Evil

Analects 4.6

Original Text:

子曰我未见好仁者恶不仁者好仁者无以尚之恶不仁者其为仁矣不使不仁者加乎其身有能一日用其力于仁矣乎我未见力不足者盖有之矣我未见也

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “I have yet to meet a person who truly loved Goodness or hated a lack of Goodness. One who truly loved Goodness could not be surpassed, while one who truly hated a lack of Goodness would at least be able to act in a Good fashion, as he would not tolerate that which is not Good being associated with his person.

“Is there a person who can, for the space of a single day, simply devote his efforts to Goodness? I have never met anyone whose strength was insufficient for this task. Perhaps such a person exists, but I have yet to meet him.”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, I have never seen a person who really loved humaneness or a person who really hated the lack of humaneness. A person who really loved humaneness would have no one who surpassed him. A person who really hated the lack of humaneness would conduct himself humanely, never allowing those who lack humaneness to affect his behavior.

Is there someone who for a whole day is willing to use all his strength to achieve humaneness? I’ve never seen anyone who lacked the strength to do so – there may be such a person, but I’ve never seen one.

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 4.4

Original Text:

子曰苟志於仁矣无恶也

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “Merely set your heart sincerely upon Goodness and you will be free of bad intentions.”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, Truly set your mind on humanness, and you will be without evil.

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 2.2

Original Text:

子曰诗三百一言以蔽之曰思无邪

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “The Odes number several hundred, and yet can be judged with a single phrase: ‘Oh, they will not lead you astray'”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, The three hundred poems of the Book of Odes may be summed up in a single phrase: Think nothing base.

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.