Fan Chi asked about humaneness. The Master said, “It is to love others.”
He then asked about wisdom. The Master said, “It is to know people.”
Fan Chi did not fully grasp this. The Master added, “Raise the upright and place them above the crooked—this will cause the crooked to become upright.”
After leaving, Fan Chi went to see Zi Xia and said, “Just now I asked the Master about wisdom, and he said, ‘Raise the upright and place them above the crooked, and the crooked will become upright.’ What does this mean?”
Zi Xia replied, “How profound these words are! When Shun ruled the world, he selected Gao Yao from among the people—and the unhumane naturally kept their distance. When Tang ruled the world, he chose Yi Yin from the multitude—and the unhumane again withdrew of their own accord.”
Note
This passage from the Analects of Confucius reveals his practical and relational understanding of both humaneness and wisdom. Humaneness (benevolence) is not an abstract ideal but active care for others; wisdom is not mere intellectual knowledge but the discernment of character—especially the ability to distinguish the upright (right) from the crooked (wrong). True wisdom in governance, Confucius argues, lies in personnel decisions: by appointing virtuous individuals to positions of influence, one creates a moral ecosystem where goodness becomes the norm and wrongdoing loses its footing. The mechanism is not punishment but transformation through example and environment—“the crooked become upright” not by force, but by exposure to integrity and the social pressure of a virtuous standard. Zi Xia’s historical examples (Shun with Gao Yao, Tang with Yi Yin) illustrate that this principle has shaped sage rule since antiquity. The dialogue thus links personal virtue, interpersonal discernment, and political order into a unified ethical vision: good government begins with knowing and elevating the good.
Further Reading
Duke Ai asked, “What must I do for the people to be obedient?” Confucius replied, “Raise the upright and place them above the crooked, and the people will obey; raise the crooked and place them above the upright, and the people will not obey.” Analects 2.19 (Wei Zheng)
Shares the exact phrase “raise the upright, place above the crooked”—emphasizing that just appointments produce public trust and order.
Zhong Gong, serving as steward to the Ji family, asked about governance. The Master said, “Appoint officials first, pardon minor faults, and promote the worthy and talented.” Analects 13.2 (Zi Lu)
Reinforces that selecting capable and virtuous people is central to good administration.
Ji Kangzi asked Confucius, “What if I execute the unprincipled to advance the principled?” Confucius replied, “Why use killing? If you desire goodness, the people will be good…” Analects 12.19 (Yan Yuan)
Both reject punitive solutions in favor of moral influence—here through exemplary appointments, there through personal virtue.
樊遲問仁。子曰：「愛人。」問知。子曰：「知人。」樊遲未達。子曰：「舉直錯諸枉，能使枉者直。」樊遲退，見子夏。曰：「鄉也吾見於夫子而問知，子曰，『舉直錯諸枉，能使枉者直』，何謂也？」子夏曰：「富哉言乎！舜有天下，選於眾，舉皋陶，不仁者遠矣。湯有天下，選於眾，舉伊尹，不仁者遠矣。」
Leave a Reply