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Commentary on the Confucian Analects, Book 15: "Wei Ling Kung" Part 2/2

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7 years ago
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"In language it is simply required that it convey the meaning."

Hello everyone! Happy Monday! For those of you who are new to this series, this is a series where I commentate my thoughts on the Confucian Analects. This article is on Book 15. I, being an idiot, posted the wrong article at first. So, if this looks different, you know why. If you wish to read the previous articles, there will be a list below. Let's get into my commentaries:

Here is the second part of my commentaries on Book 15: Wei Ling Kung:

[Image Source: pixabay.com, License: CCO Public Domain]

Original text from the Public Domain Confucian Analects (from the 2013 edition of "The Art of War and Other Classics of Eastern Thought")

@cmp2020 original commentary

Wei Ling Kung

XXI
The superior man is dignified and affable, without the faults to which those qualities often lead
The Master said, "The superior man is dignified, but does not wrangle. He is sociable, but not partisan."

The point of this passage is that a superior man is smart, but does not argue over insignificant matters. He makes acquaintance with as many people as possible, but does not form biases.

XXII
The superior man is discriminating in his employment of men and judging statements
The Master said, "The superior man does not promote a man simply on account of his words, nor does he put aside good words because of the man."

This passage means that the superior man does not form good opinions about a man because his words are good. In the same way, he does not avoid positive feedback about the man, when it is called for, even if the man is not good.

XXIII
The great principle of reciprocity is the rule of life
Tsze-kung asked, saying, "Is there one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one's life?" The Master said, "Is not RECIPROCITY such a word? What do you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others."

This is almost exactly the golden rule. Do onto others as you would want done onto yourself. It is also similar to the non-aggression principle (NAP), which states that a person should never be the one to initiate aggression. This shows that some moral values are timeless as well as cultureless.

XXIV
Confucius showed his respect for men by strict truthfulness in awarding praise or censure
The Master said, "In my dealings with men, whose evil do I blame, whose goodness do I praise, beyond what is proper? If I do sometimes exceed in praise, there must be ground for it in my examination of the individual."

  1. "This people supplied the ground why the three dynasties pursued the path of straightforwardness."

I think the point of this passage is that it is important to exceed in praise if the person's actions deserve an excessive amount of praise. I think this means do not make decisions about how to treat someone until you get to know them.

XXV
Instances of the degeneracy of Confucius's times
The Master said, "Even in my early days, a histiographer would leave a blank in his text, and he who had a horse would lend him to another to ride. Now, alas! there are no such things."

I think the point that Confucius is making in this passage is that the people that he had observed when he was younger helped each other, but when he was older they didn't help each other anymore. I think this is Confucius doing that thing that many old men do "Things were better when I was a kid." Either that, or as he got older, the people who he surrounded himself with required less help.

XXVI
The danger of specious words, and of impatience
The Master said, "Specious words confound virtue. Want of forbearance in small matters confounds great plans."

I think this means that ideas that are false, while seeming superficially true, interfere with virtuous behavior, and unwillingness to compromise on small matters precludes great accomplishments.

XXVII
In judging of a man, we must not be guided by his being generally liked or disliked
The Master said, "When the multitude hate a man, it is necessary to examine into the case. When the multitude like a man, it is necessary to examine into the case."

It does not matter what the majority deems. It is always important to examine the case and make a decision for yourself.

XXVIII
Principles of duty an instrument in the hand of man
The Master said, "A man can enlarge the principles which he follows; those principles do not enlarge the man."

I think the point of this passage is that learning and following a lot of principles does not make you morally bigger. What matters is the truth and virtue of the principles that you choose to follow.

XXIX
The culpability of not reforming known faults
The Master said, "To have faults and not to reform them-this, indeed, should be pronounced having faults."

This reminds me of how so many people now-a-days emphasize "Doing your best." Confucius is saying Do your best, but make sure you fix your own flaws in order to help yourself to achieve the absolute best outcome in the future.

XXX
The fruitlessness of thinking, without reading
The Master said, "I have been the whole day without eating, and the whole night without sleeping: occupied with thinking. It was of no use. The better plan is to learn."

Do not kill yourself trying to force yourself to think about something if you have not first learned all there is to know about it. You should learn something before applying it to your own moral values, as well as your life.

XXXI
The superior man should not be mercenary, but have truth for his object
The Master said, "The object of the superior man is truth. Food is not his object. There is plowing-even in that there is sometimes want. So with learning-emolument may be found in it. The superior man is anxious lest he should not get truth; he is anxious lest poverty should come upon him."

