Wan Zhang asked Mencius, “Some people say, ‘Yi Yin sought employment with Tang by cutting and cooking meat.’ Is this true?”
Mencius replied,
“No, that is not the case. Yi Yin farmed in the wilderness of Youshen, taking joy in the ways of Yao and Shun. If it was contrary to righteousness and the Way, even if given the entire empire as salary, he would not have looked at it; even if presented with a thousand teams of horses, he would not have glanced at them. If it was contrary to righteousness and the Way, he would not give so much as a single blade of grass to another, nor would he take so much as a single blade of grass from another.
When Tang sent a messenger with gifts to invite him, he said arrogantly, ‘What use do I have for Tang’s gifts of invitation? Would it not be better for me to remain in the fields, and there take joy in the ways of Yao and Shun?’ Tang sent messengers to invite him three times. Eventually, Yi Yin completely changed his mind and said, ‘Rather than remaining in the fields taking joy in the ways of Yao and Shun, would it not be better to make this ruler a ruler like Yao and Shun? Would it not be better to make these people the people of Yao and Shun? Would it not be better to witness this with my own eyes?
‘Heaven, in giving birth to the people, intended that those who possess knowledge first should awaken those who come later, and those who perceive the truth first should awaken those who come later. I am one of those born by Heaven who have perceived the truth first. I will awaken these people with this Way. If I do not awaken them, who will?’ He felt that if any ordinary man or woman in the empire had not received the benevolent grace of Yao and Shun, it was as if he had pushed them into a ditch with his own hands.
He took upon himself the heavy burden of the empire in this manner. Therefore, he went to Tang and persuaded him to attack Xia and save the people. I have never heard of anyone who has bent himself yet been able to straighten others; how much less could one straighten the empire by humiliating himself? The actions of sages differ: some keep their distance, some stay close; some leave, some remain. But ultimately, they all seek only to keep their persons pure. I have heard that Yi Yin sought Tang with the ways of Yao and Shun; I have not heard that he did so by cutting and cooking meat. The Yi Xun says, ‘Heaven’s punishment began with the attack on Mugong (the palace of Jie); I (Tang) commenced it from Bo.’”
Note
This passage, also from the Wan Zhang I chapter of the Mencius, is a classic defense of Yi Yin, the founding prime minister of the Shang dynasty. Drawing on historical context and traditional commentaries, we can understand its philosophy through the following dimensions:
- Rejecting Utilitarianism: Defending the Pure Motives of Sages Entering Public Service
During the Warring States period, the practice of political lobbying was rampant. Many strategists, in their pursuit of fame and fortune, employed unscrupulous means to please monarchs, even degrading themselves to gain attention. Wan Zhang’s question reflects this contemporary mindset projected onto history. Mencius categorically denied the rumor of “seeking employment through cooking,” emphasizing that Yi Yin’s sole motivation for entering public service was “taking joy in the ways of Yao and Shun.” Through this, Mencius established an extremely high moral standard for politics: true sages do not emerge from seclusion for personal glory or wealth, but to promote the Great Way and save the common people. - “Awakening the Later Generations”: The Historical Mission of Intellectuals
Through Yi Yin’s words, Mencius proposed a profoundly moving proposition in Chinese intellectual history: “Heaven, in giving birth to the people, intended that those who possess knowledge first should awaken those who come later.” Mencius believed that Heaven endowed certain individuals with innate wisdom and moral awakening, and these “awakened ones” bear an inescapable responsibility to enlighten the masses. Yi Yin abandoned his peaceful seclusion because of a profound sense of mission, taking “the heavy burden of the empire upon himself.” This sense of mission, linking individual destiny with the welfare of all humanity, became the spiritual source for later Confucians’ ethos of “worrying before the world worries” and “establishing the mind for Heaven and Earth.” - “Bending Oneself Cannot Straighten Others”: Political Bottom Lines and Personal Integrity
In his defense, Mencius articulated a crucial political and ethical principle: “I have never heard of anyone who has bent himself yet been able to straighten others; how much less could one straighten the empire by humiliating himself?” A person who compromises their own integrity to curry favor can never correct others, let alone rectify the empire. Whether Yi Yin chose to serve or remain in seclusion, his core bottom line was “keeping his person pure.” Through this discourse, Mencius drew a clear line between Confucian scholars and utilitarian politicians: scholars participate in politics to practice the Way, not to pander to power. If practicing the Way requires sacrificing one’s dignity and moral bottom line, it is better to remain in seclusion.
萬章問曰：「人有言『伊尹以割烹要湯』有諸？」
孟子曰：「否，不然。伊尹耕於有莘之野，而樂堯舜之道焉。非其義也，非其道也，祿之以天下，弗顧也；繫馬千駟，弗視也。非其義也，非其道也，一介不以與人，一介不以取諸人，湯使人以幣聘之，囂囂然曰：『我何以湯之聘幣為哉？我豈若處畎畝之中，由是以樂堯舜之道哉？』湯三使往聘之，既而幡然改曰：『與我處畎畝之中，由是以樂堯舜之道，吾豈若使是君為堯舜之君哉？吾豈若使是民為堯舜之民哉？吾豈若於吾身親見之哉？天之生此民也，使先知覺後知，使先覺覺後覺也。予，天民之先覺者也；予將以斯道覺斯民也。非予覺之，而誰也？』思天下之民匹夫匹婦有不被堯舜之澤者，若己推而內之溝中。其自任以天下之重如此，故就湯而說之以伐夏救民。吾未聞枉己而正人者也，況辱己以正天下者乎？聖人之行不同也，或遠或近，或去或不去，歸潔其身而已矣。吾聞其以堯舜之道要湯，未聞以割烹也。伊訓曰：『天誅造攻自牧宮，朕載自亳。』」
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