A Deep Exploration of the Way of Sovereign and Minister in 'The Analects: Xian Wen' and the Contingency of Benevolence and Righteousness

Section 9: Epilogue: "Ren" and "Dao" in the Pre-Qin Spiritual World

Finally, let us examine the spiritual significance embedded in these passages from a broader perspective—the relationship between "Ren" (Benevolence) in Confucianism and "Dao" (The Way) in Daoism during the Pre-Qin period.

Confucian "Ren" and Daoist "Dao" are often viewed as two different spiritual orientations in Pre-Qin thought—"Ren" is engaged, active, and concerned with human affairs; "Dao" is withdrawn, passive, and transcendent of human affairs.

But through the deep analysis of this sequence, we discover: At the highest level, "Ren" and "Dao" merge.

Guan Zhong’s "Ren"—unifying the rectification of the world, so the people benefit to this day—is this not the realization of "Dao" in the human realm$18

The Master’s "knowing it is impossible yet acting"—caring nothing for success or failure, only for right and wrong—is this not the manifestation of "Non-action yet leaving nothing undone" (Wu Wei Er Wu Bu Wei) in political action$19

"The superior man strives upward" (Junzi Shang Da)—the ultimate destination of this "upward striving," whether called "Heaven" (Tian) by the Confucians or "Dao" by the Daoists, is the same.

Laozi, Chapter 25, states: "There is a thing, mysteriously formed, existing before Heaven and Earth. Still and void it stands alone and unchanging, it moves around without fail. It can be the mother of all under Heaven. I do not know its name; I style it the Dao; compelled, I call it Great. Great, it flows away; flowing away, it goes far; going far, it returns" (有物混成，先天地生……强为之名曰大。大曰逝，逝曰远，远曰反). The Dao is prior to Heaven and Earth, it operates independently and eternally.

Analects, Chapter 4, records the Master saying: "If I hear the Dao in the morning, I can die content in the evening" (朝闻道，夕死可矣).

The "Dao" sought by Confucius and the "Dao" sought by Laozi are, at the deepest level, the same "Dao"—the ultimate origin of the cosmos, transcendent of all specific things.

The difference lies only in the method of realization: Laozi chose "non-action" (Wu Wei)—approaching the Dao through yielding, non-contention, and softness; Confucius chose "action" (You Wei)—approaching the Dao through education, correcting names, and establishing Rites and Music. But their goals are identical—to liberate humanity from the trajectory of "Xia Da" (Downward Sinking) and set them upon the path of "Shang Da" (Upward Striving).

This is the greatness of Pre-Qin thought—it is not a narrow doctrine of one school or sect, but a spiritual tradition where a hundred streams converge into one great river, reaching a single destination through different paths. In this tradition, "Ren" and "Dao" are not opposed; they are complementary—like the Qian and Kun hexagrams, Yin and Yang, which combine to form the Dao.

Yijing, Xici Zhuan II states: "What need is there for worry or reflection about all under Heaven$20 All under Heaven share one destination but tread different paths; they share one goal but have a hundred ways of thinking. What need is there for worry or reflection about all under Heaven$21" (天下何思何虑？天下同归而殊途，一致而百虑。天下何思何虑？)

This sequence of passages demonstrates precisely this unity—from "shame" to "Ren," from "uprightness" to "attainment," from individual moral cultivation to the reconstruction of world order—everything points to the same ultimate goal: to enable man to become a true "human"—a being who strives upward, possesses the Dao, and embodies benevolence and righteousness.

End of Text.

Postscript: This essay, comprising twelve chapters, discusses topics ranging from "Zang Wuzhong used Fang to request a successor" to "The superior man strives upward; the inferior man sinks downward." It attempts, from the dual perspectives of Pre-Qin Confucian/Daoist thought and ancient spiritual tradition, to uncover the deep structure and ultimate purpose of this political discourse in The Analects, Chapter Xian Wen. The text extensively cites classics such as Zuo Zhuan, Guoyu, Shangshu, Shijing, Yijing, Liji, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Mengzi, Xunzi, Guanzi, and Shanhaijing, striving to understand the subtle meanings of the Master’s words within their contemporary intellectual context. Due to the limits of my scholarship, omissions are inevitable; I sincerely seek correction from learned experts.

—Xuanji Editorial Department