The Four Pillars of Statesmanship: Confucius’s Complete Formula for (Nearly) Perfect Rule

Confucius outlined perfect governance: “Attain by knowledge, hold with virtue, preside with dignity, and if you then act without ritual, it is still not perfect.”

When his knowledge is sufficient to attain, and he has virtue enough to hold fast; when he governs also with dignity, yet if he try to move the people contrary to the rules of propriety – full excellence is not reached.

知及之,仁能守之,庄以涖之。动之不以礼,未善也。

Source: The Analects, Wei Ling Gong XV, Chapter 33

Author: Confucius

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