Chapter
III
The
Master said, “Zilu! I’m going to tell you just what ‘knowledge is’. If you know
something, then stick to it. If you don’t, then never admit it. That’s
knowledge!”.
Zichang
was studying [at university] in the hope of getting into the Civil Service. The
Master said, “Do a lot of research, scrap anything you’re dubious about, speak
about what’s left with caution – you’re unlikely to get into trouble. Watch
people and situations carefully, put aside anything you’re not sure of, put the
rest into practice cautiously and you won’t often have to regret what you’ve
done. If your words can’t be faulted or your actions regretted, you’re on your
way to the Top.”
Duke
Ai [of Lu] asked how he should win over his subjects. Confucius said, “Put
incompetent people in charge and get rid of the competent. They you’ll win them
over. If you put the competent [in the executive class] in charge and get rid
of the incompetent, you’re in trouble.”
Lord
Ji Kang [of Lu] asked what he should do to make the people respectful, loyal
and law-abiding. “Be dignified and they’ll respect you. Be in awe of your own
Head [Duke Ai] and they’ll be loyal. Promote the incompetent and train the
competent and the people will be law-abiding.”
Someone
said to Confucius, “Why don’t you join the government?” The Master said, “In
the Book of Documents [1] it says, ‘Serve Those on Top and show
solidarity with your colleagues and you’ll be in the government all right!’ You
don’t have to be in the actual government to run the country." [2]
The
Master said, “Untrustworthy means useless. Ever tried driving a truck with no
brakes or a car with no steering wheel?" [3]
Zichang
asked whether we could know the future ten generations hence. Confucius said,
“The Yin dynasty borrow the Protocols of the Xia. We know what they dropped and
what they added. The Zhou dynasty borrowed Protocols of Yin. We know what they
dropped and what they added. Assuming that Zhou does have successors, we can
know what they’ll be like even a hundred generations from now. In a well-run
organisation, Those on Top stay in power." [4]
The
Master said, “Adopting ideologies that belong to other is grovelling. Refusing
to act decisively out of moral scruples is cowardice." [5]
The
Master said, “Living in the city is a delight. Living in the boondocks is just
plain stupid!”
The
Master said, “If you’re powerless, you can’t be happy for long and can’t put up
with trouble. Power benefits everyone, clever or stupid.”
The
Master said, “You’ve got to have power before you can favour some people and
dispose of others.”
The
Master said, “Everyone’s out for wealth and status. Never give up the hunt,
even if it goes against your most cherished ‘principles’. Nobody wants to be
poor and unknown. Don’t let your so-called ‘principles’ keep you in the gutter.
If you don’t get power, who’s going to hear of you? Hang on to power once
you’ve got it, even if it nearly kills you.”
The
Master said, “I have never seen anyone who really loved power and had no time
for principles. Anyone who really loves power would put nothing above it.
Anyone who is really absolutely devoid of moral scruples is certain to rise to
power. Has anyone ever really done his utmost to become all-powerful? [6] No one has – and it’s not for want of strength. We’ve all got this potential ability
in us, but something holds us back." [7]
The
Master said, “Academics think they’ve found the Truth. But since most of them
look like half-starved scarecrows, who listens?”
[1] An archaic Zhou
historical text.
[2] An astute
observation! Ask any media mogul!
[3] Literally, “A
wagon with no crossbar or a chariot with no yokebar”.
[4] Seventy two
generations have passed since Confucius, yet things have not essentially
changed. Those on Top are still running us and the weak – worldwide – still go
to the wall. As Orwell remarked, we are rabbits governed by stoats.
[5] Marxists and
peaceniks please note.
[6] Stalin, Hitler,
Castro, Pol Pot and others are all obvious contenders!
[7] Confucius did
not live to see some notable examples of what he is advocating. One such person
transformed China, quite recently.
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