Mencius 7A.31
Mencius (孟子), Book 7, Part I: Jin Xin I 盡心上
公孫丑曰：「伊尹曰：『予不狎于不順。』放太甲于桐，民大悅。太甲賢。又反之，民大悅。賢者之為人臣也，其君不賢，則固可放與？」孟子曰：「有伊尹之志，則可；無伊尹之志，則篡也。」
Gong Sun Chou said, 'Yi Yin said, "I cannot be near and see him so disobedient to reason," and therewith he banished Tai Jia to Tong. The people were much pleased. When Tai Jia became virtuous, he brought him back, and the people were again much pleased. When worthies are ministers, may they indeed banish their sovereigns in this way when they are not virtuous?'
Mencius replied, 'If they have the same purpose as Yi Yin, they may. If they have not the same purpose, it would be usurpation.'
Character glossary
- 公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
- 孫sūngrandchild, descendent; surname
- 丑chǒuugly; shameful; comedian, clown
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 伊yīhe she; this, that; used in transliterat
- 尹yǐnto govern, to oversee; director
- 予yǔto give; to award
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 狎xiáto be familiar with; to disrespect
- 于yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 順shùnto submit to, to obey, to go along with
- 放fàngto release, to liberate, to free
- 太tàivery, too much; big; extreme
- 甲jiǎarmor, shell; fingernails; 1st heavenly
- 桐tóngChinese wood-oil tree, Vernicia fordii
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 悅yuècontented, gratified, pleased
- 賢xiánvirtuous, worthy; good, able
- 又yòuand, also, again, in addition
- 反fǎnreverse, opposite; contrary, anti-
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 人rénman, person; people
- 臣chénminister, statesman, official, vassal
- 也yěalso, too
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 固gùto solidify; strength
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 志zhìdetermination, will; mark, sign; to reco
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 篡cuànto sieze, to usurp
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Mencius 5A.6
- Mencius 6B.4
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Mencius 1B.11
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.