On Human Nature (Themiclesian philosophy)
On Human Nature is a fragment from a letter sent by an early Themiclesian tribune to an unknown recipient, later quoted by philosophers. The speaker addresses the problem how human nature is similar to animals and can be exploited by the government.
Original text
民不知善，猶能為亂。民生如獸，但求溫飽。獸知凶而止，見吉而從，民亦如之。從政者立刑辟所以為凶，操商財所以行吉，民止從由之也。諸賦稅不利溫飽，凶也，乃禁之以刑辟，則賦稅見吉。諸鄰不在室，錢穀可得，利溫飽，吉也。乃加之以刑辟，則不得之吉。此獸性用也。然則國之有戰，其誰能為死？獸有家室，長為幼死，子為親亡，人亦然也。故有連坐之法，殺幼以令長，執親以脅子。此利天性用也。
Translation
The people do not know good, but they can cause disorder. Ordinary lives are like animal lives, only seeking warmth and sustenence. Beasts know harm and desist and sees profit and follows; humans are likewise. The state establishes punishments as harm and monopolizes wealth as profits, and thus controls the activities of the people. For indeed paying taxes is bad for warmth and sustenence, since fabrics and grains are taken away from them, and that is harm. Thus penalties of harm greater than that of losing such fabrics and grains are imposed. In comparison, the harm of paying taxes now appears as a profit. For indeed absent neighbours and attainable grains are conducive to sustenence, and that is profit. Thus penalties are imposed, and not attaining grains is now a profit. To compel mankind is no different from driving beasts; they have no morality... thus laws like the whip are imposed, ensuring that in every situation there is only one profitable course of action. Therefore do not ask why laws are so many; only the ignorant complain of the multitude of laws, while the wise complain of the lack of them.
But consider the case of an impending war: what harm can the state impose greater than death, that it overcomes death in battle? Even beasts have families, and the old die for the young, and the offspring die for the parent. Love for the family is stronger than the threat of death. Thus it is not enough to punish the person, but to threaten those whom he loves that he gladly embrace death. Thus we impose punishment by association. Therefore do not ask why laws punish the innocent; only the ignorant complain of the punishment of too many innocent, while the wise complain that not every thing a man loves can be sufficiently punished to compel his obedience.