Chung-Kung Said, 'How Shall I Know The Men Of Virtue And
Talent, So That I May Raise Them To Office?' He Was Answered, 'Raise
To Office Those Whom You Know.
As to those whom you do not know,
will others neglect them?'
CHAP.
III. 1. Tsze-lu said, 'The ruler of Wei has been waiting
for you, in order with you to administer the government. What will
you consider the first thing to be done?'
2. The Master replied, 'What is necessary is to rectify names.'
3. 'So, indeed!' said Tsze-lu. 'You are wide of the mark! Why
must there be such rectification?'
4. The Master said, 'How uncultivated you are, Yu! A superior
man, in regard to what he does not know, shows a cautious reserve.
5. 'If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with
the truth of things. If language be not in accordance with the truth
of things, affairs cannot be carried on to success.
6. 'When affairs cannot be carried on to success, proprieties
and music will not flourish. When proprieties and music do not
flourish, punishments will not be properly awarded. When
punishments are not properly awarded, the people do not know
how to move hand or foot.
7. 'Therefore a superior man considers it necessary that the
names he uses may be spoken appropriately, and also that what he
speaks may be carried out appropriately. What the superior man
requires, is just that in his words there may be nothing incorrect.'
CHAP. IV. 1. Fan Ch'ih requested to be taught husbandry. The
Master said, 'I am not so good for that as an old husbandman.' He
requested also to be taught gardening, and was answered, 'I am not
so good for that as an old gardener.'
2. Fan Ch'ih having gone out, the Master said, 'A small man,
indeed, is Fan Hsu!
3. If a superior love propriety, the people will not dare not to
be reverent. If he love righteousness, the people will not dare not
to submit to his example. If he love good faith, the people will not
dare not to be sincere. Now, when these things obtain, the people
from all quarters will come to him, bearing their children on their
backs; - what need has he of a knowledge of husbandry?'
CHAP. V. The Master said, 'Though a man may be able to
recite the three hundred odes, yet if, when intrusted with a
governmental charge, he knows not how to act, or if, when sent to
any quarter on a mission, he cannot give his replies unassisted,
notwithstanding the extent of his learning, of what practical use is
it?'
CHAP. VI. The Master said, 'When a prince's personal conduct
is correct, his government is effective without the issuing of orders.
If his personal conduct is not correct, he may issue orders, but they
will not be followed.'
CHAP. VII. The Master said, 'The governments of Lu and Wei
are brothers.'
CHAP. VIII. The Master said of Ching, a scion of the ducal
family of Wei, that he knew the economy of a family well. When he
began to have means, he said, 'Ha! here is a collection!' When they
were a little increased, he said, 'Ha! this is complete!' When he had
become rich, he said, 'Ha! this is admirable!'
CHAP. IX. 1. When the Master went to Wei, Zan Yu acted as
driver of his carriage.
2. The Master observed, 'How numerous are the people!'
3. Yu said, 'Since they are thus numerous, what more shall be
done for them?' 'Enrich them,' was the reply.
4. 'And when they have been enriched, what more shall be
done?' The Master said, 'Teach them.'
CHAP. X. The Master said, 'If there were (any of the princes)
who would employ me, in the course of twelve months, I should
have done something considerable. In three years, the government
would be perfected.'
CHAP. XI. The Master said, '"If good men were to govern a
country in succession for a hundred years, they would be able to
transform the violently bad, and dispense with capital
punishments." True indeed is this saying!'
CHAP. XII. The Master said, 'If a truly royal ruler were to
arise, it would still require a generation, and then virtue would
prevail.'
CHAP. XIII. The Master said, 'If a minister make his own
conduct correct, what difficulty will he have in assisting in
government? If he cannot rectify himself, what has he to do with
rectifying others?'
CHAP. XIV. The disciple Zan returning from the court, the
Master said to him, 'How are you so late?' He replied, 'We had
government business.' The Master said, 'It must have been family
affairs. If there had been government business, though I am not
now in office, I should have been consulted about it.'
CHAP. XV. 1. The Duke Ting asked whether there was a single
sentence which could make a country prosperous. Confucius replied,
'Such an effect cannot be expected from one sentence.
2. 'There is a saying, however, which people have - "To be a
prince is difficult; to be a minister is not easy."
3. 'If a ruler knows this, - the difficulty of being a prince, -
may there not be expected from this one sentence the prosperity of
his country?'
4. The duke then said, 'Is there a single sentence which can
ruin a country?' Confucius replied, 'Such an effect as that cannot be
expected from one sentence. There is, however, the saying which
people have - "I have no pleasure in being a prince, but only in
that no one can offer any opposition to what I say!"
5. 'If a ruler's words be good, is it not also good that no one
oppose them? But if they are not good, and no one opposes them,
may there not be expected from this one sentence the ruin of his
country?'
CHAP.
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