Zigong asked about governance. The Master said, “Ensure sufficient food, sufficient military strength, and the people’s trust.”
Zigong asked, “If, under unavoidable circumstances, one of these three must be abandoned, which should go first?”
The Master replied, “Abandon the military.”
Zigong asked again, “If, under further unavoidable circumstances, another must be abandoned between the remaining two, which should go?”
The Master said, “Abandon food. Since ancient times, all people have faced death—but without the people’s trust, a state cannot stand.”
Note
This passage from the Analects of Confucius presents his hierarchy of political priorities, revealing his deep conviction that moral legitimacy—not material or coercive power—is the foundation of stable governance. While food (economic security) and arms (military defense) are necessary, they are secondary to trust or faith—the bond of mutual confidence between rulers and the ruled. Trust arises when leaders act with integrity, justice, and benevolence; without it, even abundance and security collapse into chaos. By stating “since ancient times all have died,” Confucius acknowledges the inevitability of hardship but insists that a community can endure scarcity if united by shared moral purpose. Conversely, a regime that loses public trust—through deceit, injustice, or self-interest—loses its very reason to exist, regardless of its wealth or weapons. This teaching underscores Confucianism’s ethical core: politics is not about control, but about cultivating virtue so that people willingly follow. It also reflects a long-term view of statecraft: trust takes generations to build but can vanish overnight—and once gone, no army or granary can restore order.
Further Reading
The Master said, “To govern a state of a thousand chariots, be reverent in affairs and trustworthy, practice frugality and care for the people, and employ the people only at proper times.” Analects 1.5 (Xue Er)
Both emphasize trust as essential to governance, alongside responsible resource use and respect for the people.
The Master said, “When a ruler’s conduct is upright, he need not issue orders and people will follow; if his conduct is not upright, even orders will go unheeded.” Analects 13.6 (Zi Lu)
Reinforces that authority stems from moral example, not coercion—aligning with the idea that trust, not force, sustains rule.
子貢問政。子曰：「足食。足兵。民信之矣。」子貢曰：「必不得已而去，於斯三者何先？」曰：「去兵。」子貢曰：「必不得已而去，於斯二者何先？」曰：「去食。自古皆有死，民無信不立。」
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