Zilu asked how to serve a ruler. The Master said, “Do not deceive him, but dare to remonstrate with him openly – even if it offends him.”
Note
This statement from the Analects of Confucius concisely captures the Confucian ideal of ministerial loyalty: true loyalty is not blind obedience or flattery, but honest counsel – speaking truth to power even at the risk of offending the ruler.
- “Do not deceive him” stresses integrity: a minister must never conceal the truth, whitewash problems, or practice duplicity. This is the baseline of loyalty.
- “But dare to remonstrate with him” emphasizes moral responsibility: when the ruler errs, the minister has a duty to speak up directly, even if his words are sharp or his manner appears disrespectful. Such “remonstrance in the ruler’s face”is not insolence – it is the highest form of respect, aimed at correcting errors and upholding the public good.
Confucius rejects two extremes: sycophantic flattery (e.g., “clever words and ingratiating looks”) and passive complicity through silence. He advocates a balance between reverence and moral accountability – serving the ruler with honesty and principle.
This reflects the core Confucian political ethic: the ruler-minister relationship is not one of master and servant, but a partnership in upholding the Way (Dao). A true minister is both truthful and courageous – this is “great loyalty.”
Further Reading
The Master said, “A true minister serves his ruler according to the Way; if he cannot, he withdraws.” Analects 11.24 (Xian Jin)
Both emphasize that service to a ruler must be guided by moral principle (Dao), not personal gain or blind submission.
Confucius said: “When I serve a ruler with complete observance of ritual propriety, people regard me as obsequious.” Analects 3.18 (Ba Yi)
To observe the ritual of serving a ruler is a principle, not obsequiousness; ritual is the foundation of ruler-minister order, and we must adhere to it despite misunderstanding – this is the commitment to upholding what is right and moral.
Duke Ding asked: “How should a ruler employ his ministers, and how should ministers serve their ruler?” Confucius replied: “A ruler employs his ministers with ritual propriety; ministers serve their ruler with loyalty.” Analects 3.19 (Ba Yi)
The ruler-minister relationship is a reciprocal and equitable covenant: a ruler must first treat his ministers with ritual propriety (showing respect and granting authority in accordance with norms), and only then will the ministers respond with loyalty (fulfilling their duties and upholding righteousness). Blind one-sided loyalty is repudiated.
子路問事君。子曰：「勿欺也，而犯之。」
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