The Master said, “I was still able to witness an age when historians left blanks in their records for uncertain matters, and when someone who owned a horse would lend it for others to ride. Alas, such virtues are gone today!”
Note
Though this passage from the Analects – Lunyu appears nostalgic on the surface, it profoundly conveys Confucius’ concern over the moral and intellectual decline of his time.
“Historians leaving blanks”refers to ancient scribes who, when encountering unverifiable or uncertain historical details, deliberately left gaps rather than fabricating or speculating. This reflects a rigorous commitment to truth, intellectual honesty, and professional integrity. Confucius was grateful to have seen this standard firsthand.
“Someone who owned a horse would lend it for others to ride” is a vivid metaphor: horses were valuable assets in antiquity, and lending one symbolized generosity, trust, and a spirit of shared resources – not just material aid, but a communal ethos of openness and altruism.
With the lament “Alas, such virtues are gone today!”, Confucius mourns that in the late Spring and Autumn period, people no longer respected factual accuracy (filling records with conjecture) nor practiced generosity (becoming increasingly self-interested).
Though seemingly unrelated, these two examples jointly point to a core value: integrity and public-mindedness. Leaving blanks was “responsibility toward truth”; lending a horse was “responsibility toward others” – both transcended self-interest and upheld righteousness.
This also resonates with Confucius’ statement in Analects 7.1: “I transmit but do not create; I believe in and love the ancients.” His admiration for the past was not blind traditionalism, but a recognition of its enduring values: factual rigor and humaneness.
In today’s information age, the “spirit of leaving blanks” is especially precious: amid overwhelming data, the courage to say “I don’t know” and to refrain from spreading unverified claims embodies rationality and civic responsibility. Meanwhile, the “spirit of lending horses” reminds us that even in a competitive world, space must remain for sharing and trust.
In short, Confucius uses two simple examples to lament: A healthy society requires both reverence for truth and kindness toward others; when these vanish, civilization begins to decay.
Further Reading
The Master said, “I transmit but do not create; I believe in and love the ancients. In this, I humbly compare myself to Lao Peng.” Analects 7.1 (Shu Er)
Both express respect for ancient practices rooted in truthfulness and humility, not mere nostalgia.
The Master said, “Hear much, leave doubts aside, and speak cautiously about the rest – then you will seldom err.” Analects 2.18 (Wei Zheng)
Advocates intellectual caution and withholding judgment on uncertain matters – directly parallel to “leaving blanks in records.”
子曰：「吾猶及史之闕文也，有馬者借人乘之。今亡矣夫！」
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