Confucius said, “When the world is governed by the Way, rites and music and decisions on military campaigns originate from the Son of Heaven. When the world lacks the Way, they originate from the feudal lords. When they come from the feudal lords, rarely does their rule last beyond ten generations; when they come from high ministers, rarely beyond five generations; when even subordinate ministers seize control of state affairs, rarely beyond three generations. When the world is governed by the Way, political power does not reside with the high ministers. When the world is governed by the Way, the common people do not criticize the government.”
Note
This passage from the Analects of Confucius – Lunyu systematically articulates his core views on political order, the legitimacy of authority, and social stability, reflecting the Confucian doctrine of “rectifying names”and hierarchical harmony.
“Rites and music and military decisions originate from the Son of Heaven” signifies the ideal political order: under the Zhou dynastic system, only the Son of Heaven – the legitimate sovereign – had the authority to establish cultural norms (like the ritual and music) and authorize warfare. This centralized, legitimate authority ensured social coherence.
The downward delegation of power signals political decay: when feudal lords, then high ministers, and finally even their subordinates usurp the Son of Heaven’s prerogatives, it reveals the collapse of central authority and confusion of roles. Confucius uses the declining spans – “ten generations,” “five generations,” “three generations” – to illustrate that the farther power strays from its legitimate source, the less stable and shorter-lived the regime becomes, due to a lack of moral and institutional legitimacy.
“The common people do not criticize the government” is often misread as suppression of speech. In fact, it means: when governance is just and the Way (Dao or Tao) prevails, the people live in peace and have no need to complain. Conversely, widespread public criticism is itself evidence of “a world without the Dao.” Thus, this statement serves as a warning to rulers: the people’s quiet contentment is the ultimate measure of righteous governance.
The passage also implies the logic of “cultivating the self, regulating the family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world”: only when the Son of Heaven follows the Dao can all levels below remain properly aligned – ministers fulfill their duties, and commoners trust the regime. Once the top loses the Way, the entire political order collapses like dominoes.
Confucius was not blindly defending hierarchy, but insisting that order must rest on moral legitimacy. When superiors lose virtue and inferiors usurp power, the result is not merely a shift in authority but a moral collapse that inevitably leads to chaos and downfall.
Though framed in ancient monarchical terms, the core concern – the relationship between the legitimacy of power, institutional stability, and public trust – remains profoundly relevant today.
In short, Confucius teaches: The foundation of politics is the Way. When the Way prevails, authority resides with the rightful sovereign, and the people dwell in peace; when the Way is lost, power falls into private hands, and the state’s fate is sealed.
Further Reading
The Ji family planned to attack Zhuanyu… Confucius said, “I fear the Ji family’s real worry lies not in Zhuanyu – but within the inner walls.” Analects 16.1 (Ji Shi)
Illustrates the very phenomenon described in Analects chapter 16.2 – ministers (Ji family) wielding military power illegitimately, signaling internal decay and impending crisis.
The Master said, “If names are not rectified, speech will not accord with truth; if speech does not accord with truth, affairs cannot succeed; if affairs do not succeed, rites and music will not flourish; if rites and music do not flourish, punishments will miss their mark; and if punishments miss their mark, the people will not know where to place hand or foot.” Analects 13.3 (Zi Lu)
Both emphasize that political chaos begins with the breakdown of proper roles (“rectifying names”) and legitimacy, leading to systemic collapse.
Duke Jing of Qi asked Confucius about governance. Confucius replied, “Let the ruler be a ruler, the minister a minister, the father a father, the son a son.” Analects 12.11 (Yan Yuan)
Reinforces the idea that social stability depends on each person fulfilling their role according to moral and hierarchical norms – directly supporting the critique of power usurpation in chapter 16.2.
孔子曰：「天下有道，則禮樂征伐自天子出；天下無道，則禮樂征伐自諸侯出。自諸侯出，蓋十世希不失矣；自大夫出，五世希不失矣；陪臣執國命，三世希不失矣。天下有道，則政不在大夫。天下有道，則庶人不議。」
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