Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Analects, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Self-Restraint
Honesty and Integrity
The Individual vs. The Collective
Self-Mastery, Discipline, and Improvement
Summary
Analysis
When asked about benevolence, the Master says that benevolence is the act of returning to observing the rites through overcoming the self. If a man can do this even for a single day, then he could be said to have benevolence. The whole Empire would acknowledge him to be benevolent. But the Master emphasizes that “the practice of benevolence depends on oneself alone, and not on others.”
Here, Confucius states that developing benevolence is first and foremost an individual act. He believes that through holding oneself accountable to improve on one’s weak points, one can cultivate benevolence. But this is not something that people should do in order to gain recognition; rather, they should do it for themselves.
Themes
When asked about benevolence, the Master says one should not impose on others what one does not wish to experience oneself. When asked again about benevolence, the Master says that one can recognize a benevolent man because he won’t speak much—for if acting is difficult, how can speaking come easily?
Duke Ai asks Yu Juo what to do—the harvest in the province that he rules is poor, and the duke does not have enough to cover his expenditure. Yu Juo suggests taxing the people less than the usual. Duke Ai responds, saying that he doesn’t have enough as it is—how will he have enough if he taxes the people even less? Yu Juo responds, saying, “When the people have sufficient, who is there to share your insufficiency? When the people have insufficient, who is there to share your sufficiency?”
In this instance, Yu Juo’s advice shows the importance of the collective over the individual. He believes that the more people there are who do not “share in insufficiency,” the better off the entire province is. The province’s suffering is not measured by the suffering of its most privileged members, but simply by the suffering of the majority of its members.
Themes
Tzu-chang asks the Master what a gentleman needs to have accomplished before “he can be said to have got through.” Bewildered, the Master asks Tzu-chang what he means by “gotten through,” and Tzu-chang says that he means serving in a state or being part of a noble family. The Master quickly corrects him, saying that what Tzu-chang refers to is being known, not getting through. For the Master, getting through means a man who is honest, trustworthy, morally correct, and modest. Being known, on the other hand, describes a man who uses benevolence as a façade merely to advance his personal interests.
Here, Confucius quickly corrects Tzu-chang’s ambitions. Tzu-chang is seeking the sort of material wealth and social status that Confucius often speaks of as lacking value. He says that what one should really aspire to is not to be part of a noble family, but rather to develop the characteristics that practicing the Way can offer. The Master warns against seeking benevolence only to achieve material success.
Themes
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