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奉公如法则上下平

奉公如法則上下平
fènggōng rú fǎ zé shàngxià píng
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 if officials serve the public by the law, then high and low are balanced
  2. 2 (fig.) equal application of law to all classes produces social harmony
  3. 3 (lit.) serve-public follow-law then above-below level

Examples

HSK 7-9
赵奢对平原君说奉公如法则上下平，道出法治的核心。
Zhào Shē duì Píngyuán jūn shuō fènggōngrúfǎzéshàngxiàpíng, dàochū fǎzhì de héxīn.
Zhao She told Lord Pingyuan 'if one serves the public by the law, then high and low are level' - capturing the core of rule of law.
HSK 7-9
现代法治强调奉公如法则上下平，无论地位高低一视同仁。
Xiàndài fǎzhì qiángdiào fènggōngrúfǎzéshàngxiàpíng, wúlùn dìwèi gāodī yíshìtóngrén.
Modern rule of law insists that 'serving the public by law levels high and low' - treating all ranks alike.

Tips

history
From 《史记·廉颇蔺相如列传》 (Sima Qian, Shiji, ca. 94 BCE). General 赵奢 (Zhao She), then a tax officer, executed nine of 平原君's servants for tax evasion. Summoned by the furious lord, he argued: 君于赵为贵公子，今纵君家而不奉公，则法削；法削则国弱 (Sir, you are a noble of Zhao: if I spare your household and do not uphold the public duty, the law is eroded; the law eroded, the state is weakened). Pingyuan was so impressed he recommended Zhao She to the king; Zhao later won the Battle of Eyu (270 BCE).
usage
Three-link Warring States maxim: 奉公如法 then 上下平 then 国强. 奉公 = serve the public interest; 如法 = act in accord with law. Contrasts with the Confucian emphasis on 礼 (ritual propriety); this is a Legalist-leaning formulation.

Stroke Order

奉 fèng
公 gōng
如 rú
法 fǎ
则 zé
上 shàng
下 xià
平 píng