Fan Chi asked to learn farming. The Master said, “I am not as good as an old farmer.”
He then asked to learn gardening. The Master said, “I am not as good as an old gardener.”
After Fan Chi left, Confucius said, “How petty-minded Fan Xu is! If those in high position love ritual, the people will not dare be disrespectful; if they love righteousness, the people will not dare disobey; if they love trustworthiness, the people will not dare be insincere. If this is so, people from all directions will come carrying their children on their backs—why would one need to farm?”
Note
This passage from The Analects of Confucius reflects his clear distinction between the roles of rulers/scholars and common laborers—and his prioritization of moral leadership over technical or manual skills.
When Fan Chi, a disciple, expresses interest in agriculture, Confucius does not condemn farming itself but implies it is not the proper focus for a junzi (noble person, Confucian gentleman) or future leader. For Confucius, the scholar-official’s task is not to produce food but to cultivate virtue: by embodying ritual propriety, righteousness, and trustworthiness, leaders create a moral climate so attractive that social harmony and prosperity follow naturally—even drawing people from afar. The rhetorical question “why farm?” underscores that governance through virtue renders direct economic production unnecessary for the ruler; order and abundance arise as byproducts of ethical influence. Calling Fan Chi “petty-minded” does not mean morally corrupt but “small-souled”—focused on practical subsistence rather than grand civilizational responsibilities. This reveals a core Confucian tenet: social transformation begins with elite moral exemplarity, not grassroots economic activity.
Further Reading
The Master said, “Governing by virtue is like the North Star: it stays in its place, and all the stars revolve around it.” Analects 2.1 (Wei Zheng)
Reinforces that moral centrality – not manual labor or micromanagement – attracts and orders society.
The Master said, “If you are not in a position, do not plan its policies.” Analects 8.14 (Tai Bo)
Implicitly supports role differentiation – farmers farm, rulers rule; each has their proper sphere.
樊遲請學稼，子曰：「吾不如老農。」請學為圃。曰：「吾不如老圃。」樊遲出。子曰：「小人哉，樊須也！上好禮，則民莫敢不敬；上好義，則民莫敢不服；上好信，則民莫敢不用情。夫如是，則四方之民襁負其子而至矣，焉用稼？」
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