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民免而无耻

民免而無恥
mín miǎn ér wú chǐ
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 the people will avoid punishment, but have no sense of shame
  2. 2 (fig.) rule by naked law produces obedience without conscience
  3. 3 (lit.) people avoid but without-shame

Examples

孔子说道之以政，齐之以刑，民免而无耻。
Kǒngzǐ shuōdào zhī yǐ zhèng, qí zhī yǐ xíng, mínmiǎn'érwúchǐ.
Confucius said: 'Guide them with decrees, align them with punishments — the people will dodge and feel no shame.'
只靠罚款管理，民免而无耻，真正的守法来自内心。
Zhǐ kào fákuǎn guǎnlǐ, mínmiǎn'érwúchǐ, zhēnzhèng de shǒufǎ láizì nèixīn.
Managing by fines alone makes 'people dodge without shame' — true law-abiding comes from within.

Tips

history
From 《论语·为政》(Analects, Book 2, Confucius): 道之以政，齐之以刑，民免而无耻；道之以德，齐之以礼，有耻且格 (Guide them with decrees, align them with punishments — the people will dodge and feel no shame. Guide them with virtue, align them with ritual — they will have a sense of shame and correct themselves). The foundational Confucian argument against pure legalism: external rules produce evasion, while internalized ethics produce genuine conformity.
usage
Always part of the antithetical pair 民免而无耻 / 有耻且格. 免 here means 'avoid, dodge (punishment)' — not the modern 'exempt.' 耻 reads chǐ 'shame.' A canonical line in any Chinese discussion of law vs. ethics.

Stroke Order

民 mín
免 miǎn
而 ér
无 wú
耻 chǐ