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
Duke Ching of Ch’i in his lifetime had thousands of horses, but when he died the common people couldn’t find anything to praise him for. On the other hand, Po Yi and Shu Ch’i were starving during their lifetimes, but after their deaths the common people continue to sing their praises.
This anecdote serves to communicate that material wealth has nothing to do with whether one has lived a meaningful life. The poor men, likely through their generous actions, live on in the townspeople’s collective memory.
Themes
