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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

"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.
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