Structural Analysis, Meaning, and Philosophical Inquiry of the Hexagram Huotian Dayou (Fire Over Heaven)

Section 2: The Political Philosophy of "Yielding Obtaining the Position of Honor"

The four characters "Yielding obtaining the position of honor" (柔得尊位) embody a crucial proposition in Pre-Qin political philosophy.

How can yieldingness obtain the position of honor$18 Why is obtaining the position of honor through yieldingness considered excellent$19

Pre-Qin political thought involves debates on the virtues required of a ruler:

One school advocates that the ruler must be firm and decisive. For example, the Shangshu, Da Yu Mo, records Gao Yao’s words: "Day by day proclaim the three virtues: one, uprightness; two, stern constraint; three, gentle constraint" (日宣三德：一曰正直，二曰刚克，三曰柔克). Among the three virtues, "stern constraint" holds a vital position. Legalists further argue that the ruler must control his ministers through assertive power. The Han Feizi, Zhu Dao, states: "The wise ruler acts through non-action above, and his ministers tremble in fear below" (明君无为于上，群臣竦惧乎下).

The other school advocates that the ruler must be yielding and humble. For example, the Laozi, Chapter 76, states: "Man is born soft and weak; in death he is rigid and hard. Plants are born tender and fragile; in death they are withered and dry. Therefore, the rigid and hard are followers of death; the soft and weak are followers of life. Hence, an army that is strong will be defeated; a tree that is strong will break. The strong and great remain below; the soft and weak remain above" (人之生也柔弱，其死也坚强。草木之生也柔脆，其死也枯槁。故坚强者死之徒，柔弱者生之徒。是以兵强则灭，木强则折。强大处下，柔弱处上).

The saying "Yielding obtaining the position of honor" in Da You is closer to the latter view, yet it does not entirely reject firmness. The marvel of Da You lies in "yielding occupying the supreme position" while "firmness assists below"—firmness and yieldingness temper each other, not leaning toward one extreme. The yieldingness of the Sixth Line Five is not weakness or incompetence, but the yieldingness of an open mind that accepts the worthy, the yieldingness that contains firmness within.

This aligns with the instruction in the Shangshu, Hong Fan: "High and luminous, yet gently constrained" (高明柔克). To rule what is high and supreme through the way of yieldingness—this is the ultimate virtue.

Why should the ruler be yielding rather than firm$20

This question can be considered from the perspective of game theory. If the ruler above is firm, then the firm lines below will all contend with him. When above is firm and below is firm, conflict arises, and something must break. But if the yielding line occupies the position of honor, the firm lines below each remain in their own place, exerting their abilities without contention. This is like water in a container: if the container is square, the water is square; if the container is round, the water is round. Water, through its yielding nature, can conform to all shapes. When the yielding is above and the firm is below, each finds its proper place—this is why it is Da You.

The Zhuangzi, Tian Xia chapter, records Laozi's learning: "He took softness, weakness, and humility as his outward expression" (以柔弱谦下为表). And: "Everyone seeks to be first; he alone seeks to be last, saying: 'I bear the disgrace of the world.' Everyone seeks substance; he alone seeks emptiness, saying: 'I possess nothing, therefore I have surplus'" (人皆取先，己独取后，曰受天下之垢；人皆取实，己独取虚，无藏也故有余). This is the principle of the yielding occupying the higher position while the firm submits below.