CONFUCIAN ANALECTS 論語

The top section contains the Chinese source text in vertical columns, read from right to left.

子曰溫故而知新可以為師矣。
子貢問君子子曰先行其言而後從之。
子曰君子不器。
子曰君子周而不比小人比而不周。

Chapter XI. The Master said, "If a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge, so as continually to be acquiring new, he may be a teacher of others."

Chapter XII. The Master said, "The accomplished scholar is not a utensil."

Chapter XIII. Tsze-kung asked what constituted the superior man. The Master said, "He acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his actions."

Chapter XIV. The Master said, "The superior man is catholic and no partisan. The mean man is a partisan and not catholic."

11. To be able to teach others one must from his old stores be continually developing things new. The character "cherish/review" is expressed in the dictionary by reference to this very passage, saying, "one's old learning being thoroughly mastered, again constantly to practice it, is called reviewing." Modern commentators say that the "new learning is in the old." The idea probably is of assimilating old acquisitions and new.

12. The general aptitude of the Chün-tsze superior man. This is not like our English saying, that "such a man is a machine,"—a blind instrument. A utensil has its particular use. It answers for that and no other. Not so with the superior man, who is ad omnia paratus prepared for all things.

13. How with the superior man words follow actions. The reply is literally—"He first acts his words and afterwards follows them." A translator's difficulty is with the latter clause. What is the antecedent to "it"? It would seem to be "his words," but in that case there is no room for words at all. Nor is there according to the old commentators.

14. The difference between the Chün-tsze and the small man. "Partisan," here in 4th tone, = "partial," "partisanly." The sentiment is this:—"With the superior man, it is principles not men; with the small man, the reverse."