6.8
Ji Kang asked whether Zilu was the right sort of person to put into office.
The Master said, “You(Zilu) is efficient. It goes without saying that he is capable of holding office.”
Ji Kang said, “How about Zigong? Would he be the right sort of person to put into office?”
The Master said, “He can tum his merits to account. It goes without saying that he is capable of holding office.”
Ji Kang said, “How about Ran Qiu? Would he be the right sort of person to put into office?”
The Master said, “He is versatile. It goes without saying that he is capable of holding office.”
季康子問：「仲由可使從政也與？」子曰：「由也果，於從政乎何有？」曰：「賜也，可使從政也與？」曰：「賜也達，於從政乎何有？」曰：「求也，可使從政也與？」曰：「求也藝，於從政乎何有？」
Notes
Ji Kangzi, the chief minister of Lu, inquired whether Confucius’ disciples — Zilu, Zigong, and Ran You — were fit for governance. Confucius precisely summarized their core traits:
- Zilu (Zhong You): “Resolute in execution, decisive in action” — suited for crisis management.
- Zigong: “Persuasive in articulation, adept in diplomacy” — ideal for state negotiations.
- Ran You: “Versatile in practical expertise” — excels in economic and administrative affairs.
This passage from the Analects illustrates Confucianism’s pluralistic view of governance competencies: Diverse temperaments and skills can serve statecraft when aligned with their strengths.
A gentleman should not be like a tool that serves only a single purpose, but instead possess versatile capabilities. However, this statement does not negate the value of being “a specialist” (a person with specific expertise). Instead, it complements Confucius’ evaluations of Zilu, Zigong and Ran Qiu – “Zilu is resolute, Zigong is perspicacious, Ran Qiu is skilled”. Governance requires both people with specialized talents and generalists who can oversee the overall situation, together forming an employment system that ensures everyone can make the most of their abilities.
“Meng Gongchuo would be more than competent as a steward for the clans of Zhao or Wei, but he would not be suitable to serve as a minister of the small states of Teng or Xue.”(Analects 14.11)
Meng Gongchuo was a man of integrity and free from greed. He was well-suited to be a steward for the powerful clans of Zhao and Wei in the State of Jin – a position that was relatively leisurely and emphasized moral character – but he was not qualified to be a minister of the small states of Teng or Xue, which demanded handling complex administrative affairs.
This aligns with the logic behind Confucius’ evaluation of his three disciples – “assessing fitness for governance based on individual aptitudes” – emphasizing the importance of matching talents to appropriate positions, where different personal traits correspond to different governance requirements.
Leave a Reply