Mencius 7A.26
Mencius (孟子), Book 7, Part I: Jin Xin I 盡心上
孟子曰：「楊子取為我，拔一毛而利天下，不為也。墨子兼愛，摩頂放踵利天下，為之。子莫執中，執中為近之，執中無權，猶執一也。所惡執一者，為其賊道也，舉一而廢百也。」
Mencius said, 'The principle of the philosopher Yang was "Each one for himself." Though he might have benefited the whole kingdom by plucking out a single hair, he would not have done it. The philosopher Mo loves all equally. If by rubbing smooth his whole body from the crown to the heel, he could have benefited the kingdom, he would have done it. Zi Mo holds a medium between these. By holding that medium, he is nearer the right. But by holding it without leaving room for the exigency of circumstances, it becomes like their holding their one point. The reason why I hate that holding to one point is the injury it does to the way of right principle. It takes up one point and disregards a hundred others.'
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 楊yángwillow, poplar, aspen; surname
- 取qǔto take, to receive, to obtain; to selec
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 拔báto uproot, to pull out; to select, to pr
- 一yīone; a, an; alone
- 毛máohair, fur, feathers; coarse
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 利lìgains, advantage, profit, merit
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 也yěalso, too
- 墨mòink; writing; Mexico
- 兼jiānboth, and; at the same time; to unite, t
- 愛àito love, to like, to be fond of; love, a
- 摩móto scour, to rub, to grind; friction
- 頂dǐngtop, summit, peak; to carry on the head
- 放fàngto release, to liberate, to free
- 踵zhǒngheel; to follow; to visit, to call on
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 莫mòcannot; do not; is not; negative
- 執zhíto execute; to grasp, to hold; to keep;
- 中zhōngcentral; center, middle; amidst; to hit
- 近jìnto approach; near, close; intimate
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 權quánauthority, power, right
- 猶yóusimilar to, just like, as
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 惡èbad, evil, wicked; to hate, to loathe; f
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 賊zéithief, traitor; cunning, sly
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 舉jǔto raise; to recommend; to praise
- 廢fèito terminate; to discard; to abgrogate
- 百bǎione hundred; numerous, many
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0); Chinese Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.