Chapter 47: Valuing Righteousness (Gui Yi)
Master Mo said, “Of all things in the world, nothing is more precious than Righteousness (Yi). If someone is told, ‘I will give you a cap and shoes, but I will cut off your hands and feet,’ they will certainly refuse. Why? Because caps and shoes are not as precious as hands and feet. If told, ‘I will give you the entire world, but I will kill you,’ they will also refuse. Why? Because the world is not as precious as one’s own life. Yet, people will fight for a single principle of righteousness even to the point of death, which shows that righteousness is more precious than one’s own life. Therefore, of all things, nothing is more precious than righteousness.”
Master Mo traveled from Lu to Qi and visited an old friend. The friend said, “No one in the world is practicing righteousness today. You alone suffer to practice it. You should stop.” Master Mo said, “Suppose a man has ten sons, and only one farms while nine idle. The one who farms must work all the harder. Why? Because there are many eaters and few farmers. Since no one in the world is practicing righteousness today, you should encourage me. Why do you stop me?”
Master Mo traveled south to Chu and sought an audience with King Xianhui of Chu. The king declined due to old age and sent Mu He to meet Master Mo. Master Mo persuaded Mu He, who was greatly pleased and said, “Your words are indeed excellent! But the King is a great ruler; will he not dismiss them as ‘the words of a lowly man’ and refuse to use them?” Master Mo said, “What matters is whether they can be applied. It is like medicine: it is merely a plant root, yet the Son of Heaven consumes it to cure his illness. Will he refuse it because it is ‘a mere plant root’? Now, when farmers pay their taxes to the nobles, and the nobles use them to brew wine and prepare offerings to sacrifice to Heaven and spirits, will they refuse to accept them because they are ‘the produce of lowly men’? Thus, even a lowly man is comparable to a farmer above and medicine below; is he not better than a mere plant root? Moreover, has the King not heard of Tang? Once, Tang went to see Yi Yin and ordered the son of Peng to drive his chariot. Halfway, the son of Peng asked, ‘Where are you going?’ Tang said, ‘To see Yi Yin.’ The son of Peng said, ‘Yi Yin is a lowly man in the world. If you wish to see him, just summon him; he will consider it a great honor.’ Tang said, ‘This is not for you to understand. If there is a medicine here that makes ears keener and eyes brighter, I will certainly be pleased and force myself to take it. Now, Yi Yin is to my state like a good doctor and good medicine. You do not want me to see Yi Yin; you do not want me to become good.’ Therefore, he dismissed the son of Peng from driving. If the King acts like this, then it will be acceptable.”
Master Mo said, “For all speech and action, if it benefits Heaven, spirits, and the people, do it; if it harms them, abandon it. For all speech and action, if it accords with the sage kings of the Three Dynasties – Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, Wen, and Wu – do it; if it accords with the tyrants of the Three Dynasties – Jie, Zhou, You, and Li – abandon it.”
Master Mo said, “Words that are sufficient to guide action should be maintained; if they are insufficient, they should not be maintained. To maintain words that are insufficient to guide action is merely wagging the tongue.”
Master Mo said, “One must eliminate the six biases. In silence, reflect; in speech, instruct; in action, work. Let these three alternate, and one will surely become a sage.”
“One must eliminate joy, anger, pleasure, sorrow, and partial love, and employ benevolence and righteousness. Let the hands, feet, mouth, nose, and ears engage in righteousness, and one will surely become a sage.”
Master Mo said to his disciples, “If one fails in practicing righteousness, one must not reject the Way. It is like a carpenter who fails to split wood but does not reject the plumb line.”
Master Mo said, “The gentlemen of the world, if asked to slaughter a dog or a pig and unable to do so, will decline; but if asked to be the prime minister of a state and unable to do so, they will accept it. Is this not absurd?”
Master Mo said, “Now a blind man says, ‘The bright one is white, the dark one is black.’ Even the sharp-eyed cannot dispute this. But if white and black are mixed and the blind man is asked to pick them out, he cannot know. Therefore, I say the blind man does not know white and black not by their names, but by his inability to pick them out. Now, when the gentlemen of the world speak of benevolence, even Yu and Tang cannot dispute it. But if benevolence and non-benevolence are mixed and the gentlemen are asked to pick them out, they cannot know. Therefore, I say the gentlemen of the world do not know benevolence not by its name, but by their inability to pick it out.”
