Philosophy

道 德 經
Tao Teh Ching

Teh – Chapter 74

If the people were constant in their behavior and yet did not fear death,
How could you use execution to intimidate them?
If you brought it about that the people were constant in their behavior
And moreover feared death, and we took those who behaved in abnormal ways and killed them –
Who would dare act in this way?!
If the people are constant and moreover necessarily fear death,
Then we constantly have the one in charge of executions.
Now, killing people in place of the one in charge of executions,
This is like cutting wood in place of the head carpenter.
And of those who cut wood in place of the head carpenter, very few do not hurt their hands!