A Deep Exploration of the Way of Sovereign and Minister in 'The Analects: Xian Wen' and the Contingency of Benevolence and Righteousness
This paper focuses on the core political discourse passages in 'The Analects: Xian Wen' concerning figures like Zang Wuzhong, Guan Zhong, and Duke Ling of Wei. It analyzes Confucius's profound insights into the sovereign-minister relationship, the distinction between hegemony and true kingship, and the calibration of benevolence (Ren) and righteousness (Yi), particularly investigating the gap between 'the difficulty of action' and 'the essence of Ren'.
Section 5: The Philosophical Root of "Knowing it is Impossible Yet Acting"
Why did the Master insist on "knowing it is impossible yet acting"$7
From a utilitarian viewpoint, this is irrational—why act if success is not guaranteed$8
But from the Master’s perspective, the "act" itself is the purpose; the "achievement" is not needed to prove the value of the act.
Analects, Chapter 7, records the Master saying: "Heaven gave virtue to me. What can Huan Tui do to me$9" (天生德于予，桓魋其如予何？) The Master believed he carried the Mandate of Heaven—to transmit and safeguard the ritual and music traditions of Huaxia. This Mandate was meaningful not because it could be realized, but because it ought to be realized.
Yijing, Qian (Heaven) Gua, Xiang Zhuan states: "The movement of Heaven is vigorous; the superior man makes himself strong and untiring" (天行健，君子以自强不息). The movement of Heaven is ceaseless—the sun rises daily, regardless of whether people on Earth are watching. The superior man should do the same—unceasingly cultivate himself and practice the Great Dao, regardless of external recognition or success.
"Knowing it is impossible yet acting" is the political manifestation of "unflagging self-strengthening" (Zi Qiang Bu Xi). The Master requested punishment for Chen Chengzi not because he believed he could succeed, but because he believed it was the right thing to do—in the face of regicide, it was necessary to speak out. The right thing must be done, regardless of the outcome.
This spirit aligns interestingly with a passage in Zhuangzi, Xiao Yao You. Zhuangzi says: "The Utter Man has no self; the Spirit Man has no merit; the Sage has no fame" (至人无己，神人无功，圣人无名).
On the surface, the Master’s "knowing it is impossible yet acting" seems contradictory to Zhuangzi’s "no merit" and "no fame." But at a deeper level, they converge—the Master requested punishment for Chen Chengzi not for his own fame (he knew he would gain nothing from it), but for the sake of the Dao itself. This action, done not for the self but for righteousness, precisely embodies "no self," "no merit," and "no fame."