Integrity at all levels: the essence of good governance

Richard Brown
1 min readDec 24, 2024

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For Confucius’s model of leadership-by-virtue to be effective, it was essential that not only the ruler but also all ministers and officials at every level of the government hierarchy conduct themselves with exemplary moral standards. According to Confucius, it is insufficient for just the leader to embody the highest ethical values; everyone in the hierarchy must adhere to the same stringent standards as well.

This principle is emphasized in Chapter 13 of Book 13 of the Analects, where Confucius argues that leading by example is fundamental to good governance:

Confucius said: “If you stay on the straight path, what difficulties would you have in government service? If you cannot stay on the straight path, how can you possibly keep others on the straight path?”
子曰:「苟正其身矣,於從政乎何有?不能正其身,如正人何?」

This chapter builds on the theme introduced in Chapter 6 of Book 13, extending the expectation of moral integrity to all officials. As Confucius explains, “If a ruler is upright, everything will go well without him giving orders. If he is not upright, even though he gives orders, nobody will obey them.”

Related Links
Leadership Lessons from Confucius: deeds not words
The Analects of Confucius Book 13 New English Translation

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Richard Brown
Richard Brown

Written by Richard Brown

I live in Taiwan and am interested in exploring what ancient Chinese philosophy can tell us about technology and the rise of modern China.

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