The Establishment of Laws

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJul 2024

4.1

Word count: 883 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

I have heard that the enlightened rulers of antiquity set forth laws so that the people had no depravity, undertook affairs so that talent was naturally trained, and distributed rewards so that armies were strong. These three are the foundation of government. That setting forth laws leaves the people without depravity means the law is clear and the people benefit from it. That undertaking affairs trains talent means merit is clearly distinguished; when merit is clearly distinguished, the people exert themselves; when the people exert themselves, talent is naturally trained. That distributing rewards strengthens the army refers to ranks and salaries. Ranks and salaries are the substance of the army. Therefore when a ruler issues ranks and salaries, the way must be clear. When the way is clear the state grows stronger daily; when the way is obscure the state is pared away daily. Thus the way of ranks and salaries is the hinge of survival and ruin. States that are pared away and rulers who perish are not without ranks and salaries; the way they are granted is mistaken. The Three Kings and Five Hegemons granted nothing beyond ranks and salaries, yet their achievements were ten thousandfold greater because their way was clear. Therefore an enlightened ruler, in employing his ministers, assigns office only for their toil and grants reward only for their merit. When merit and reward are clear, the people vie in merit. If a state can make its people exert themselves and vie in merit, its army will surely be strong.

Editor's review

Cuo Fa ("Setting Forth Laws") is an ancient political essay on the art of governing, centered on three links: clear laws, distinguished merit, and distributed rewards. Beginning from the enlightened ruler who "sets forth laws so that the people have no depravity," the text connects the public disclosure of law with the people's benefit, then explains that only when merit is clearly distinguished will the people exert themselves, and only when ranks and rewards are properly granted will the army be strong. It repeatedly contrasts "when the way is clear the state grows stronger daily; when the way is obscure the state is pared away daily," elevating the principle of granting rank and salary to the hinge of survival and ruin. The argument is well ordered and the language forceful. For today's reader its value lies not in ready-made institutional solutions but in presenting a governing logic that runs from law and achievement to reward and punishment—useful for observing ancient political thought on order and incentive. Note how "law," "merit," and "reward" support one another, and how comparison and progression drive the argument to its conclusion. It is short but conceptually dense, and rewards slow reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in ancient Chinese political thought and Legalist doctrine
Students of literature and history who need to understand the argumentative methods of pre-Qin and Han political essays
Those who wish to think through the relations among institutions, reward and punishment, and governance via ancient texts
Readers who enjoy close reading of short classical essays and are willing to weigh each sentence

Not a good fit for

General leisure readers expecting light stories or literary narrative
Readers seeking a modern management manual rather than a work of thought
Those unfamiliar with classical Chinese who are unwilling to use annotations

Reading tips

Read through once without seeking every character's meaning, grasping the overall thread of clear law, distinguished merit, and distributed reward.
On the second pass, go paragraph by paragraph with annotations, clarifying key terms such as "setting forth laws," "clear way," and "obscure way."
After reading, restate the author's three-layer argument in your own words to check your grasp of its logical chain.
Read alongside contemporaneous texts on law and reward to compare their concerns.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
错法第九

FAQ

What does the title "Cuo Fa" mean?

Here "cuo" means to implement or establish; "Cuo Fa" can be understood as clearly establishing laws and making them effective. The whole text discusses how laws should be made public, merit clearly distinguished, and rewards properly granted—the basic links in building a governed order.

What is the core argument of this essay?

The core argument is that governing a state requires linking law, merit, and reward: when laws are clear, the people know what to pursue and avoid; when merit is distinguished, the people are willing to exert themselves; when ranks and salaries are granted on principle, the army is strong. The author treats the way of granting rank and salary as the key to the state's survival.

What foundation is needed to read this classical essay?

Basic classical Chinese reading ability suffices, but the concepts are dense, so use annotations to clarify key terms. Some knowledge of ancient political thought helps in grasping the argument's intent; readers without it can still start from the text's own logic.

Is it suitable as a reference for modern management?

It offers a way of thinking about the links among open institutions, clear merit, and proper incentives, but it is an ancient political essay, not a modern management plan. Read it as a work of thought rather than directly borrowing its specific proposals.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.