The superior man seeks truth first in everything he does. He does not let what he wants distract him from the truth, nor does he let his fears distract him.

XXXII
How knowledge without virtue is not lasting, and to knowledge and virtue a ruler should add dignity and the rules of propriety

  1. The Master said, "When a man's knowledge is sufficient to attain, and his virtue is not sufficient to enable him to hold, whatever he may have gained, he will lose again."
  2. "When his knowledge is sufficient to attain, and he has virtue enough to hold fast if he cannot govern with dignity, the people will not respect him."
  3. "When his knowledge is sufficient to attain, and he has virtue enough to hold fast; when he governs also with dignity, yet if he try to move the people contrary to the rules of propriety: full excellence is not reached."

I think this passage points out the significance of working to advance all aspects of learning. Confucius lists the consequences of only focusing on one area of learning, such as learning new things. If you learn something new, but do not apply it to your own moral values, you will soon forget it. In the same way, if you learn something new, and apply it to your moral values, but do not apply it to your life, you will not be respected. If you learn something new, and apply it to your own values, and apply it to your life, but lead others astray, then you have not learned something to perfection.

XXXIII
How to know the superior man and the man man; and their capacities
The Master said, "The superior man cannot be known in little matters; but he may be intrusted with great concerns. The small man may not be intrusted with great concerns, but he may be known in little manners."

I think this passage has to do with what sorts of assignments the superior and mean man involve themselves in. The superior man should be involved in assignments that have a great effect on everyone, and require responsibility. The average man should be involved in assignments that do not require much trust, effect small amounts of people, and requires little responsibility. Also, by observing small matters, you can't necessarily tell if a man is a small man or a superior man, but you may sometimes recognize the small man.

XXXIV
Virtue more to man than water or fire, and never hurtful to him
The Master said, "Virtue is more to man than either water or fire. I have seen men die from treading on water and fire, but I have never seen a man die from treading on the course of virtue."

I think the point of this passage is that carrying out your life based on your values will not harm anyone (and in fact has the opposite effect if properly carried out). But people avoid doing this. Involving yourself with water or fire, is dangerous and can kill you, yet people do it any way.

XXXV
Virtue personal and obligatory on every man
The Master said, "Let every man consider virtue as what devolves on himself. He may not yield the performance of it even to his teacher."

I think, after discussing this passage with my history teacher, that this means that you learn the values that you possess from either being taught by someone else, or observing it when studying someone else. However, you cannot learn or observe how to apply these into your own life. You need to figure that out for yourself.

XXXVI
The superior man's firmness is based on right
The Master said, "The superior man is correctly firm, and not firm merely."

This means that the superior man is solid, and almost stuborn about following his principles because he honestly believes they are correct. However, he is not stuborn just to be stuborn.

XXXVII
The faithful minister
The Master said, "A minister in serving his prince, reverently discharges his duties, and makes his emolument a secondary consideration."

I think of the modern phrase "Do now, think later." When reading this passage. The rewards should be a secondary concern, behind doing one's duty.

XXXVIII
The comprehensiveness of teaching
The Master said, "In teaching there should be no distinction of classes."

I think the point of this passage is anyone can learn anything. It does not matter what your social class is as long as you put in the work to understand something. For example, The disciples of Jesus. Some of them were poor fisherman. While others were rich tax collectors. All of them understood and tried to embody Jesus' teachings.

XXXIX
Agreement in principle necessary to concord in plans
The Master said, "Those whose courses are different cannot lay plans for one another."

I think the point of this passage is that you should not force other people to follow a plan of action unless you understand their situation. This doesn't necessarily constitute that you need to agree with their decisions, you just need to respect them.

XL
Perspicuity the chief virtue of language
The Master said, "In language it is simply required that it convey the meaning."

This passage makes a very significant point. I remember several months ago, my family had a huge debate about whether or not teachers should accept it when a student says "Ax" instead of "Ask," or "Ain't" instead of "Not" in casual conversation. The ultimate point that my family came to is that the point of language is to communicate a point. If a word communicates that point, then that word has achieved the most important aim of language.

XLI
Consideration of Confucius for the blind

  1. The Music master, Mien, having called upon him, when they came to the steps, the Master said, "Here are the steps." When they came to the mat for the guest to sit upon, he said, "Here is the mat." When all were seated, the Master informed him, saying, "So and so is here; so and so is here."
  2. The Music master, Mien, having gone out, Tsze-chang asked saying, "Is it the rule to tell those things to the Music master?"
  3. The Master said, "Yes. This is certainly the rule for those who lead the blind."

The point of this passage is that certain situations dictate certain reactions. For example, an obligation to help a blind guest.

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