Rectifying the names
Confucius was appalled by the decadence and corruption of the ruling elite of his time. He believed the solution lay in restoring the foundational values of his hero, the Duke of Zhou, who had laid the groundwork for the flourishing of the Zhou dynasty after its founding in 1046 BCE.
Confucius saw the restoration of linguistic integrity — ensuring that words matched reality — as crucial for reestablishing trust and order in the strife-torn Zhou empire during the late Spring and Autumn Period. If only members of the ruling elite would align their actions with their rhetoric, society would naturally return to a state of peace and harmony.
Confucius expresses this idea most eloquently in Chapter 3 of Book 13 of the Analects when he tells his faithful friend and follower Zilu that if he were made chief minister of the state of Wei, his top priority “most definitely would be to rectify the names.” Here is the passage in full:
Zilu asked, “If the ruler of Wei were to entrust you with the government of his state, what would be your first priority?” Confucius said, “It most definitely would be to rectify the names.” Zilu responded, “Really? Isn’t that a little strange? How would that make things right?” Confucius explained, “No need to be so dense! When a ruler doesn’t understand what he’s talking about, he should remain silent. When the names aren’t correct, language doesn’t accord with the truth of things. When language doesn’t match reality, nothing can be carried out successfully. When actions fail, ritual and music won’t flourish. Without flourishing arts, punishments and penalties miss their mark. When justice fails, the people don’t know where to place their hands and feet. Therefore, a ruler must ensure that names are correct and actions follow words. When it comes to speaking, a ruler doesn’t allow any carelessness.”
子路曰：「衛君待子而為政，子將奚先？」子曰：「必也正名乎！」子路曰：「有是哉？子之迂也！奚其正？」子曰：「野哉，由也！君子於其所不知，蓋闕如也。名不正，則言不順；言不順，則事不成；事不成，則禮樂不興；禮樂不興，則刑罰不中；刑罰不中，則民無所措手足。故君子名之必可言也，言之必可行也。君子於其言，無所茍而已矣！」
Not surprisingly, the ruling elite of Confucius’s time was too preoccupied with partying, palace infighting, and waging wars against other states to heed his advice. Similarly, the ruling elite of our own time is far too busy engage in power plays and PR displays to care about such minor matters as the integrity of language and action.
The more things change…
Related Links
Leadership Lessons from Confucius: say what you mean
The Analects of Confucius Book 13 New English Translation
