Confucius'+ideal+government

Government
For Confucius, morality and government were so closely related that it was scarcely possible to think about them separately. As you read the following selections, try to form your own idea about the kind of government Confucius was advocating and its possible strengths and weaknesses.
 * 1) Confucius said, "Lead the people with governmental measures and regulate them with laws and punishment, and they will avoid wrongdoing but will have no sense of honor and shame. Lead them with virtue and regulate them by the rules of propriety, and they will have a sense of shame and, moreover, set themselves right." (2:3)
 * 2) Tzu-kung asked about government. Confucius said, "Sufficient food, sufficient armament, and sufficient confidence of the people." Tzu-kung said, "Forced to give up one of these, which would you abandon first? Confucius said, "I would abandon the armament." Tzu-kung said, "Forced to give up one of the remaining two, which would you abandon first?" Confucius said, "I would abandon food. There have been deaths from time immemorial, but no state can exist without the confidence of the people." (12:7)
 * 3) Duke Ching of Ch'i asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied, "Let the ruler **be** a ruler, the minister **be** a minister, the father **be** a father, and the son **be** a son." The duke said, "Excellent! Indeed when the ruler is not a ruler, the minister is not a minister, the father not a father, the son not a son, although I may have all the grain, shall I ever get to eat it?" (12:11)
 * 4) Chi K'ang Tzu (a great official of Confucius's native state of Lu) asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied, "To govern, (**cheng**) is to rectify (**cheng**). If you lead the people by being rectified yourself, who will dare not be rectified?" (12.17)
 * 5) Chi K'ang Tzu asked Confucius about government, saying, "What do you think of killing the wicked and associating with the good?" Confucius replied, "In your government what is the need of killing? If you desire what is good, the people will be good. The character of a ruler is like wind and that of the people is like grass. In whatever direction the wind blows, the grass always bends." (12:19)
 * 6) Confucius said, "If a ruler sets himself right, he will be followed without his command. If he does not set himself right, even his commands will not be obeyed." (13:6)
 * 7) When Confucius was traveling to Wei, Jan Yu drove him. Confucius observed, "What a dense population!" Jan Yu said, "The people having grown so numerous, what next should be done for them?" "Enrich them," was the reply. "And when one has enriched them, what next should be done?" Confucius said, "Educate them." (13: 9)

Discussion Questions

 * 1) If you were a ruler during the time of Confucius, would you have accepted his advice about government? Why?
 * 2) Do you think any of Confucius's thoughts about government could be useful to government leaders today? If so, what do you think could be helpful? If not, what are some of the most important problems involved in his perspective?