Law and Statute
290. Implementing moral education to achieve transformation is the virtuous way of a wise ruler. Punishment is only used to uphold the values of moral education.
Scroll 45: Chang Yan
291. Law and order are merely instruments used in governing a country; they are not the root cause leading to a clean or corrupt government.
Scroll 12: Shi Ji, Vol. 2
292. The ancient sage-rulers pledged vows to keep themselves aligned with virtues so that the people would not neglect the importance of propriety. If the government did not educate the people but killed them when they violated the law, this would amount to committing atrocity against the people. Rather than imposing severe laws that aimed to deter people from disobedience, it would be better to promote propriety to convince people to be law-abiding. We have heard that promoting propriety could ensure fair punishment, but we have not heard that enforcing punishment could promote the practices of filial piety and fraternity. Walls that are mighty will not stand firm if the foundation is shallow. A government that uses heavy penalties to govern a country will not last long.
Scroll 42: Yan Tie Lun
293. If a ruler does not rule according to the law of nature but enact laws to satisfy certain quarters, this will bring forth chaos. The unrests will force the government to change the laws repeatedly, and acts of wickedness will begin to happen frequently over time. If the ruler still indulges himself in worldly luxuriating, it is inevitable that his country will be destroyed in time to come.
Scroll 31: Liu Tao
294. A wise ruler will only enforce the basic principles of the law, but at the same time make allowances (grant leniency) for minor violations. This means that as the net of justice is cast far and wide to enable extensive area coverage, minor violations are thus ignored. When this net of justice covers an extensive area, serious offenses and crimes will be caught and heavily penalized. Thus, the administration will not be deemed tyrannical as minor offenses or violations are accommodated. When serious crimes are punishable by laws, incidents of law-breaking and social disorder will be kept under control. This is the key to running a good government.
Scroll 30: Jin Shu, Vol. 2
295. When one law betrays the trust of the people, all other laws will lose their effectiveness. With one bad action put into practice, hund of immoral practices will come into being.
Scroll 40: San Lüe
296. With too many diverging routes ahead, it is hard to know which way to go. With too many codes of laws being regulated, it is difficult to avoid violations. The laws enacted by the sage-rulers were like the sun and the moon lighting up the darkened path so that people would not lose their way, or like a wide and open road that would not lead the people astray. Hence, people living in the remote corners were clear about the laws, and even benighted women knew how to avoid breaking the laws. No one would violate the law, and prisons would not be needed anymore.
Scroll 42: Yan Tie Lun