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奉公如法则上下平

奉公如法則上下平
fènggōngrúfǎzéshàngxiàpíng
phrase

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

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 fènggōng rú fǎ zé shàngxià píng, 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.
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 fènggōng rú fǎ zé shàngxià píng, wúlùn dìwèi gāodī yíshì tóngrén.
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...奉公如法则上下平，上下平则国强，国强则赵固，而君为贵戚，岂轻于天下邪 (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 → 上下平 → 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