墨子尚贤篇:
是故古者圣王之为政也,言曰:“不义不富,不义不贵,不义不亲,不义不近。”是以国之富贵人闻之,皆退而谋曰:‘始我所恃者,富贵也,今上举义不辟贫贱,然则我不可不为义。’亲者闻之,亦退而谋曰:‘始我所恃者亲也,今上举义不辟疏,然则我不可不为义。’近者闻之,亦退而谋曰:‘始我所恃者近也,今上举义不避远,然则我不可不为义。’远者闻之,亦退而谋曰:‘我始以远为无恃,今上举义不辟远,然则我不可不为义。
“不义不富,不义不贵,不义不亲,不义不近”当解为“不举义于不富”,即论义举人之时,不论富贵与否。“不义”即不论义于,“不富”则是富贵与否的意思。换一种说法就明了了,“不义于富”。
四字骈文,是其时雄文大言的标准句式,精简变化繁多。墨子怕此不x不x的句式被讹传,还在其后专门详解:富人听闻此言,知道世道转变,仅仅倚靠自我的财富不再被举为义,如此只能不断自我修义,取义成仁。
通常的解读为“不义的人不使富裕,不义的人不使显贵,不义的人不使相亲,不义的人不使接近”,明显上下文相悖。
Mozi Shangxian: is the ancient king of the holy for the government also, said: not righteous not rich, not righteous not expensive, not righteous, not close to injustice.
Is the country's rich and rich people heard, all retreated to seek: 'At the beginning of my rich and rich also, now the righteous is not poor, but I can not be righteous.
'The relatives hear it, and they retreat to seek: 'At first my relatives also, now the righteous is not clear, but I can not help but be righteous.
'The near hear, but also retreat to seek: 'At first I am also near, now the righteous do not shy away, but I can not help but be righteous.
'The far-sighted, but also retreated to seek: 'I started from far away, now the righteous is not far away, but I can not help but be righteous.
Injustice is not rich, injustice is not expensive, injustice is not relative, injustice is not close when interpreted as not righteous in the not rich, that is, when righteous people, whether rich or not.
Injustice means rich or not, whether righteous or not.
To put it another way, it is clear that it is not righteous to be rich.
The four-word essay is the standard sentence style of its time, and there are many changes in streamlining.
Mozi is afraid that this non-x not x sentence is passed on, but also after a special explanation: the rich heard this, know the transformation of the world, relying solely on their own wealth is no longer taken as righteous, so can only continue to self-cultivation, take justice into benevolence.
The usual interpretation is that the righteous do not make the rich, the ill-being of the people do not make the noble, the ill-being of the people do not make the kinship, the ill-getting people do not make close, the obvious context is contrary.