加密数字货币交易所-《论语》详解：给所有曲解孔子的人-子曰：如有王者，必世而后仁

Confucius said: If there were a king, he would first establish the world before practicing benevolence.

Detailed explanation: A chapter composed of just a few simple characters, yet no one has ever been able to explain it clearly. The difficulty here lies in the character “世” (world/age). Almost all interpretations explain “世” as “a generation of thirty years.” The general meaning then becomes: “If there is a king, he must go through a generation of thirty years before implementing benevolent governance.” This has led to many strange theories, such as the need to first establish rule of law before morality, to develop the economy before morality, and so on. The underlying implication of these ideas is that the people are all troublemakers to the king; they must be tamed first, then good results will follow. Of course, whether those good results can truly be achieved is another matter. The saying “Three decades east of the river, three decades west of the river” suggests that no one knows what the next generation will bring. Anyway, during these thirty years east of the river, the first step is to loot the east thoroughly, accumulate experience, and then in the next generation west of the river, continue the looting. What does it matter how the east is? This king truly has a grand and cunning plan.

In fact, this idea originates from the phrase “Qi unifies and then reaches Lu.” The previous chapter mentioned the six-character maxim for long-term stability of the state: “Good people, defeat the残 (残忍, cruelty), eliminate killing.” But in the real world, in the “world of unknown” where “people do not know,” how many can actually accomplish this? If they cannot, it inevitably results in “changing the king’s flag on the city wall,” a common occurrence in Chinese history—dynastic changes are no strangers. In this vicious cycle, there is a pattern: the phrase “If there were a king, he would first establish the world before practicing benevolence.” “Establish the world” means passing down through generations, from Qin Shi Huang’s era to eternity—a beautiful dream of everlasting rule. “King” refers to the art of kingship and hegemony, establishing power through “Qi-style” means, laying a foundation for generations to come before practicing the so-called “benevolence.” This is what “If there were a king, he would first establish the world before practicing benevolence” means. The “benevolence” here is not the Confucian “ren” (benevolence), but rather the “鲁式” (Lu-style) “ren” under the banner of “benevolence” and “virtue,” a “鲁式” benevolence that has nothing to do with the Analects or Confucius.

Some may say that this is only a feudal society phenomenon, and such things do not exist in democratic societies. But this is merely a narrow view. For example, in the United States, after the Civil War established its national identity and passed down through generations, they began to practice the so-called “benevolence” of “democracy and freedom,” a pattern that was already revealed in the Analects over 2000 years ago. “King” does not necessarily require someone to be emperor; the establishment of capitalism is also a form of kingship, and the widespread promotion of “democracy and freedom” is the “必世而后仁.” In fact, this pattern exists not only in politics but also in academia, economics, religion, and many other fields. Even within a small company or office, this “If there were a king, he would first establish the world before practicing benevolence” is not uncommon.

Just as Confucianism views “Qi unifies and then reaches Lu,” although recognizing some progress, it would never endorse the “Lu-style” tricks. It also despises the false “benevolence” of “If there were a king, he would first establish the world before practicing benevolence.” Of course, even a fake “benevolence” is better than blatant cruelty and killing. But all falsehoods will eventually be exposed. Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s grand dream of everlasting rule only became a historical joke after a few generations. “必世而后仁” can only be seen as a footnote in the vicious cycle of “people do not know,” a recurring low note. The main theme of Confucianism is “A good person governs the state for a hundred years, and even then, cruelty and killing can be defeated.” It is the six-character maxim “Good people, defeat残 and eliminate killing,” which ensures the long-term stability of the nation. It advocates a balance of good and evil, civil and military, promoting goodness, punishing evil, and addressing disparities such as “poverty and wealth.” Great Confucians, how can they be compared to petty bandits? **$HBAR ** **$STETH ** **$HMSTR **