Yan Zi's Broth Metaphor

Yan Zi's Broth Metaphor

Yan Zi (d. 500 BC) was a famous statesman, thinker and diplomat in the State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). The broth metaphor, Yan Zi's direct interpretation of the Hehe concept, was proposed in his debate with Duke Jing of Qi (d. 490 BC) about the distinction between harmony and uniformity. 

After hunting one day, Duke Jing was in the company of his courtier Liangqiu Ju (dates unknown). Liangqiu had been very submissive to the duke, and so the duke delightedly described their relationship as "harmony." Nevertheless, Yan Zi directly pointed out that their relationship was just "uniformity."

In his opinion, harmony and uniformity are different by nature. To illustrate his point, he compared "harmony" as cooking broth: Different elements, such as water, heat, vinegar, sauce, salt and plums, were used to make the broth; the cook added ingredients when it's tasteless, and reduced ingredients when it's highly seasoned. The broth would be delicious as it was made by combining different ingredients. The same could also be true of state governance: Mutual enlightenment, coordination and complementation should be embraced by both the ruler and his ministers, so that the governance could be effective and the people could live in harmony. 

Yan Zi criticized the relationship between Duke Jing and Liangqiu Ju with the metaphor of broth, emphasizing that harmony without uniformity should be the right principle to deal with the relationship between the ruler and the ministers, as well as other interpersonal relationships.

晏子論“和羹”

晏子，是春秋時期齊國著名政治家、思想家、外交家。“和羹”的比喻，是晏子對于和合觀念的直接闡釋，源于他和齊景公之間關于“和”與“同”關系的論辯。

當時，齊景公剛打獵回來，他的近臣梁丘據跟隨其左右。梁丘據平時對齊景公極為順從和討好，齊景公非常高興地認為二人之間的關系是“和”（和諧）。晏子則非常直接地指出，他們的關系是“同”而非“和”。在晏子看來，“和”與“同”有著本質的差別。以“和羹”為例，晏子認為，“和”就像做肉羹，用水、火、醋、醬、鹽、梅來烹調魚和肉，用柴火燒煮。廚師調配味道，使各種味道恰到好處。味道不夠就增加調料，味道太重就減少調料。羹湯之所以美味可口，在于把各種不同的調料融合在一起。這對于國家治理具有重要的借鑒意義。君臣之間也應如此，要互相啟發、協調、補充，國家才能政通人和。

晏子借“和羹”的比喻來批評齊景公和梁丘據的關系，強調了和而不同才是正確的一種處理君臣關系、人際關系的基本原則。