天下之本在国

天下之本在國

tiānxiàzhīběnzàiguó

phrase

Meanings

1 the foundation of All-Under-Heaven lies in the state
2 (fig.) the health of the nation depends on the health of its constituent parts
3 (lit.) all-under-heaven's root lies-in state

Characters

below (天下 = All-Under-Heaven / the realm)

之

zhī

's (classical possessive)

Examples

孟子说天下之本在国，国之本在家，家之本在身。

Mèngzǐ shuō tiānxià zhī běn zài guó, guó zhī běn zài jiā, jiā zhī běn zài shēn.

Mencius said: 'the root of All-Under-Heaven is the state; the root of the state is the family; the root of the family is the self.'

治理现代社会，天下之本在国的理念仍有启发。

Zhìlǐ xiàndài shèhuì, tiānxià zhī běn zài guó de lǐniàn réng yǒu qǐfā.

For governing a modern society, the idea that 'the root of All-Under-Heaven is the state' still offers insight.

Tips

history

From 《孟子·离娄上》(Mencius, Li Lou, Part 1, ca. 4th c. BCE). Full chain: 人有恒言，皆曰'天下国家'。天下之本在国，国之本在家，家之本在身 (People always say 'All-Under-Heaven, the state, the family' — the root of All-Under-Heaven is the state; the root of the state is the family; the root of the family is the self). This nested-foundation argument is one of the most influential formulations in Confucian political thought, echoed later in 《大学》 (修身、齐家、治国、平天下).

usage

天下 here means the whole civilized world (the Zhou realm), not 'the world' in modern sense. 国 is a feudal state, not a modern nation. Read as a nested hierarchy, not a flat statement.

Stroke Order

天 tiān

下 xià

之 zhī

本 běn

在 zài

国 guó