《史记·十二本纪·周本纪》
先王对待人民，勉励和端正其道德，使其性情敦厚，增加其财产并改良其器物，懂得利害关系所在，用礼法培养他们，教他们趋利避害，心怀仁德而畏惧惩罚，所以能世代相传，子孙蕃昌。
先王之於民也，茂正其德而厚其性，阜其财求而利其器用，明利害之乡，以文脩之，使之务利而辟害，怀德而畏威，故能保世以滋大。
When our previous kings treated the people, they encouraged and rectified their morality, making their dispositions honest, increasing their wealth, and improving their tools, understanding the relationship between benefits and harm, using rituals and laws to cultivate them, to teach them to seek benefits and avoid harm, to be benevolent and afraid of punishment, thus being able to pass down through generations, and have descendants that flourish.