信 – Chinese philosophy and culture

0
123
Listen to this article

xìn 信

Good Faith

“信”的基本含义是恪守信诺、诚实不欺。“信”是为人立身需要遵守的基本道德。守信必须符合道义的原则,如果信约有悖于道义,则不能盲目追求信诺的履行。儒家特别强调两个方面的“信”:其一,是执政者应信守对百姓的承诺,百姓才会信服于政令。其二,是朋友之间应守信不欺。

This term means acting in good faith. Good faith is one of the principal ethical standards one should observe in order to establish oneself in society. However, one must comply with ethical principles in honoring a promise. If a promise goes against ethical principles, one should not blindly deliver it. Confucianism stresses the importance of acting in good faith for both rulers and people: A ruler must keep his promises made to the people so that they will abide by his decrees; one should be honest and truthful towards friends.

引例 Citations:

◎子曰:“人而无信,不知其可也。大车无(ní),小车无(yuè),其何以行之哉?”(《论语·为政》)

(孔子说:“人如果没有诚信,不知那怎么可以。就好像用牛拉的大车没有安装,用马拉的小车没有安装,它们怎么能够行驶呢?”)

Confucius said: “How can an ox-drawn wagon be pulled if it has no yoke-bar, or a horse-drawn cart be pulled if it has no collar-bar? What good is a man if he acts without good faith?” (The Analects)

◎孟子曰:“大人者,言不必信,行不必果,惟义所在。”(《孟子·离娄下》)

(孟子说:“有德行的人,承诺不一定都信守,行为不一定都实行,只要是言行符合道义就行。”)

Mencius said: “A man of virtue does not have to keep all his promises or act as he says. What matters is that his words and deeds should conform to ethical principles.” (Mencius)

Rate this post

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here