《商君书·错法》
本来是处在同等地位的人而一方使另一方成了奴隶，这是因为贫富不同；富裕程度相同的国家却相互兼并，这是因为国家强弱不同；因为拥有了土地而做了君主，可国家有的强大有的弱小，这是政治昏庸与政治清明不同。
同列而相臣妾者，贫富之谓也；同实而相并兼者，强弱之谓也；有地而君，或强或弱者，乱治之谓也。
Originally people were of equal status, but one party enslaved the other because of the difference between poverty and wealth; countries with similar levels of wealth annexed each other because of the difference between strength and weakness; because they owned land, they became monarchs, but some countries were strong and some were weak because of the difference between political darkness and political clarity.