Zilu asked Confucius, “If the ruler of Wei were waiting for you to take charge of government, what would you do first?”
The Master said, “Certainly, I would rectify the names!”
Zilu replied, “Really? How impractical you are! What’s there to rectify?”
The Master said, “How uncultivated you are, You! When a noble person does not understand something, he leaves it aside rather than speak rashly. If names are not correct, speech will not be in accord with reality; if speech is not in accord, affairs cannot succeed; if affairs do not succeed, rites and music will not flourish; if rites and music do not flourish, punishments will miss their mark; and if punishments miss their mark, the people will not know how to move hand or foot. Therefore, when the noble person assigns a name, it must be expressible clearly; when he speaks, it must be practicable. The noble person is never careless in his words.”
Note
This passage from the Analects of Confucius presents his doctrine of “rectifying names” as the foundational act of governance. At its core, it means aligning titles, roles, and language with moral and social reality – ensuring that words correspond to actual conduct and responsibilities. In the historical context of the state of Wei, where rulers and ministers had usurped positions or acted contrary to their proper roles (e.g., a son claiming authority over his rightful father), “names” had become divorced from ethical truth. Confucius argues that this semantic and moral disorder cascades through society: without clarity in roles and language, communication breaks down, policies fail, cultural norms (like rites and music) collapse, and legal punishment becomes arbitrary – leaving the people confused and insecure. For Confucius, political order begins not with laws or armies, but with linguistic and ethical precision. The noble person’s speech must be both truthful and actionable; thus, rectifying names is an act of moral responsibility, not pedantry. This teaching underscores the Confucian belief that language shapes reality – and that restoring harmony requires first restoring the integrity of words.
Further Reading
The Master said, “When the noble person gives something a name, it must be speakable; when he speaks, it must be practicable.” Analects 14.20 (Xian Wen)
Directly quotes the closing principle of chapter 13.3 – emphasizing the unity of naming, speech, and action.
Duke Jing of Qi asked Confucius about governance. Confucius replied, “Let the ruler be a ruler, the minister a minister, the father a father, the son a son.” Analects 12.11 (Yan Yuan)
This is the classic expression of rectification of the names – each person must fulfill the ethical duties implied by their title. Without this, social order collapses.
子路曰：「衛君待子而為政，子將奚先？」子曰：「必也正名乎！」子路曰：「有是哉，子之迂也！奚其正？」子曰：「野哉由也！君子於其所不知，蓋闕如也。名不正，則言不順；言不順，則事不成；事不成，則禮樂不興；禮樂不興，則刑罰不中；刑罰不中，則民無所措手足。故君子名之必可言也，言之必可行也。君子於其言，無所苟而已矣。」
Leave a Reply