Master Mo said, “Now, scholars use their bodies less carefully than merchants use a single bolt of cloth. A merchant using a bolt of cloth for trade dares not deal carelessly, but must choose the good. Scholars, however, act according to their desires; the severe are punished, the slight are disgraced. Thus, scholars use their bodies less carefully than merchants use a single bolt of cloth.”
Master Mo said, “The gentlemen of the world desire their righteousness to succeed, yet become angry when others help them cultivate their persons. This is like desiring a wall to be built but becoming angry when others help build it. Is this not absurd?”
Master Mo said, “The ancient sage kings, wishing to transmit their Way to later generations, wrote it on bamboo and silk, carved it on metal and stone, and bequeathed it to their descendants, wishing them to emulate it. Now, to hear the legacy of the ancient kings and not practice it is to abandon the transmission of the ancient kings.”
Master Mo traveled south on a mission to Wei, carrying many books in his cart. Xian Tangzi saw this and found it strange, saying, “You once taught Gong Shangguo, ‘Merely assess what is crooked and straight.’ Now you carry many books; what is the purpose?” Master Mo said, “In the past, the Duke of Zhou read a hundred books every morning and met seventy scholars every evening. Therefore, the Duke of Zhou assisted the Son of Heaven, and his reputation lasts to this day. I have no duties to a ruler above, and no hardships of farming below; how dare I abandon this? I have heard, ‘Though things return to the same destination, there are errors in transmission.’ However, people’s understanding is uneven; therefore, books are numerous. For a mind like Gong Shangguo’s, which often grasps the subtle essence, since he already knows the essentials, I do not teach him with books. Why do you find it strange?”
Master Mo said to Gongliang Huanzi, “Wei is a small state situated between Qi and Jin, like a poor family situated among rich families. If a poor family imitates the rich in clothing and food, it will surely perish quickly. Now, in your household, there are hundreds of decorated chariots, hundreds of horses fed with beans and grain, and hundreds of women wearing embroidered silks. If I take the expenses of the decorated chariots and fed horses, and the wealth of the embroidered clothes, to support scholars, there would certainly be over a thousand. If there is disaster or hardship, putting a hundred in the front and several hundred in the rear, which is safer: this, or having several hundred women in the front and rear? I believe it is not as safe as supporting scholars.”
Master Mo recommended a man for office in Wei. The man arrived and then returned. Master Mo asked, “Why did you return?” He replied, “He spoke to me without keeping his word. He said, ‘I will give you a thousand pots of grain.’ But he gave me only five hundred, so I left.” Master Mo said, “If he had given you more than a thousand pots, would you have left?” He replied, “I would not.” Master Mo said, “Then you did not leave because he was not sincere, but because the amount was too small.”
Master Mo said, “The gentlemen of the world view scholars of righteousness as inferior to men carrying grain. Suppose a man carrying grain rests by the road and cannot get up; a gentleman seeing him, regardless of age or status, will certainly help him up. Why? Because it is righteous. Now, when gentlemen of righteousness present the Way of the ancient kings to them, even if they do not like it and refuse to act, they further slander and destroy it. Thus, the gentlemen of the world view scholars of righteousness as inferior to men carrying grain.”
Master Mo said, “When merchants travel to the four quarters, if profits double, despite the hardships of border passes and the danger of robbers, they will certainly go. Now, scholars sit and speak of righteousness; there are no hardships of border passes or dangers of robbers, and the profit is incalculable, yet they do not do it. Thus, scholars’ calculation of profit is not as astute as that of merchants.”
Master Mo traveled north to Qi and met a diviner. The diviner said, “The Emperor killed a black dragon in the north today. Since your complexion is black, you must not go north.” Master Mo did not listen and continued north. When he reached the Zi River and could not cross, he returned. The diviner said, “I told you that you must not go north.” Master Mo said, “People from the south could not go north, and people from the north could not go south; their complexions were both black and white. Why did they all fail to cross? Moreover, if the Emperor kills a green dragon in the east on Jia and Yi days, a red dragon in the south on Bing and Ding days, a white dragon in the west on Geng and Xin days, and a black dragon in the north on Ren and Gui days, then following your words would prohibit all travel in the world. This is to imprison the mind and empty the world. Your words cannot be used.”
Master Mo said, “My words are sufficient for use. To abandon my words and change one’s thoughts is like abandoning the harvest to pick up fallen grains. To use others’ words to refute my words is like throwing eggs at a stone. Even if all the eggs in the world are exhausted, the stone remains as it is; it cannot be destroyed.”
