Classical Prose
得道多助，失道寡助
孟子
天时不如地利，地利不如人和。
三里之城，七里之郭，环而攻之而不胜。
夫环而攻之，必有得天时者矣；然而不胜者，是天时不如地利也。
城非不高也，池非不深也，兵革非不坚利也，米粟非不多也；委而去之，是地利不如人和也。
故曰：域民不以封疆之界，固国不以山溪之险，威天下不以兵革之利。
得道者多助，失道者寡助。
寡助之至，亲戚畔之；多助之至，天下顺之。
以天下之所顺，攻亲戚之所畔，故君子有不战，战必胜矣。
Translation
Favorable timing is not as good as advantageous terrain, and advantageous terrain is not as good as unity among people. A small city with an inner wall of three li and an outer wall of seven li may be surrounded and attacked, yet not taken. To surround and attack it, one must have gained favorable timing; yet if one cannot win, this shows that timing is inferior to terrain. A city may have high walls, deep moats, strong weapons and armor, and abundant grain; yet if its defenders abandon it and flee, this shows that terrain is inferior to unity among people. Therefore it is said: one does not secure the people by borders alone; one does not strengthen a state by mountains and streams alone; one does not awe the world by sharp weapons alone. One who possesses the Way receives much support; one who loses the Way receives little. When support is lacking to the utmost, even relatives turn away; when support is abundant to the utmost, all under Heaven follow. Thus, with the support of the world, one attacks the one abandoned even by his kin. Therefore the gentleman may choose not to fight; but if he fights, he will surely win.
Analysis
“Those Who Possess the Way Receive Much Support” is a concise statement of Mencius’s political philosophy. It compares three conditions of victory: timing, terrain, and human unity. Mencius first shows that favorable timing may fail against advantageous terrain; then he shows that even strong walls, deep moats, sharp weapons, and abundant supplies cannot save a state when its people are not united. The argument moves from military observation to moral politics. The “Way” here means a political order grounded in righteousness and humane rule. To possess the Way is to win the hearts of the people; to lose it is to become isolated even if one still holds material advantages. The famous line “those who possess the Way receive much support; those who lose the Way receive little support” condenses Mencius’s belief that moral legitimacy has real political power. The final claim that the gentleman, if he fights, must win, does not praise violence; it suggests that when justice and popular support are decisive, victory is already prepared before battle begins.
About the Author
Mencius was a major Confucian philosopher who emphasized humane government, the moral foundation of political authority, and the importance of winning the people’s hearts. In this essay, he expresses one of his central ideas: military and material power cannot replace moral legitimacy and social support.