“I have done my best for the state,” King Hui of Liang told Mencius. ”When the crops fail west of the river, I move the people east or bring grain from the east to relieve them. If the crops are poor in the east, I do the same. When I look at the rulers of other states, none of them does so much for his people as I do; yet their populations have not decreased, while mine has not increased. Can you tell me why?”
“Since Your Majesty knows well the art of war,” answered Mencius, “let me take an example from that. Once the drums sound, the troops engage the enemy. Then those who are defeated abandon their armour and fly, trailing their weapons behind them. Is that right for those who had fled 50 steps to laugh at those who had fled a hundred steps?”
“Of course not,” replied King Hui. “They may not have gone a hundred steps, but they have turned tail just the same.”
“If Your Majesty understand this,” responded Mencius, “you should not expect your population to be greater than that of any of the neighbouring states.”
Allegorical Meaning
This iconic dialogue from Mencius uses military metaphor to dissect political hypocrisy.
The Core Irony: Relativizing Failure
- King Hui’s claim:
“I govern better than neighbors!” (Comparative virtue) - Mencius’ rebuttal:
Fleeing 50 steps vs. 100 steps is equal cowardice — only the distance differs.
The soldiers who retreat 50 paces mocking those who flee 100 paces exemplify how humans construct false hierarchies of virtue. Rulers boasting “less bad” governance while ignoring fundamental failures.
Governance as Systemic Failure
When King Hui boasts of relocating famine victims while neighboring kings don’t (like the 50-step deserter), Mencius dismantles his claim. True benevolent rule requires structural reforms, not just marginally better crisis management. The parable thus critiques performative governance that mistakes token efforts for substantive virtue.
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