📖 Meaning
This idiom means to use killing (or severe punishment) to put an end to killing (or crime). It describes a governing philosophy of relying on harsh laws and drastic penalties to deter wrongdoing. The phrase reflects a Legalist approach to maintaining social order through fear and severity.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from 'Shang Jun Shu' (The Book of Lord Shang), specifically the chapter 'Hua Ce' (Planning Principles), composed during the Warring States period. Lord Shang (Shang Yang), the famed Legalist reformer of the state of Qin, argued that warfare could be ended through warfare, and killing could be ended through killing. The original passage states that using war to eliminate war is acceptable, and using killing to eliminate killing is likewise acceptable. It embodies the Legalist conviction that only stringent laws and severe punishments can secure order in a troubled age.
💡 Example Usage
面对日益严重的治安问题，他试图以杀止杀，用重刑来震慑犯罪分子。
Faced with the worsening public security situation, he tried to use killing to stop killing, employing harsh punishments to deter criminals.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 以杀止杀
- Pinyin: yǐ shā zhǐ shā
- Literal Translation: use, killing, to stop, killing
- Category: Method
- Characters: 4