道不同,不相为谋 – Chinese philosophy and culture

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dào bù tóng, bù xiāng wéi móu 道不同,不相为谋

Part Ways and Part Company

走的路不同,不会在一起商量怎么走;人的主张、信念等不同,不会选择一道合作共事。“道”本指道路,这里泛指主张、信念、志趣、看法、行事原则等;“谋”本指谋划,引申指合作共事。对于合作共事而言,最重要的是彼此达成共同的目标原则,没有共同的目标原则,双方不可能顺利合作,但是也不能为了合作而放弃原则。坚持原则,不是拒绝合作,而是拒绝无原则的迁就。人与人共事,国与国合作,皆循此理。

Travelers heading down different paths do not plan together how to travel. Originally, the saying meant people with different views and beliefs do not seek to work together. Dao (道 way), which originally referred to “road,” is extended to include opinions, beliefs, interests, viewpoints, and guiding principles. Mou (谋 plan), is extended to mean cooperation and collaboration. In order to work together, it is most important to agree upon a set of common goals and principles. Without them, parties cannot collaborate successfully. On the other hand, collaboration should not sacrifice principles. Upholding principles does not mean rejecting cooperation. Rather, it means rejecting unprincipled deal-making. This is true of cooperation among individuals and among countries as well.

引例 Citations:

◎子曰:“道不同,不相为谋。”亦各从其志也。(《史记·伯夷列传》)

(孔子说:“主张不同,不在一起谋事。”也就是各按自己的意愿行事。)

Confucius said, “People who differ in their principles do not work together.” That is to say, they follow their own will in their action. (Records of the Historian)

◎友者,所以相有也。道不同,何以相有也?(《荀子·大略》)

(所谓朋友,就是相互拥有。双方的原则不同,用什么相互拥有呢?)

Friends are those who have commonalities. If they differ in principle, what can they share? (Xunzi)

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