Analects 3.3
The Analects (論語), BOOK III. PA YIH 八佾第三
子曰、人而不仁、如禮何、人而不仁、如樂何。
The Master said, "If a man be without the virtues proper to humanity, what has he to do with the rites of propriety? If a man be without the virtues proper to humanity, what has he to do with music?"
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 人rénman, person; people
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 仁rénbenevolent, humane, kind
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 禮lǐcourtesy, manners, social customs
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 樂lècheerful, happy, laughing; music
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 4.13
- Mencius 1B.1
- Analects 6.18
- Analects 14.17
- Mencius 2B.9
- Zhuangzi The Evidence of Virtue Complete
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.