Confucius: The Essential Analects, Books 7,8, and 11

Confucius really wasn't an innovator. Here are some of his quotes:

"I transmit rather than innovate. I trust in and love the ancient ways. I might thus humbly compare myself to Old Peng." (7.1)

"I am not someone who was born with knowledge. I simply love antiquity, and diligently look there for knowledge." (7.20)

I wonder why that is. Does he just think that if something has worked for a long time, it will continue to work for a long time? But that was actually one of the fallacies we looked at a couple of weeks ago. I'd like to hear his complete आर्गument for why that is, if he ever wrote one.

The Master also seems to use himself as an example a lot.

"The Master was affable, yet firm, awe-inspiring without being severe, simultaneously respectful and relaxed." (7.38)

"In his leisure moments, the Master was composed and yet fully at ease." (7.4)

I think that this is a good idea, as long as it's true. Confucius talks a lot about the fact that you shouldn't say things and then not follow through with them ("The Master said, 'The gentleman is ashamed to have his words exceed his actions'" 14.27) and this allows us to see that he follows through with what he says and acts the way he tells everyone they should act, as well as setting up an example.

In Book 8 Confucius just lists different rules that people should follow to achieve Goodness. One rule that seemed the simplest and therefore applicable to everyone was the following:

"The Master said, "Find inspiration in the Odes, take your place through ritual, and achieve perfection with music.'" (8.8)

These rules are pretty basic, but I guess they say it all. People need inspiration to do right and help others, the Odes, they need some kind of way of managing themselves, rituals, and they need entertainment, music. I don't think that's what he meant for music, but since I personally don't understand what music has to do with anything I put my own interpretation of what he said.

"The Master said, 'The common people can be made to follow it, but they cannot be made to understand it.'"

I agree with that. People often do things for reasons they don't really understand, but they just think to themselves, "Whatever, I might as well do it." This has happened to me many times, in school especially, when teachers tell me to do things , without me having any clue why, but I just do it anyway. Especially in PDR.

Book 11 is a collection of stories that happened to Confucius and his disciples.

Yan Hui just died, which is sad considering that he was obviously the guy everyone looked up to, full of intelligence and wisdom and goodness.

There is also a story about the fact that Confucius disapproves of people who, even if they have a lot of money, want more. He also seems to disapprove of any ambition, because he talks about the fact that a complete man should be free of desires.

Yet I believe that it is good to have ambition. Of you have ambition, you have an incentive to work harder and educate yourself. And if no one had ambition, where would we get our rulers? Who would write books or become actors or generals, if all everyone wants to do is lie around all day doing nothing? Ambition is a really important and necessary part of any functioning society, and it should be encouraged, not repressed.