Confucius: The Essential Analects, Books 12-14

I would like to know what those famous rituals are. Confucius seems to believe that following them is the key to being good:

"Do not look unless it is in accordance with ritual; do not listen unless it is in accordance with ritual, do not speak unless it is in accordance with ritual; do not move unless it is in accordance with ritual."

This seems a bit extreme. There can't be rituals that guide you as to when it is appropriate to move, or to say something, and especially not listen. You should just listen to whoever is speaking, unless that person isn't saying anything worth hearing.

Confucius also talks a lot about how if you just set the right example, everyone around you will be good.

"To govern means to be correct. If you set an example by being correct yourself, who will dare to be incorrect?" (12.17)

In the next book, he also talks a lot about how you should rule your people. You need to be upright and respectable in all ways, so that people are drawn closer to you ("The mere existence of such a ruler would cause the common people throughout the world to bundle their children on their backs and seek him out." 13.4)

I disagree with his statement that people should govern by being Good, then everyone would copy his example and become good as well. People aren't like that. Maybe some would follow his example and try to behave correctly, but most of the people would like him yet not change their ways, or else just walk all over him. This way of ruling would never work in a society full of different kinds of people. Granted, the rulers should be good, and want the best for their people, but that also means they need to have laws and punishments if they want order.

It's also interesting that he thinks that people should cover up for each other's crimes:

"Among my people, those who we consider upright are different from this: father cover up for their sons, and sons cover up for their fathers. "Uprightness" is found in this." (13.18)

While I understand that this has to do with being filial, I don't see why friends should cover up each other's crimes. It's not good; it encourages people to do bad things, then tell each other, "Well, Confucius said that you have to cover up for me." It's not right. Loyalty is fine, but not that kind of negative fidelity. It just cause trouble, and in the end two people are hurt/affected instead of only one.

Confucius also talks about Virtue, and what makes a good man Good, by doing such things as only speaking when the times was right, only laughing when you were truly happy, and only taking that which is yours.

I think he has an interesting way of judging gentlemen. He does not seem to care about what sins they refrain from doing, but rather if they always behave above and beyond the goodness of other people, following the rules of Goodness religiously, and never, not for one second, stop trying to be Good.