The Master said, “The most virtuous withdraw from the world entirely; the next withdraw from a particular state; the next avoid disrespectful looks; and the next avoid offensive words.”
The Master added, “There have already been seven such people.”
Note
This passage from the Analects (Lunyu) systematically outlines the varying degrees of withdrawal that the virtuous may adopt when confronted with political chaos or moral decay, reflecting the Confucian wisdom of “when employed, act; when set aside, withdraw.”
Confucius does not advocate blind activism; he acknowledges that in times when the Way cannot prevail, the worthy have the right – and duty – to distance themselves to preserve their integrity. The four levels of “avoidance” (meaning “to withdraw from”) form a descending hierarchy:
- Withdrawing from the world: complete reclusion, as exemplified by Bo Yi and Shu Qi, who left society entirely;
- Withdrawing from a state: leaving a corrupt polity, as Confucius himself did while traveling among states;
- Avoiding disrespectful looks: refusing to serve under rulers who show arrogance or rudeness, even within the same state;
- Avoiding offensive words: withdrawing upon hearing unjust or immoral speech – the minimal but essential act of moral self-preservation.
This gradation does not denigrate the lower levels; rather, it affirms that as long as one holds fast to the Way, any degree of principled withdrawal is valid. True worth lies not in fame or office, but in fidelity to moral principle.
The remark “There have already been seven such people” indicates that, by Confucius’s time – The Spring and Autumn period, seven sages had already practiced these forms of retreat. This honors historical exemplars and implies that non-cooperation with a corrupt regime is itself an act of moral courage.
This aligns with the teaching in Analects 8.13: “When the world is ruled by the Way, appear; when it is not, withdraw” – emphasizing the scholar’s autonomy and ethical boundaries.
In short, Confucius teaches: in a corrupt age, the worthy may withdraw at different levels; to step back in order to uphold one’s principles is itself a form of steadfastness.
Further Reading
The Master said, “When the world is ruled by the Way, appear; when it is not, withdraw.” Analects 8.13 (Tai Bo)
Both affirm strategic withdrawal as a moral response to a disordered world.
The recluses: Bo Yi, Shu Qi, Yu Zhong, Yi Yi, Zhu Zhang, Liu Xiaohui, Shao Lian… Analects 18.8 (Wei Zi)
Lists historical “recluses,” likely the “seven men” referenced in chapter 14.37 – concrete examples of those who withdrew at various levels.
子曰：「賢者辟世，其次辟地，其次辟色，其次辟言。」子曰：「作者七人矣。」
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