Confucius’s Final Verdict: “Never Harm Ren to Live, But Die to Fulfill It”

 Confucius declared: “The noble never preserve life by harming virtue, but sacrifice life to complete it.”

The determined scholar and the man of virtue will not seek to live at the expense of injuring their virtue. They will even sacrifice their lives to preserve their virtue complete.

志士仁人,无求生以害仁,有杀身以成仁。

Source: The Analects, Wei Ling Gong XV, Chapter 9

Author: Confucius

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