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民免而无耻

民免而無恥
mínmiǎnérwúchǐ
phrase

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 shuō dào zhī yǐ zhèng, qí zhī yǐ xíng, mín miǎn ér wú chǐ.
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, mín miǎn ér wú chǐ, 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