Analects 12.17

Original Text:

季康子问政于孔子孔子对曰政者正也子帅以正孰敢不正

Translation:

Other Translations:

Ji Kangzi asked Confucius about governing.

Confucius responded, “To ‘govern’ means to be ‘correct’. If you set an example by being correct yourself, who will dare to be incorrect?”

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

Ji Kangzi asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied, To govern is to put to rights. If you lead in the right direction, who will dare do what is not right?

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