The Master said, “In hearing lawsuits, I am no different from others; what I truly aim for is that there be no lawsuits at all!”
Note
This statement from the Analects of Confucius reveals his vision of ideal governance: justice should not merely resolve conflicts after they arise, but prevent them through moral education and virtuous leadership. While he acknowledges that adjudicating disputes is a necessary function of government—and that his legal judgment is comparable to others’—he insists that the highest achievement of a ruler or sage is to cultivate a society so harmonious, ethical, and mutually respectful that litigation becomes unnecessary. This ideal stems from the belief that law and punishment address symptoms, whereas de (virtue) and li (ritual propriety) address root causes. When people are guided by filial piety, loyalty, righteousness, and courtesy, interpersonal conflicts diminish naturally. Thus, “no lawsuits” is not a denial of justice, but its ultimate fulfillment—a society where right conduct flows from inner moral alignment rather than fear of penalty. This reflects the Confucian preference for moral transformation over coercive control, and for harmony over adversarial resolution.
Further Reading
The Master said, “If you guide the people by laws and align them through punishments, they will avoid crime but have no sense of shame. If you guide them by virtue and align them through ritual, they will have shame and become upright.” Analects 2.3 (Wei Zheng)
Both contrast rule by punishment with rule by moral example—arguing that true order comes from internalized ethics, not external enforcement.
子曰：「聽訟，吾猶人也，必也使無訟乎！」
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