Analects 12.22
The Analects (論語), BOOK XII. YEN YUAN 顏淵第十二
樊遲問仁。子曰、愛人。問知。子曰、知人。樊遲未達。子曰、擧直錯諸枉、能使枉者直。樊遲退、見子夏曰、鄉也、吾見於夫子而問知。子曰、擧直錯諸枉、能使枉者直、何謂也。子夏曰、富哉言乎。舜有天下、選於眾、擧皋陶、不仁者遠矣、湯有天下、選於眾、擧伊尹、不仁者遠矣。
1. Fan Ch'ih asked about benevolence. The Master said, "It is to love all men." He asked about knowledge. The Master said, "It is to know all men."
2. Fan Ch'ih did not immediately understand these answers.
3. The Master said, "Employ the upright and put aside all the crooked;—in this way the crooked can be made to be upright."
4. Fan Ch'ih retired, and, seeing Tsze-hsia, he said to him, "A Little while ago, I had an interview with our Master, and asked him about knowledge. He said, "Employ the upright, and put aside all the crooked;—in this way, the crooked will be made to be upright." What did he mean?"
5. Tsze-hsia said, "Truly rich is his saying!
6. "Shun, being in possession of the kingdom, selected from among all the people, and employed Kao-yao, on which all who were devoid of virtue disappeared. T'ang, being in possession of the kingdom, selected from among all the people, and employed I Yin, and all who were devoid of virtue disappeared."
Character glossary
- 樊fánrailing, fence, enclosed place
- 遲chítardy, slow, late; to delay
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 仁rénbenevolent, humane, kind
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 愛àito love, to like, to be fond of; love, a
- 人rénman, person; people
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 未wèinot yet; 8th terrestrial branch
- 達dáto reach, to arrive at; intelligent
- 擧jǔraise, lift up; recommend
- 直zhístraight, vertical; candid, direct, fran
- 錯cuòerror, mistake; incorrect, wrong
- 諸zhūall, many, various; surname
- 枉wǎnguseless, in vain; crooked, bent
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 使shǐcause, mission, orders; envoy, messenger
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 退tuìto retreat, to step back, to withdraw
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 夏xiàsummer; the Xia or Hsia dynasty
- 鄉xiāngcountry, village; rural
- 也yěalso, too
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 富fùabundant, ample; rich, wealthy
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 舜shùnlegendary ruler
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 選xuǎnto select, to elect, to choose; election
- 眾zhòngmultitude, crowd; masses, public
- 皋gāothe high land along a river
- 陶táopottery, ceramics
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 遠yuǎndistant, remote, far; profound
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 湯tāngsoup, gravy, broth; hot water
- 伊yīhe she; this, that; used in transliterat
- 尹yǐnto govern, to oversee; director
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 2.19
- Analects 6.20
- Analects 13.19
- Zhuangzi Tien Tzŭ Fang
- Zhuangzi Kêng Sang Ch’u
- Zhuangzi The Identity of Contraries
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.