第七十四章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 74

Threats of death do not govern people who do not fear it; killing belongs to heaven, not to the ruler.

民mín不bù畏wèi死sǐ，

If the people do not fear death,
奈nài何hé以yǐ死sǐ惧jù之zhī？

why threaten them with death?
若ruò使shǐ民mín常cháng畏wèi死sǐ，

If the people always feared death,
而ér为wéi奇qí者zhě，

and those who did wrong
吾wú得dé执zhí而ér杀shā之zhī，

could be seized and killed by me,
孰shú敢gǎn？

who would dare?
常cháng有yǒu司sī杀shā者zhě杀shā，

There is always an executioner who kills.
夫fú代dài司sī杀shā者zhě杀shā，

To kill in the executioner's place
是shì谓wèi代dài大dà匠jiàng斫zhuó。

is like cutting wood in the master carpenter's place.
夫fú代dài大dà匠jiàng斫zhuó者zhě，

Those who cut in the master carpenter's place
希xī有yǒu不bù伤shāng其qí手shǒu矣yǐ。

rarely escape cutting their own hands.

Words in this chapter

Words in chapter 74, with pinyin and meaning
Word	Pinyin	Meaning
民	mín	the people
不	bù	not
畏	wèi	to fear, to dread
死	sǐ	to die
奈何	nài hé	how is it that
以	yǐ	by means of, with
惧	jù	to frighten
之	zhī	it, them (object)
若	ruò	if
使	shǐ	to make, to cause
常	cháng	always, ever
而	ér	and, and then
为	wéi	to act, to do, to make
奇	qí	strange; surprise
者	zhě	one who, that which
吾	wú	I
得	dé	to get, to obtain
执	zhí	to hold, to grasp
杀	shā	to kill
孰	shú	who, which
敢	gǎn	to dare
有	yǒu	to have, to possess
司	sī	to be in charge of
夫	fú	now, indeed (opening particle)
代	dài	in place of
是	shì	this
谓	wèi	to call, to be called
大匠	dà jiàng	the master carpenter
斫	zhuó	to hew wood
希	xī	faint, rare; sparing
伤	shāng	to harm
其	qí	its, his, their
手	shǒu	hand
矣	yǐ	final particle (completion)

Compare: James Legge (1891)

The people do not fear death; to what purpose is it to (try to) frighten them with death? If the people were always in awe of death, and I could always seize those who do wrong, and put them to death, who would dare to do wrong?

There is always One who presides over the infliction death. He who would inflict death in the room of him who so presides over it may be described as hewing wood instead of a great carpenter. Seldom is it that he who undertakes the hewing, instead of the great carpenter, does not cut his own hands!

Public domain. Source: Wikisource.

Meaning of chapter 74

Chapter 74 argues against ruling by the threat of death. If the people do not fear death, threatening them with it is useless; and even if they did fear it, and wrongdoers could be seized and killed, who would dare? The question is left open.

The second half names the deeper problem. There is always an executioner who kills, 司杀者, "the one in charge of killing". Commentators read this as heaven, or the natural order, which brings death in its own time. A ruler who kills in its place is like someone cutting wood in place of the master carpenter, and such people rarely escape cutting their own hands. The house translation keeps the plain image and leaves the reading to the reader.

为奇者 in line 4, literally "those who do strange things", means those who break the norms, translated "those who did wrong". The chapter belongs with chapter 72, on oppression, chapter 73, on daring, and chapter 75, on why the people make light of death: together they form a group on punishment and the limits of power.

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Meaning of chapter 74