On Governing

T he Master said: govern by virtue, and you are like the pole star. It keeps its place, and the other stars wheel around it. The Master said: to conduct government by virtue is to be like the north polar star, which stays in its place while all the other stars turn toward it.

The Master said: drive the people with laws and keep them in line with punishments, and they will stay out of trouble but feel no shame. Lead them with virtue and keep them in line with the rites, and they will have a sense of shame, and put themselves right. The Master said: if you lead them with edicts and order them with punishments, the people will evade and feel no shame. If you lead them with virtue and order them with ritual, they will have shame, and moreover will correct themselves.

Zigong asked about governing. The Master said: enough food, enough weapons, and the people's trust. Zigong said: if you had to drop one of the three, which goes first? Drop the weapons, said the Master. And if you had to drop one of the two left? Drop the food. Death has always come to everyone. But without the people's trust, the state cannot stand. Zigong asked about government. The Master said: sufficient food, sufficient arms, and the people's trust in their ruler. Zigong said: if forced to give up one of these three, which first? The Master said: give up the arms. Zigong said: if forced to give up one of the two? The Master said: give up the food. From of old all have died; but without the people's trust there is no standing.

“To govern is to set straight. Lead the people straight, and who would dare go crooked?”

Ji Kangzi asked Confucius about governing. Confucius said: to govern is to set straight. If you lead by going straight yourself, who would dare go crooked? Ji Kangzi asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied: to govern (zheng) is to set straight (zheng). If you lead with straightness, who would dare not be straight?

Ji Kangzi was asking about governing once and floated putting the lawless to death to help the law-abiding. Confucius said: you are running a government; what do you need killing for? Want good, and the people will be good. The virtue of the gentleman is wind; the virtue of the common people is grass. The grass bends when the wind crosses it. Ji Kangzi asked about government, saying: suppose I kill the lawless to advance the lawful, how would that be? Confucius replied: you are carrying on government; why use killing? If you desire good, the people will be good. The virtue of the gentleman is the wind; the virtue of the lesser man is the grass. When the wind passes over the grass, it must bend.

The Master said: if the man himself is straight, things get done without orders. If he himself is not straight, he can give all the orders he likes and no one obeys. The Master said: if his own person is straight, things proceed without commands. If his own person is not straight, though he commands, he will not be obeyed.

Zilu asked: the ruler of Wei is waiting for you to run his government. What would you put first? The Master said: what is needed is to set the names straight. Zilu said: this is just like you, miles off the point. What is there to set straight about names? The Master said: how crude you are, Zilu. About what he does not understand, a gentleman keeps quiet. If the names are not straight, speech does not follow; if speech does not follow, nothing gets done; if nothing gets done, the rites and music do not flourish; if the rites and music do not flourish, punishments miss the mark; and if punishments miss the mark, the people have nowhere to put hand or foot. Zilu said: the ruler of Wei is waiting for you to conduct his government. What will you do first? The Master said: surely it is to rectify names. Zilu said: is that so? How wide of the mark you are. What is there to rectify? The Master said: how uncouth you are, You. About what he does not know, the gentleman leaves a gap. If names are not correct, speech does not accord; if speech does not accord, affairs are not completed; if affairs are not completed, rites and music do not flourish; if rites and music do not flourish, punishments do not hit the mark; if punishments do not hit the mark, the people have nowhere to put hand or foot.

Duke Jing of Qi asked Confucius about governing. Confucius said: let the ruler be a ruler, the minister a minister, the father a father, the son a son. The duke said: well put. For truly, if the ruler is no ruler, the minister no minister, the father no father, the son no son, then though I have grain in the store, will I get to eat it? Duke Jing of Qi asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied: let the ruler be ruler, the minister minister, the father father, the son son. The duke said: good. For if indeed the ruler is not ruler, the minister not minister, the father not father, the son not son, though I have grain, will I get to eat it?

Duke Ai asked: what should I do to make the people fall in behind me? Confucius answered: promote the straight and set them over the crooked, and the people will fall in. Promote the crooked and set them over the straight, and the people will not. Duke Ai asked: what should be done so that the people submit? Confucius replied: raise up the upright and set them over the crooked, and the people will submit. Raise up the crooked and set them over the upright, and the people will not submit.

Ji Kangzi asked how to get the people to be respectful, loyal, and willing. The Master said: face them with dignity and they will respect you; honor your parents and treat the people with kindness and they will be loyal; promote the able and teach those who fall short, and they will be willing. Ji Kangzi asked how to make the people reverent, loyal, and diligent. The Master said: preside over them with gravity, and they will be reverent; be filial and kind, and they will be loyal; raise up the good and teach the incapable, and they will be diligent.

為政 The original Chinese · honored as an artifact

為政以德，譬如北辰，居其所而眾星共之。

Opening lines, classical Chinese · The Analects 論語