The Analects – Chapter 76 (4.11). Noble person vs. Petty person

4.11

The Master (Confucius) said, “Where gentlemen set their hearts upon virtue, the commoners set theirs upon the soil. Where gentlemen think only of punishments, the commoners think only of exemptions.”

子曰：「君子懷德，小人懷土；君子懷刑，小人懷惠。」

Notes

This passage from the Analects reveals two fundamentally divergent life orientations through contrasting the value pursuits of the noble person and the petty person:

• The noble person constantly upholds moral cultivation;
• The petty person obsessively pursues material gain.

• The noble person reveres the rule of law;
• The petty person schemes for personal privilege.

Confucius also said elsewhere:

“The gentleman understands the principles of righteousness, while the petty man understands only personal gain.”(The Analects 4.16)

This statement is in the same vein as the distinction between “cherishing virtue” and “coveting benefits”. It clearly delineates the core value opposition between gentlemen and petty men – the former prioritize moral righteousness, whereas the latter focus solely on self-serving interests. It stands as a classic expression of the Confucian debate on righteousness versus profit.