“Of the first importance are the people, next comes the good of land and grains, and of the least importance is the ruler.”

—  Mencius

7B:14. Variant translation: The people are the most important ... and the ruler is the least important.

The people are the most important element in a nation; the spirits of the land and grain come next; the sovereign counts for the least. note: Most precious are the people; next come the spirits of land and grain; and last, the princes. note: The people are the most important ... and the ruler is the least important.
The Mencius

Original

民为贵，社稷次之，君为轻。

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Oct. 30, 2024. History

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Mencius photo
Mencius 18
Chinese philosopher -372–-289 BC

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(zh-TW) 民為貴，社稷次之，君為輕。
7B:14. Variant translations:
Of the first importance are the people, next comes the good of land and grains, and of the least importance is the ruler.
The people are the most important ... and the ruler is the least important.
The Mencius
Variant: The people are the most important element in a nation; the spirits of the land and grain come next; the sovereign counts for the least.

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