Note
Centered on “valuing righteousness”, this chapter argues righteousness surpasses life and the world. It records Mozi’s travels, rebuts superstition, stresses words must guide action, and advocates frugality and merit-based governance.
Tang and Yi Yin:
Tang was the founder of the Shang Dynasty, and Yi Yin was his chief minister, originally of lowly birth. Their story is a classic Mohist allusion used to argue that merit and utility should supersede social class.
A revered regent of the early Zhou Dynasty, symbolizing the ultimate sage-administrator who combined immense political responsibility with tireless learning and the recruitment of scholars.
Mu He (穆贺):
A high official of the State of Chu, representing the aristocratic prejudice against the low social origins of Mohist teachings.
Gong Shangguo (公尚过) & Xian Tangzi (弦唐子):
Disciples of Mozi, illustrating the internal pedagogical methods of the Mohist school, where advanced students were taught abstract principles rather than relying heavily on texts.
Absolute Primacy of Righteousness:
The chapter opens with a radical utilitarian-ethical hierarchy: Righteousness is valued above one’s own body and the entire world. This forms the ultimate justification for Mohist self-sacrifice.
Epistemology of Naming vs. Picking (名与取):
Mozi introduces a profound epistemological distinction. Knowing the name of a concept (e.g., “benevolence” or “black/white”) is useless if one cannot practically identify and apply it in reality. This critiques the superficial moralizing of contemporary elites.
Rejection of Superstition:
The encounter with the diviner showcases the Mohist rationalism. Mozi completely rejects the cosmological fatalism and directional taboos prevalent in ancient Chinese folk religion, arguing that such beliefs would paralyze human agency and economic activity.
Pragmatic Statecraft:
In advising the lord of Wei, Mozi applies a cold, pragmatic calculus to state security. He argues that luxury expenditures (chariots, horses, silk) should be converted into military/intellectual capital (scholars/soldiers), highlighting the Mohist doctrine of frugality and defensive preparedness.
Throwing Eggs at a Stone (以卵投石):
A famous Chinese idiom originating here, symbolizing a futile attempt to destroy an unassailable truth or a vastly superior force.
Wagging the Tongue (荡口):
A critique of empty rhetoric. Words are only valuable if they translate into practical action; otherwise, they are mere noise.
