3.19
Duke Ding asked for a precept concerning a ruler’s use of his ministers and a minister’s service to his ruler.
Confucius replied, “A ruler in employing his ministers should be guided solely by the prescriptions of ritual. Ministers in serving their ruler, solely by devotion to his cause.”
定公問：「君使臣，臣事君，如之何？」孔子對曰：「君使臣以禮，臣事君以忠。」
Notes
This passage from the Analects reveals Confucius’ core discourse on ruler-minister relations. It concisely and profoundly reveals the concept of “mutual obligation” in Confucian political ethics, breaking the logic of one-sided obedience to power. It emphasizes that rulers and ministers should treat each other with “ritual” and “loyalty”, each fulfilling their proper roles.
Duke Ding was the ruler of the state of Lu. His question reflects the tension and imbalance that had arisen in ruler-minister relations at the time.
Historically, during Duke Ding’s reign in Lu, the ducal authority declined as the Three Huan Houses — three powerful aristocratic families — usurped state power. This led to a collapse of proper conduct: rulers ceased to fulfill their duties as rulers, and ministers abandoned their roles as ministers.
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