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不可使知之

bù kě shǐ zhī zhī
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 cannot be made to understand it
  2. 2 they cannot be made to know the reasons
  3. 3 second half of a controversial line from Confucius' Analects

Examples

HSK 7-9
"民可使由之，不可使知之"这句话历来争议很大。
" Mín kě shǐ yóu zhī, bù kě shǐ zhī zhī " zhè jù huà lìlái zhēngyì hěn dà.
The line 'the people can be led to follow, but cannot be made to understand' has always been controversial.
HSK 7-9
有学者主张标点应作"民可使，由之；不可使，知之"，与"不可使知之"的传统读法截然不同。
Yǒu xuézhě zhǔzhāng biāodiǎn yīng zuò " mín kě shǐ, yóu zhī; bù kě shǐ, zhī zhī ", yǔ " bù kě shǐ zhī zhī " de chuántǒng dúfǎ jiérán-bùtóng.
Some scholars argue for the punctuation 'if they can be employed, let them follow; if not, enlighten them,' sharply different from the traditional reading.

Tips

history
From 《论语·泰伯》: 民可使由之，不可使知之。 The traditional reading is 'the common people can be made to follow directions, but cannot be made to understand the reasons,' criticized as an obscurantist policy. A modern re-punctuation reads it as 'if the people understand, let them follow; if not, then enlighten them.'
usage
The 之 in 知之 refers to 'the reasons behind it.' Quoting it usually invites a punctuation debate. In modern contexts it serves as a springboard for discussing political philosophy and popular enlightenment.

Stroke Order

不 bù
可 kě
使 shǐ
知 zhī
之 zhī