1. El govern no pot basar-se en la tradició

When the Confucianists of the present day counsel the rulers they do not discuss the way to bring order now, but exalt the achievement of good order in the past. They neither study affairs pertaining to law and government nor observe the realities of vice and wickedness, but all exalt the reputed glories of remote antiquity and the achievements of the ancient kings. [...] The intelligent ruler upholds solid facts and discards useless frills. He does not speek about deeds of humanity and righteousness, and he does not listen to the words of learned men.

[...] The sage does not seek to follow the ways of the ancients, nor does he regard precedents as the rule. He examines the circumstances of his own time and plans his course of action accordingly.

[...] There was once a man of Song whou tilled his field. In the midst of his field stood the stump of tree, and one day a hare, running at full speed, bumped into the stump, broke its neck, and died. Thereupon the man left his plow and kept watch at the stump, hoping that he wold get another hare. But he never caught another hare, and was only ridiculed by the people of Song. Now those who try to rule the people of the present age with the conduct of government of the early kings are all doing exactly the same thing as that fellow who kept watch by the stump.

2. La importància de la llei

When the sage rules the sate, he does not count on people doing good of themselves, but employs such measures as will keep them from doing evil. [...] He does not busy himself with morals but with laws.

[...] In the state ruled by an enlightened sovereign, one would find no recorded literature and the law would supply the only instruction; one would find no injuctions from the early kings and the magistrates would serve as the only instructors.

[...] The way of the enlightened sovereign consists in making laws uniform and not depending upon the wisdom of men, in making statecraft firm and not yearning after faithful persons, so that the laws do not fail to function and the multitude of officials will commit neither villainy nor deception.

3. La riquesa agrícola i el poder militar

Farming is hard toil indeed. Yet people attend to it because they think this is the way to riches. Similarly, warfare is a risky business. Yet people carry it on because they think this is the road to honor. Now if one could just cultivate refinement and learning and practice persuasion and speech, and thereby obtain the fruits of wealth without the toil of farming and receive the ranks of honor without the risk of warfare, then who would do not the same? Naturally a hundred men will be attending to learning where only will apply his physical energies. When many attend to learning, the law will come to naught; when few apply their physical energies, the state will fall into poverty.

[...] The sovereign urges the tillage of land and the cultivation of pastures for the purpose of increasing production for the people, but they think the sovereign is cruel. The sovereign regulates penalties and increases punishments for the purpose of repressing the wicked, but the people think the sovereign is severe. Again, he levies taxes in cash and in grain to fill up the granaries and treasuries in order to relieve famine and provide for the army, but they think the sovereign is greedy. Finally, he insists upon universal military training without personal favoritism, and urges his forces to fight hard in order to take enemy captive, but the people think the sovereign is violent. These four measures are methods for attaining order and maintaining peace, but the people are too ignorant to appreciate them.

4. El menyspreu pel poble

[...] Those who are ignorant about government insistently say: "Win the hearts of the people" If order could be procured by winning the hearts of the people, then [...] all that the ruler would need to do would be just to listen to the people. Actually the intelligence of the people is not to be relied upon any more than the mind of a baby.

5. Els cinc verins de l'estat

This then is the customary experience of a disorderly state: the learned men will exalt the ways of the early kings and make a show of humanity and righteousness. They will adorn their manners and clothes and embroider their arguments and speeches so as to scatter doubts on the law of the age and beguile the mind of the sovereign The itinerant speakers will advocate deceptive theories and utilize foreign influence to accomplish their selfish purposes, being unmindful of the benefit of the state. The free-lance fighters will gather pupils and followers and set up standards of fidelity and discipline, hoping thereby to spread their reputation [...]. The courtiers will congregate in the powerful houses, use all kind of bribes, and exploit their contacts with influential men in order to escape the burden of military service. The tradesmen and craftsmen will produce inferior wares and collect cheap articles, and wait for good opportunities to exploit the farmers. These five types of men are the vermin of the sate.

6. Premis i càstigs

The means by which the enlightened ruler controls his ministers are none other than the two handles. The two handles are punishment and kindness. What do we mean by punishment and kindness? To execute is called punishment and to effer congratulations or rewards is called kindness. Ministers are afraid of execution and punishment and look upon congratulations and rewards as advantages.

[...] Rewards should be rich and certain so that the people will be attracted by them; punishments should be severe and definite so that the people will fear them; and laws should be uniform and steadfast so that the people will be familiar with them. Consequently, the sovereign should show no wavering in bestowing rewards and grant no pardon in administering punishments, and he should add honor to rewards and disgrace to punishments.

7. La llei i la família

Now take a young fellow who is a bad character. His parents may get angry at him, but he never makes any change. The villagers may reprove him, but he is not moved. His teachers and elders may admonish him, but he never reforms. The love of his parents, the efforts of the villages, and the wisdom of his teachers and elders - all the three excellent disciplines are applied to him, and yet not ever a hair of his shins is altered. It is only after the district magistrate sends out his soldiers and in the name of the law searches for wicked individuals that the young man becomes afraid and changes his ways and alters his deeds. So while the love of parents is not sufficient to discipline the children, the severes penalties of the district magistrates are.

[...] There was in Chu an upright man who, when his father stole a sheep, reported it to the authorities. The magistrate said: "Put him to death", as he thought the man was faithful to the ruler but disloyal to his father. So the man was apprehended and convicted. From this we can see that the faithful subject of the ruler was an outrageous son to his father. Again there was a man of Lu who followed his ruler to war, fought three batles, and ran away three times. Confucius interrogated him. The man replied: "I have an old father. Should I die, nobody would take care of him. Confucius regarded him as virtous in filial pity, commended and exalted him.