Chinese Idiom: 见利忘义 (Jian Li Wang Yi)
English Translation: Forget principles for the sake of profit
pīn yīn: jiàn lì wàng yì
Idiom Meaning: It describes someone who disregards moral values and justice when tempted by personal benefits or advantages.
Historical Source: Book of Han: Biographies of Fan, Li, Teng, Guan, Fu, and Jin (《汉书·樊郦滕灌傅靳周传》).
Idiom Story
After the death of Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, the power became concentrated in the hands of Lü Hou, who appointed her relatives to key positions. Lü Hou’s death in 180 BC led to her nephew Lü Lu becoming the General of the Imperial Guards and another nephew, Lü Chan, becoming Chancellor. They aimed to seize control of the entire Han Empire.
During this period, Zhou Bo, the Grand Commandant who once commanded the army and was a prominent figure in the early Han Dynasty, found himself powerless and unable to even enter the military camp. Zhou Bo had been a loyal and capable general who had fought alongside Liu Bang from the early days, contributing significantly to the establishment of the Han Dynasty.
Faced with the rising power of the Lü family and their plans for usurpation, Zhou Bo, frustrated and lacking effective strategies, sought advice from Chen Ping, the nominal Chancellor who had little actual power. They decided that their primary goal was to reclaim military authority. Since Lü Lu, the current General, was closely connected with the influential Li family, they decided to first capture Li Shang and then use his son Li Ji to persuade Lü Lu to relinquish military control.
Li Ji, being forced to comply with Zhou Bo and Chen Ping’s plan due to his father’s captivity, went to persuade Lü Lu. Lü Lu, seeing Li Ji as a trustworthy friend, began to waver. At this critical moment, Zhou Bo took a bold step by directly entering the northern army camp with Li Ji. Lü Lu, persuaded once more by Li Ji, ultimately surrendered the military seal, which restored command to Zhou Bo. This allowed Zhou Bo to eliminate Lü Chan and other members of the Lü family, ultimately securing the throne for Liu Heng, known as Emperor Wen of Han.
Historian Ban Gu, who recorded these events in the Book of Han, commented on this situation, noting that while Li Ji’s actions could be seen as betraying friends, his actions ultimately preserved the country from fragmentation and ensured stability. Ban Gu remarked that Li Ji’s actions, although seemingly driven by self-interest, served the greater good and were distinct from outright selfishness.
The term “见利忘义” thus emerged to describe individuals who abandon moral principles when faced with personal gain.
