From 《
孟子·
公孙丑下》 (Mencius, Gongsun Chou Part 2, 4th c. BCE):
得道者多助，失道者寡助。寡助之至，亲戚畔之；多助之至，天下顺之 (He who has the Way gets many helpers; he who loses it gets few. When help thins to its extreme, even kin rebel; when help multiplies to its fullest, All-Under-Heaven submits). Mencius's argument that political legitimacy rests on moral standing, not military might. One of the most quoted lines in Chinese political discourse, foundational to the "Mandate of Heaven" concept.
