowledge and rushes like fire;
He is driven by trivial details;
He is constrained by external things;
He looks around in all directions to respond to objects;
He strives to meet every contingency;
He transforms along with things but never possesses constancy.
How could such a one possibly be matched with Heaven?”
Note
This passage continues the Daoist lineage narrative found in the Zhuangzi (specifically echoing themes from the chapters “Heavenly Tao” and “In the World of Men”). It presents a critical view of “human intelligence” when contrasted with “Heavenly nature.”
Nie Que
In this context, he represents the pinnacle of human intellect and administrative capability. Unlike the previous passages where he was a student seeking enlightenment, here he is evaluated as a potential ruler. Xu You argues that despite his brilliance, Nie Que is too active and artificial to rule in accordance with the Dao.
Xu You
The famous hermit who refused the throne. Here, he acts as a spiritual judge. His refusal to endorse Nie Que highlights the Daoist belief that the best ruler is one who does not rely on cleverness or active governance.
Emperor Yao
The Sage King seeking a successor. His question reflects the Confucian desire to find the most capable and intelligent person to govern. Xu You’s answer challenges this, suggesting that “capability” in the human sense is actually a defect in a cosmic sense.
Wang Ni
Mentioned as the intermediary. Yao plans to use Wang Ni to invite Nie Que, showing the interconnectedness of this sage lineage.
“Matched with Heaven”
- To be a true ruler or sage, one must align with the Way of Heaven (Nature/Dao), which is spontaneous, effortless, and constant.
- Xu You argues Nie Que cannot do this because he relies on “Human” (artificial effort) rather than “Heaven” (natural spontaneity).
“Rushes like fire”
This metaphor describes someone whose intellect is so active it consumes everything rapidly, like a wildfire. It implies a lack of calmness and depth. A true sage is still like water or earth, not frantic like fire.
“Driven by trivial details” & “Constrained by things”
Nie Que is reactive. He waits for things to happen and then responds (“looks around to respond”). A Daoist sage, by contrast, remains centered and lets things transform themselves without interference. Being “controlled by things” means one has lost their inner autonomy.
“Never possesses constancy”
Because Nie Que changes his approach to fit every new situation (“transforms along with things”), he lacks an unchanging core truth. The Dao is eternal and constant; a ruler who fluctuates with circumstances cannot embody the Dao.
“Knowing how to stop errors, but not their origin”
This is a critique of legalism and active governance. Stopping errors after they appear is superficial. Understanding the root cause (which is often the excessive desire to control itself) and preventing them from arising is the true wisdom of the Dao.
Confucian vs. Daoist Ideal Ruler
- Confucian View: The ideal ruler is learned, smart, active, and moral (like Nie Que appears to be).
- Daoist View (expressed here): The ideal ruler is seemingly dull, inactive, and follows nature. Intelligence and agility are seen as dangerous because they lead to over-governance, complexity, and a disconnect from the simple truth of the Dao.
Xu You’s warning that appointing Nie Que would be “dangerous to the world” reflects the fear that clever governance creates more problems than it solves.
啮缺者，尧时人也。许由师事啮缺，尧问於由曰：“啮缺可以配天乎？吾藉王倪以要之。”许由曰：“殆哉，圾乎天下。啮缺之为人也，聪明睿知，给数以敏，其性过人，而又乃以人受天。彼审乎禁过，而不知过之所由生，与之配天乎？彼且乘人而无天。方且本身而异形，方且尊知而火驰，方且为绪使，方且为物絯，方且四顾而物应，方且应众宜，方且与物化而未始有恒，夫何足以配天乎！”
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