The Analects – Chapter 93 (5.3). Forging virtue in barren soil

5.3

Of Zijian he said, “A gentleman indeed is such a one as he! If the land of Lu were indeed without gentlemen, how could he have learnt this?”

子謂子賤，「君子哉若人！魯無君子者，斯焉取斯？」

Notes

Mi Buqi (Zijian), a disciple of Confucius renowned for his virtue, served as governor of Shanfu in Lu. His exemplary governance earned Confucius’ high praise.

In this passage from the Analects, Confucius raised a profound philosophical question: Does virtue arise from circumstance or innate nature? He implied that true gentlemen were exceedingly rare in Lu, yet its culture was not wholly corrupt. The virtue of gentlemen requires both environmental nourishment and self-cultivation. Zijian’s trajectory proves that even in unfavorable conditions, one may still become a noble man through determined effort.

Likewise, Confucius also said:

“To dwell in a community where benevolence prevails is ideal. How can one be deemed wise if they choose not to reside among the virtuous?”(The Analects 4.1)

It espouses the philosophy of “choosing to live in a community of benevolence”, emphasizing the formative influence of a moral environment on one’s character.

Aligned with the notion that “there would be no such virtue if there were no gentlemen in the State of Lu”, it takes “the environment shapes the cultivation of virtue” as its core tenet, highlighting the importance of “dwelling among the benevolent and associating with the virtuous”.