Supreme Impartiality

Liu XiangJinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) · ChinaJun 2024

4.0

Word count: 5K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

The Book of Documents says: "Without partiality, without partisanship, the kingly way is broad and wide." This speaks of the highest impartiality. In ancient times there was one who practiced great impartiality: Emperor Yao. Honored as Son of Heaven and possessing all under Heaven, when he obtained Shun he transmitted [the throne] to him, not favoring his own sons and grandsons. He cast away the empire as one discards a worn sandal; if he was thus toward the empire, how much more toward things smaller than the empire? Who but Emperor Yao could have acted thus? Confucius said: "How majestic! Only Heaven is great, and only Yao modeled himself on it." The Book of Changes says: "No head—good fortune." This is the impartiality of a ruler.

Now to be impartial with the empire—its virtue is great indeed. Extended here, applied there, it is what the myriad people uphold and later ages take as their model. As for the impartiality of ministers: in handling official affairs they do not manage private household matters; within the public gate they do not speak of goods and profit; when administering public law they do not favor relatives; in serving the public and recommending the worthy they do not avoid enemies. Loyal in serving the ruler, benevolent in benefiting those below, extending it through the way of forbearance, acting without partisanship—such were Yi and Lü. Thus their illustrious names endure to this day; this is what is called impartiality.

Editor's review

The chapter "Zhigong" (Highest Impartiality) revolves around the core concept of "gong" (impartiality). It begins with Emperor Yao transmitting [the throne] to Shun without favoring his own descendants, and goes on to set out principles such as ministers handling official affairs without managing private household matters and serving the public and recommending the worthy without avoiding enemies, progressively unfolding what "highest impartiality" means. Drawing on classical texts and historical events, the text places the impartiality of the ruler and the impartiality of ministers side by side, concise in length and focused in argument—well suited as an introductory text for understanding the concept of "gong" in traditional political ethics. Readers may use it to observe how the ancients established standards of conduct through classical phrases and historical figures, and may also compare it with later thought on public integrity. This edition is convenient for reading at any time, suitable as close-reading material for short pieces when studying ancient political writings and official admonition literature, or for discussing the modern transformation of traditional public ethics.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying ancient Chinese political ethics and official admonition literature
History and literature enthusiasts who need short classical Chinese texts for close-reading practice
Readers interested in the traditional concept of "gong" and issues of public responsibility
Teachers and students preparing to discuss the modern transformation of traditional thought on clean governance

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a systematic institutional history or a complete compilation of historical sources
Beginners in classical Chinese who need modern vernacular annotation and sentence-by-sentence explanation

Reading tips

First read through the whole text and mark where the character "gong" appears, sorting out the levels of the ruler's impartiality and the ministers' impartiality.
Extract the classical phrases and historical events cited in the text separately, and check their contexts to understand the argumentation.
May be read alongside the entries on ministers serving the public, organized into itemized notes for easier comparison of different standards of conduct.
After reading, write a short commentary connecting to contemporary topics of public responsibility, testing the boundaries of transferring the concept.

About the publisher

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) China · Founded in 1901

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

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FAQ

What issue does this text mainly discuss?

It mainly discusses the meaning and manifestations of "highest impartiality," first explaining the ruler's impartiality through Emperor Yao transmitting [the throne] to Shun without favoring his descendants, then turning to principles for ministers such as handling official affairs without managing private household matters and serving the public and recommending the worthy without avoiding enemies, with classical phrases and historical events supporting each other, presenting the basic understanding of "gong" in traditional political ethics.

Can I understand it without annotations for names and places?

The text is not long, but it involves citations from classical texts and historical figures; if you are unfamiliar with the relevant allusions, you will encounter some obstacles in reading. It is advisable to first use reference works to identify the sources of the citations and the backgrounds of the figures, then read through the whole piece—understanding will be much smoother.

Is it suitable as classroom discussion material?

Yes. Concise in length and focused in argument, it is convenient for segment-by-segment classroom discussion of the differences between the ruler's impartiality and the ministers' impartiality, and can also be extended to discuss continuities and differences between traditional public ethics and contemporary public responsibility, though teachers will need to supplement background explanations.

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About the author

Liu Xiang Author · Chinese (Western Han)

Liu Xiang (77 BCE–6 BCE), courtesy name Zizheng and originally named Gengsheng, was a member of the Western Han imperial clan and a scholar of the classics, a bibliographer, and a literary figure. Publicly available details of his life are limited, and even his birth and death years are disputed, yet his place in the history of Chinese bibliography and literature is clear. Under Emperor Cheng he led the collation of the imperial library and compiled the Bielu, a systematic catalogue and edition of court texts, and later generations honored him as the founder of Chinese bibliography. He edited and compiled the Intrigues of the Warring States and the Songs of Chu, helping to preserve both works, and wrote such books as the Xinxu, Shuoyuan, and Lienü Zhuan, which often use historical anecdotes and the words and deeds of figures to expound political and ethical teachings, combining historical value with literary interest. His editorial and compilation work spans literary appreciation, folk literature, Eastern philosophy, and documentary prose, and has greatly aided later understanding of thought and writing from the pre-Qin through the Han period.