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.

晏子论“和羹”

晏子，是春秋时期齐国著名政治家、思想家、外交家。“和羹”的比喻，是晏子对于和合观念的直接阐释，源于他和齐景公之间关于“和”与“同”关系的论辩。

当时，齐景公刚打猎回来，他的近臣梁丘据跟随其左右。梁丘据平时对齐景公极为顺从和讨好，齐景公非常高兴地认为二人之间的关系是“和”（和谐）。晏子则非常直接地指出，他们的关系是“同”而非“和”。在晏子看来，“和”与“同”有着本质的差别。以“和羹”为例，晏子认为，“和”就像做肉羹，用水、火、醋、酱、盐、梅来烹调鱼和肉，用柴火烧煮。厨师调配味道，使各种味道恰到好处。味道不够就增加调料，味道太重就减少调料。羹汤之所以美味可口，在于把各种不同的调料融合在一起。这对于国家治理具有重要的借鉴意义。君臣之间也应如此，要互相启发、协调、补充，国家才能政通人和。

晏子借“和羹”的比喻来批评齐景公和梁丘据的关系，强调了和而不同才是正确的一种处理君臣关系、人际关系的基本原则。