The Analects – Chapter 92 (5.1, 5.2). Personal ethics and marriage choices

5.1, 5.2

The Master said of Gongye Chang, “Though he has suffered imprisonment, he is not an unfit person to choose as a husband; for it was not through any fault of his own.” He married him to his daughter.

The Master said of Nan Rong, “In a country ruled according to the Way, he would not be overlooked; in a country not ruled according to the Way, he would manage to avoid capital punishment or mutilation.” He married him to his elder brother’s daughter.

子謂公冶長，「可妻也。雖在縲絏之中，非其罪也」。以其子妻之。

子謂南容，「邦有道，不廢；邦無道，免於刑戮。」以其兄之子妻之。

Notes

Part 1.

The first passage from the Analects records Confucius’ evaluation of his disciple Gongye Chang and his decision to marry his daughter to him. Through Confucius’ unconventional criterion for judging “worthiness” — prioritizing virtue over circumstances — it reveals the Confucian wisdom of “assessing character through adversity” and a value system that “transcends worldly prejudices.”

Gongye Chang, once wrongly imprisoned, faced public scorn. Yet Confucius, defying “common biases,” discerned his moral innocence and upheld his integrity.

Unswayed by secular ideas and public opinions, he chose Gongye Chang as his son-in-law.

Confucius also said elsewhere:

“People’s transgressions correspond to their types of character. Observe a person’s transgressions, and you will know whether they possess benevolence.”(The Analects 4.7)

It advocates judging a person’s moral character by the nature and motives behind their faults, rather than dismissing them merely for having made mistakes. This is consistent with the principle of “distinguishing right from wrong regarding one who is innocent” – that is, judging a person’s essence without being swayed by superficial labels.

Part 2.

The second passage records  Confucius’ evaluation of another disciple Nan Rong.

Confucius praised him: “When the Way prevails in the state, he is employed and not overlooked; when the Way does not prevail, he avoids punishment or execution.” This reflects Nan Rong’s wisdom in thriving in prosperity and preserving himself in adversity.

Similar sayings can also be found in the Analects, such as:

“As for Ning Wuzi, when the state was well-governed, he displayed his wisdom; when the state fell into disorder, he feigned foolishness. Others can attain his wisdom, but none can match his feigned foolishness.”(The Analect 5.21)

Through Ning Wuzi’s flexibility of “exhibiting wisdom when the state is well-governed and feigning foolishness when it is not”, it echoes the existential wisdom of “not being neglected in a well-ordered state and avoiding punishment in a chaotic one”. It highlights the value of “keeping a low profile to bide one’s time” for self-preservation in turbulent times, and is inherently consistent with Nan Rong’s philosophy of conduct.

Nan Rong’s greatness lies in harmonizing principled integrity with strategic adaptability. Regardless of the state’s condition, his core values (benevolence, righteousness, ritual) remained unwavering. He adjusted his conduct to the environment: acting vigorously in times of order, and withdrawing prudently in times of chaos.

Confucius thus married his elder brother’s daughter to him.