The Plumb Line:
A metaphor for objective moral standards. Just as a carpenter doesn’t discard the plumb line because he fails to cut straight, a person shouldn’t abandon the Way of Righteousness because of personal failure.
子墨子曰：“万事莫贵于义。今谓人曰：‘予子冠履，而断子之手足，子为之乎？’必不为，何故？则冠履不若手足之贵也。又曰：‘予子天下而杀子之身，子为之乎？’必不为，何故？则天下不若身之贵也。争一言以相杀，是贵义于其身也。故曰：万事莫贵于义也。”
子墨子自鲁即齐，过故人，谓子墨子曰：“今天下莫为义，子独自苦而为义，子不若已。”子墨子曰：“今有人于此，有子十人，一人耕而九人处，则耕者不可以不益急矣。何故？则食者众而耕者寡也。今天下莫为义，则子如劝我者也，何故止我？”
子墨子南游于楚，见楚献惠王，献惠王以老辞，使穆贺见子墨子。子墨子说穆贺，穆贺大说，谓子墨子曰：“子之言，则成善矣！而君王，天下之大王也，毋乃曰‘贱人之所为’而不用乎？”子墨子曰：“唯其可行。譬若药然，草之本，天子食之，以顺其疾，岂曰‘一草之本’而不食哉？今农夫入其税于大人，大人为酒醴粢盛，以祭上帝鬼神，岂曰‘贱人之所为’而不享哉？故虽贱人也，上比之农，下比之药，曾不若一草之本乎？且主君亦尝闻汤之说乎？昔者汤将往见伊尹，令彭氏之子御，彭氏之子半道而问曰：‘君将何之？’汤曰：‘将往见伊尹。’彭氏之子曰：‘伊尹，天下之贱人也。若君欲见之，亦令召问焉，彼受赐矣。’汤曰：‘非女所知也。今有药此，食之则耳加聪，目加明，则吾必说而强食之。今夫伊尹之于我国也，譬之良医善药也。而子不欲我见伊尹，是子不欲吾善也。’因下彭氏之子，不使御。彼苟然，然后可也。”
子墨子曰：“凡言凡动，利于天、鬼、百姓者为之；凡言凡动，害于天、鬼、百姓者舍之。凡言凡动，合于三代圣王尧、舜、禹、汤、文、武者为之；凡言凡动，合于三代暴王桀、纣、幽、厉者舍之。”
子墨子曰：“言足以迁行者，常之；不足以迁行者，勿常。不足以迁行而常之，是荡口也。”
子墨子曰：“必去六辟。默则思，言则诲，动则事，使三者代御，必为圣人。”
“必去喜，去怒，去乐，去悲，去爱，而用仁义。手足口鼻耳，从事于义，必为圣人。”
子墨子谓二三子曰：“为义而不能，必无排其道。譬若匠人之（石斤）而不能，无排其绳。”
子墨子曰：“世之君子，使之为一犬一彘之宰，不能则辞之；使为一国之相，不能而为之。岂不悖哉！”
子墨子曰：“今瞽曰：‘钜者白也，黔者墨也。’虽明目者无以易之。兼白黑，使瞽者取焉，不能知也。故我曰瞽不知白黑者，非以其名也，以其取也。今天下之君子之名仁也，虽禹、汤无以易之。兼仁与不仁，而使天下之君子取焉，不能知也。故我曰天下之君子不知仁者，非以其名也，亦以其取也。”
子墨子曰：“今士之用身，不若商人之用一布之慎也。商人用一布市，不敢继苟而雠焉，必择良者。今士之用身则不然，意之所欲则为之，厚者入刑罚，薄者被毁丑，则士之用身，不若商人之用一布之慎也。”
子墨子曰：“世之君子欲其义之成，而助之修其身则愠，是犹欲其墙之成，而人助之筑则愠也，岂不悖哉！”
子墨子曰：“古之圣王，欲传其道于后世，是故书之竹帛，镂之金石，传遗后世子孙，欲后世子孙法之也。今闻先王之遗而不为，是废先王之传也?”
子墨子南游使卫，关中载书甚多，弦唐子见而怪之，曰：“吾夫子教公尚过曰：‘揣曲直而已。’今夫子载书甚多，何有也？”子墨子曰：“昔者周公旦朝读书百篇，夕见漆十士。故周公旦佐相天子，其修至于今。翟上无君上之事，下无耕农之难，吾安敢废此？翟闻之：‘同归之物，信有误者。’然而民听不钧，是以书多也。今若过之心者，数逆于精微，同归之物，既已知其要矣，是以不教以书也。而子何怪焉?”
子墨子谓公良桓子曰：“卫，小国也，处于齐、晋之间，犹贫家之处于富家之间也。贫家而学富家之衣食多用，则速亡必矣。今简子之家，饰车数百乘，马食菽粟者数百匹，妇人衣文绣者数百人，吾取饰车食马之费，与锈衣之财，以畜士，必千人有余。若有患难，则使百人处于前，数百于后，与妇人数百人处前后，孰安？吾以为不若畜士之安也。”
子墨子仕人于卫，所仕者至而反。子墨子曰：“何故反？”对曰：“与我言而不当。曰：‘待女以千盆。’授我五百盆，故去之也。”子墨子曰：“授子过千盆，则子去之乎？”对曰：“不去。”子墨子曰：“然则非为其不审也，为其寡也。”
子墨子曰：“世俗之君子，视义士不若负粟者。今有人于此，负粟息于路侧，欲起而不能，君子见之，无长少贵贱，必起之。何故也？曰：义也。今为义之君子，奉承先王之道以语之，纵不说而行，又从而非毁之。则是世俗之君子之视义士也，不若视负粟者也。”
子墨子曰：“商人之四方，市贾信徙，虽有关粱之难，盗贼之危，必为之。今士坐而言义，无关粱之难，盗贼之危，此为信徙，不可胜计，然而不为。则士之计利，不若商人之察也。”
子墨子北之齐，遇日者。日者曰：“帝以今日杀黑龙于北方，而先生之色黑，不可以北。”子墨子不听，遂北，至淄水，不遂而反焉。日者曰：“我谓先生不可以北。”子墨子曰：“南之人不得北，北之人不得南，其色有黑者，有白者，何故皆不遂也？且帝以甲乙杀青龙于东方，以丙丁杀赤龙于南方，以庚辛杀白龙于西方，以壬癸杀黑龙于北方，若用子之言，则是禁天下之行者也。是围心而虚天下也，子之言不可用也。”
子墨子曰：“吾言足用矣，舍言革思者，是犹舍获而拾粟也。以其言非吾言者，是犹以卵投石也。尽天下之卵，其石犹是也，不可毁也。”
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