Chapter 8: On Exalting the Worthy (Part I)
Someone said: “The princes and high officials who govern the states today all desire their states to be wealthy, their populations to be numerous, and their laws and administration to be orderly. However, they fail to achieve wealth and instead become poor; they fail to increase their population and instead become few; they fail to achieve order and instead fall into chaos. Thus, they lose what they desire and obtain what they detest. What is the reason for this?”
Master Mozi replied: “The reason lies in the fact that the princes and high officials do not govern by exalting the worthy and employing the capable. Therefore, if a state has many worthy and good scholars, its foundation of governance will be strong; if it has few, its foundation will be weak. Thus, the primary task of the rulers is simply to multiply the number of worthy men.”
Someone asked: “What, then, is the method for multiplying the worthy?”
Master Mozi replied: “Suppose one wishes to multiply the skilled archers and charioteers in the state. One must necessarily enrich them, ennoble them, respect them, and praise them. Only then can the skilled archers and charioteers be multiplied. How much more is this true for worthy and good scholars, who are profound in virtue, eloquent in speech, and extensive in their knowledge of the Way! They are indeed the treasures of the state and the pillars of the altars of state. They too must be enriched, ennobled, respected, and praised, and only then can the good scholars of the state be multiplied.
Therefore, when the sage kings of antiquity governed, they declared: ‘The unrighteous shall not be enriched; the unrighteous shall not be ennobled; the unrighteous shall not be favored; the unrighteous shall not be brought near.’ Upon hearing this, the rich and noble in the state would withdraw and reflect: ‘What I formerly relied upon was my wealth and nobility. Now the ruler promotes the righteous without avoiding the poor and lowly; therefore, I must not fail to be righteous.’ Those who were favored would also withdraw and reflect: ‘What I formerly relied upon was my favor. Now the ruler promotes the righteous without avoiding the estranged; therefore, I must not fail to be righteous.’ Those who were near would also withdraw and reflect: ‘What I formerly relied upon was my proximity. Now the ruler promotes the righteous without avoiding the distant; therefore, I must not fail to be righteous.’ Those who were distant would also withdraw and reflect: ‘I formerly thought I had nothing to rely upon because of my distance. Now the ruler promotes the righteous without avoiding the distant; therefore, I must not fail to be righteous.’ Even the officials in remote borderlands, the sons of concubines within the gates, the multitudes in the capital, and the rustics in the four quarters, upon hearing this, would all compete to be righteous. What is the reason for this? The answer is: The means by which the ruler drives his subordinates is one, and the means by which subordinates serve the ruler is also one.
Consider a rich man with high walls and deep courtyards. Once the walls are built, he carefully cuts a single door at the top. If a thief enters, he need only close the door through which the thief came and search for him; the thief will have no way to escape. What is the reason for this? It is because the ruler has grasped the essential key.
Therefore, when the sage kings of antiquity governed, they assigned positions according to virtue and exalted the worthy. Even among farmers, artisans, and merchants, if a person had ability, he was promoted. He was given high rank, substantial salary, entrusted with affairs, and empowered to make decisions. It was said: ‘If rank is not high, the people will not respect him; if salary is not substantial, the people will not trust him; if decisions are not decisive, the people will not fear him.’ These three things were bestowed upon the worthy not as a reward for their worthiness, but to ensure the success of their undertakings.
Thus, at that time, positions were assigned based on virtue, offices were filled according to function, rewards were distributed based on labor, and salaries were apportioned according to merit. Therefore, no official was perpetually noble, and no commoner was perpetually base. The capable were promoted; the incapable were demoted. Public righteousness was upheld, and private resentments were avoided. This is what is meant.
Thus, in antiquity, Yao selected Shun from the north of Fuze and entrusted him with government, and the world was pacified. Yu selected Yi from Yin Fang and entrusted him with government, and the Nine Provinces were established. Tang selected Yi Yin from the kitchen and entrusted him with government, and his strategies succeeded. King Wen selected Hong Yao and Tai Dian from among the netters and entrusted them with government, and the Western Lands submitted.
At that time, even the high-ranking ministers with substantial salaries and noble positions were all respectful, fearful, and diligent in their administration; even the farmers, artisans, and merchants were all mutually encouraging and aspiring to righteousness. Thus, scholars are those who serve as assistants and successors to the ruler. Therefore, when scholars are obtained, strategies are not perplexed, the body is not exhausted, fame is established, and achievements are realized; virtue is manifested, and evil does not arise. This is because scholars have been obtained.
Therefore, Master Mozi said: ‘Whether one is successful or not, worthy scholars must be promoted. If one wishes to trace and continue the ways of Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang, one cannot but exalt the worthy. Exalting the worthy is the foundation of government.’”
Note
This Mohist chapter centers on exalting worthy talents as the core of governance. Mozi advocates meritocracy, promoting capable men regardless of humble origins, backed by sage kings’ precedents. He argues enriching and empowering virtuous officials brings national wealth, population growth and stability.
Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang:
The foundational sage kings of ancient China. Mozi uses them as the ultimate historical precedents for meritocracy, emphasizing that their success stemmed from elevating individuals from humble or obscure backgrounds (e.g., Shun from the wilderness, Yi Yin from the kitchen).
The founder of the Zhou dynasty, cited for promoting Hong Yao and Tai Dian, who were originally commoners engaged in hunting/netting, to high administrative positions.
A legendary prime minister of the Shang dynasty. His rise from a kitchen servant to the chief advisor of Tang is a quintessential Chinese historical trope for discovering hidden talent in lowly places.
Exalting the Worthy / Meritocracy:
The cornerstone of Mohist political philosophy. Unlike the hereditary aristocracy of the Zhou dynasty, Mozi advocates for a radical merit-based system where social mobility is determined solely by virtue and capability, not by birth, wealth, or proximity to the ruler.
Merit-Based Social Mobility:
The phrase “No official was perpetually noble, and no commoner was perpetually base” represents a revolutionary egalitarian concept in ancient Chinese political thought. It directly challenged the entrenched feudal class system.
The Essential Key:
Mozi uses the metaphor of a rich man with a single door to illustrate the concept of centralized, objective control. By establishing a single, transparent standard (righteousness and merit) for advancement, the ruler controls the entire system effortlessly, rendering manipulation and backdoor dealings impossible.
The Rich Man’s Single Door:
A vivid analogy for administrative control. Just as closing one door traps a thief, establishing a single, objective criterion for promotion (merit) forces all subjects to align their behavior with the state’s goals, eliminating the need for complex surveillance.
Elevating Talent from Humble Origins:
The repeated motif of selecting leaders from “kitchens,” “nets,” and “wilderness” serves as a powerful rhetorical device to validate the Mohist argument that true capability is independent of social class.
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