The Passages

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7.12

9.13

Informal interpretation:

These two passages give a glimpse into the economics of Confucius's world. Passage 7.12 tells us when it is and isn't worth pursuing wealth, and 9.13 uses the metaphor of a fine piece of jade to explore the question of when to put your talents to use — and for whom.

Philosophical Discussion

The Mohist Diss Track

Before diving into these passages, it helps to see how Confucius's contemporaries viewed his school's economic life. The 墨子, the central text of the Mohist school of philosophy, contains a chapter called "Against Ru" that reads like an ancient diss track:

"The Ruist avoids work and is indolent and proud. Self-indulgent in drinking and eating and too lazy to work, he often suffers from hunger and cold... He behaves like a beggar; grasps food like a hamster, gazes at things like a he-goat, and rises up like a wild boar... When a death takes place in a rich family he will rejoice greatly, for it is his opportunity for clothing and food."

Judgments aside, there are real facts buried in here. Ruists (儒家) did profit from funerals — conducting ceremonies and advising on proper ritual was among their specialties. Think of a priest who officiates weddings and funerals, except the Ruist's role was vastly expanded: wedding planner, legal consultant, DJ, and officiant all in one.

Golden Handcuffs (7.12)

Confucius praised his student 顏回 in passage 6.11 for living in a narrow alley with only simple food and drink, yet still taking great joy in life. So which is it — get rich, or sleep in an alley?

The answer is: it depends.

In 7.12, Confucius says wealth is not worth pursuing at this time. But he leaves open the possibility that it can be — under the right circumstances. What made it not worth pursuing during his lifetime was the quality of the people in charge. Many of the aristocrats and rulers around him were feuding, plotting, and acting with negligence. Serving people he didn't respect would mean doing their bidding, and that could lead to terrible positions.

Imagine you got a lucrative job offer, but the boss has a reputation for being cruel. You ignore the warning signs, take the job, and buy a house. Then one day the boss tells you your new responsibility is kicking puppies. You refuse, but now you're threatened — fired, exiled, or worse. That's the golden handcuffs Confucius wanted to avoid.

But say you read a job posting: "Hiring Guards. Responsibilities: holding a whip at the market entrance, chasing off thieves." Not glamorous, but the pay's decent, and it's an honest operation run by reputable people. Nobody's going to ask you to whip a bunch of nuns. According to 7.12: go ahead, make that money.

Pearls Before Swine (9.13)

子貢, the businessman disciple, poses a trade-focused dilemma. You have a beautiful piece of jade — lock it away, or find a buyer?

Confucius doesn't hesitate. He'd sell it! But not for just any price — he's waiting for the price, from someone who truly sees its value.

Of course, the jade is a metaphor. Confucius is the jade. Having wandered from state to state for years, why hadn't he settled down with one ruler? Because none of them saw his value the way he saw it himself. Whether it was the ruler of 衛 asking him about military tactics or watching the rulers of 魯 ignore their duties for days on end, these rulers simply didn't share his values — and so they could not value him properly either.

The Practical Advice

The wisdom in these passages generalizes easily:

1. Know who you're working for. If you don't respect them, or suspect they may ask you to do something unconscionable, don't put yourself in a position of depending on them for your livelihood.
2. Know your own worth. If you're confident you can make a big impact but you've already committed to something small because you took the first thing that came along, you're selling yourself short.

In both cases, Confucius says hold out. Spend your time doing what you love — whether that's admiring jade, tending a garden, or teaching students. It's better than the mess you could get into otherwise.

Context and Connections

The Mohists (墨家)

Founded by 墨子, born just after Confucius's death at the start of the Warring States period. Their core tenets — universal love, utilitarianism, frugality, and rejection of aggressive violence — may feel surprisingly modern. 墨子 is believed to have studied at the Ruist (儒家) school before rejecting it and founding his own.

The Ruists (儒家)

The class of ritual specialists that Confucius belonged to. Their occupation predated Confucius by centuries — he transformed and consolidated their practices, but 儒 is still the name by which the tradition is known in Chinese today. In this episode, the focus is on their economic and occupational role in society, rather than the philosophy of the Analects specifically.

Related Passages

• 6.11 — Confucius praises 顏回 for living simply in a narrow alley and still finding joy
• 4.12 — On the dangers of acting purely for profit
• 4.16 — On the difference between seeking what is right and seeking personal gain

Language Notes

富 (fù)

Wealthy. Used alone, especially during Chinese New Year, and in compounds like 富有 (affluent).

雖 (suī)

Although, even though. The same character used in the modern compound 雖然.

執鞭之士 (zhí biān zhī shì)

A guard who handles a whip. 士 is a person of some rank, here a guard. A nerdy history note: in ancient China, a "whip" (鞭) could be either flexible or rigid — the rigid kind were more like batons or maces.

吾 (wú)

The most common first-person pronoun in the Analects. 吾亦為之 means "I'd still do it."

從吾所好 (cóng wú suǒ hào)

"Follow what I love." 從 means to follow (in modern Mandarin, it often means "from," as in 你從哪裡來 — "Where are you from?"). 所 means "that which" — still reflected in phrases like 我所知道 ("as far as I know"). 好 (hào) means to love or be fond of, not "good."

如 (rú)

Here meaning "since." In modern Chinese it often means "like" when used alone, and "if" in the compound 如果.

玉 (yù)

Jade. You may know 玉米 (corn) — literally "jade grain," which is a much better name.

韞匵 (yùn dú)

To store in a box. 韞 means to wrap up or store, 匵 is a type of box or case. Together they describe locking something precious away.

藏 (cáng)

To hide. Still used with this meaning in modern Chinese.

諸 (zhū)

A contraction of 之 (it) and 乎 (question particle). Appears twice in 9.13, confirming this is a hypothetical scenario.

沽 (gū)

To sell. 沽之哉 — "Sell it!" The character can also mean to buy depending on context, but here Confucius is clearly the seller.

哉 (zāi)

An emphatic particle. 沽之哉！ could be rendered as "I'd absolutely sell it!" or simply with an exclamation point.

賈者 (gǔ zhě)

The buyer. 賈 (gǔ) means merchant or buyer. 我待賈者也 — "I'm waiting for the [right] buyer." The word "right" is implied: if he has to wait, it's because not just any buyer will do.

富而可求也 (fù ér kě qiú yě)

This phrase has a topic-comment structure. Don't render 而 as "and" and 可 as "can" — think of 而 as "if it were" and 可 as "suitable." So: topic "wealth," comment "if it were suitable to seek."

于斯 (yú sī)

"Here is" or "here lies." These characters hint at a hypothetical scenario being set up.