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A
state that has a strong army but acts without righteousness is bound to be
destructive. Since ancient times, all rulers with high ideals have pursued a
wealthy state and a strong army. However, there is a more important principle
than this, i.e., the principle of righteousness which is a supreme ethical
pursuit of the Chinese nation that is above all material interests. A strong
army that practices no righteousness is bound to bring harm.
The basic meaning of yi (义) is “reasonable” and “proper.” It has two extended meanings. One is the proper basis and standard for people’s actions. The other is to adjust one’s words or deeds to meet certain standards, under the guidance of moral judgments. Scholars in the Song Dynasty used li (理) or “principles of heaven” to interpret yi, and considered yi to be the reasonable standard defined by the “principles of heaven,” and hoped that people’s words and deeds would fall in line with the “principles of heaven.”
In ancient days, this term had two meanings. One, it referred to correctness or orthodoxy, specifically in the interpretation of ancient classics. The term was often used as part of a book title, such as Correct Meaning of The Book of Changes and Correct Meaning of Mao’s Annotations on The Book of Songs. Two, it referred to principles of justice that were universally accepted and righteous. In modern times, the second meaning has prevailed. Today, it has become one of the core values of the Chinese society.
This term suggests that when there is a good cause to use military force, the troops will be high in morale and valiant in fighting. The word shi (师) here is a general term for all military forces and operations. The word zhi (直) means a just cause. The word zhuang (壮) means powerful troops. The Chinese nation has always been wary of waging wars, believing that a war should be fought only for a just cause and that an army fighting for such a cause will have high morale and win the war.
The one who is benevolent is invincible. The benevolent refers to a ruler who has the virtue of benevolence or to a state with benevolent rule. In terms of political affairs, benevolence manifests itself as benevolent governance based on love and care for the people, use of penalties with restraint, lighter taxes, and benefiting the people to the greatest extent possible. In this way, the ruler will gain the support of the people and achieve unshakeable unity of will among his subjects and himself, so that the state will be invincible. The underlying principle is that a state’s source of strength lies in winning the hearts and minds of its people; if only the people are cared for, will the state be able to draw strength from this source.
To be able to stop war is a true craft of war. This famous military view was first raised by King Zhuang of Chu（？-591 BC） in the Spring and Autumn Period, on the basis of the structure of the Chinese character wu (武). Wu is composed of zhi (止), which means to stop; and ge (戈), which means dagger-axe or weapons and is used here in the metaphorical sense of warfare. To interpret wu as stopping war was consistent with the cultural characteristics of Chinese characters. It also expresses the Chinese people’s thinking of using military means to stop violence and their love of peace and opposition to war.
A state that has a strong army but acts without righteousness is bound to be destructive. Since ancient times, all rulers with high ideals have pursued a wealthy state and a strong army. However, there is a more important principle than this, i.e., the principle of righteousness which is a supreme ethical pursuit of the Chinese nation that is above all material interests. A strong army that practices no righteousness is bound to bring harm.
Those who are warmongering will inevitably be destroyed, and those who forget war will inevitably land in danger. That is, countries that like to make war are certain to bring destruction upon themselves, and countries which are not prepared for war will find themselves in dangerous situations. Haozhan (好战) refers to those who are keen to stir up conflicts and wars externally for their own interests and in disregard of moral principles; wangzhan (忘战) is to forget that war may befall oneself and thus fail to be appropriately prepared for it. Ancient Chinese believed that domestic and international affairs should be handled with a spirit of loving others. Wars exhaust a country’s resources and lead to loss of life; even a just war, a “war to end wars” conducted to defend a country and safeguard its people, should be a last resort. This phrase both illustrates the dialectical relationship between war and the rise and fall of countries and demonstrates the “civil” nature of the Chinese people who love peace.
Relying on moral strength will bring prosperity, whereas relying on violence will bring doom. The saying is described in The Book of History (as cited in Records of the Historian). De (德) refers to morals, grace, and integrity. Li (力) refers to coercion, violence, and military power. Under the influence of the political and ethical principles of the Confucian school, since ancient times the Chinese people have been advocating benevolent governance virtue (winning over people with benevolence) as opposed to rule by force (wielding power over people), believing that only by relying on benevolence can the ruler hope to win people’s hearts and minds, resulting therefore in a positive synergy that brings about prosperity. Rule by force, on the other hand, can merely coerce people into submission, but cannot achieve genuine and lasting harmony and unity. This is true not only in managing an entity or governing a country, but also in handling relationships among countries. As a principle for managing international relations, the term suggests that wanton engagement in military action or attempting to completely dominate others are incompatible with the development of civilization. Only by observing moral principles and trusting one another can sustainable peace and security be achieved in the world.
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