The Master said, “Was Zang Wenzhong not a usurper of office? He knew of Liu Xiahui’s virtue, yet did not help him gain a position.”
Note
This passage from the Analects of Confucius – Lunyu reflects Confucianism’s strong emphasis on “governing with virtue” and “promoting the worthy.”
Zang Wenzhong was a prominent minister of Lu, who, by virtue of his high rank, should have possessed the discernment to recognize talent and the duty to recommend the virtuous. Yet despite knowing that Liu Xiahui (Zhan Qin) was morally upright and capable, he failed to recommend him – likely due to personal bias, jealousy, or political calculation. To Confucius, this constituted “usurping office”: occupying a post without fulfilling its essential responsibility.
The term “usurper of office” is severe – it likens such a person to a thief who illegitimately holds a position that demands public service. In Confucian political ethics, official posts are not private privileges but public trusts requiring the promotion of talent for the state’s benefit. To suppress the worthy while holding power is thus both dereliction of duty and moral corruption.
Liu Xiahui was renowned for serving others with integrity and being dismissed three times without regret (Analects 18.2), embodying the ideal junzi. By citing Zang’s failure to promote him, Confucius condemns leaders who occupy positions without contributing to moral governance, stressing that true statesmanship lies in recommending the virtuous with impartiality, not concealing them for selfish reasons.
This aligns with the teaching in Analects 12.22: “Appoint the upright and place them above the crooked, and you can make the crooked become upright.” Conversely, if the worthy are buried, governance inevitably decays.
Today, this insight remains vital: in government, business, or any organization, a leader’s willingness and ability to identify, support, and elevate talented individuals is a key measure of their character and vision.
In short, Confucius teaches: Knowing the worthy yet failing to promote them is tantamount to stealing one’s office; the essence of governance lies in impartially recommending talent, not selfishly obscuring it.
Further Reading
Fan Chi asked about benevolence. The Master said, “To love others.” He asked about wisdom. The Master said, “To know people… Appoint the upright and place them above the crooked, and you can make the crooked become upright.” Analects 12.22 (Yan Yuan)
Both stress that wise governance requires recognizing and promoting the upright – failure to do so undermines moral order.
The Master said, “Zang Wenzhong kept a tortoise in a grand house with mountain-shaped brackets and carved rafters – how can he be considered wise?” Analects 5.18
Another criticism of Zang Wenzhong for ostentation and misplaced priorities – showing Confucius consistently judged him as lacking true wisdom and virtue.
Zhonggong, serving as steward to the Ji family, asked about governance. The Master said, “Put officials first in responsibility, pardon minor faults, and promote the worthy and talented.” Analects 13.2 (Zi Lu)
Explicitly lists “promoting the worthy and talented” as a core principle of good administration – directly contrasting Zang Wenzhong’s failure.
子曰：「臧文仲其竊位者與？知柳下惠之賢，而不與立也。」
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