The Original Quote:
舜有臣五人而天下治。武王曰：“予有乱臣十人。”孔子曰：“才难，不其然乎？唐虞之际，于斯为盛；有妇人焉，九人而已。三分天下有其二，以服事殷。周之德，其可谓至德也已矣。”
Shùn yǒu chén wǔ rén ér tiānxià zhì. Wǔ wáng yuē: “Yú yǒu luàn chén shí rén.” Kǒngzǐ yuē: “Cái nán, bù qí rán hū? Táng Yú zhī jì, yú sī wéi shèng; yǒu fùrén yān, jiǔ rén ér yǐ. Sān fēn tiānxià yǒu qí èr, yǐ fú shì Yīn. Zhōu zhī dé, qí kě wèi zhì dé yě yǐ yǐ.”
English Translation:
Shun governed the realm with but five worthy ministers. King Wu declared, “I have ten able ministers to bring order.” Confucius said, “Is it not true that talent is hard to find? In the age of Tang and Yu, and in this era, talent flourished as never before. Yet among those ten, one was a woman, leaving but nine men. Even when the House of Zhou possessed two-thirds of the realm, they served the Yin dynasty with humble reverence. The virtue (德) of Zhou may truly be called the highest virtue (至德).”
Key Concepts Explained:
- 德 (dé): Moral virtue or inner power, often cultivated through ritual propriety and righteousness, seen as the foundation of good governance.
- 至德 (zhì dé): The highest or ultimate virtue, a state of perfect moral excellence exemplified by the Zhou founders in their humble service despite their power.
- 才 (cái): talent or ability, particularly in governance; Confucius emphasizes its rarity and the necessity of recognizing it in all, including women.
- 命 (mìng): Implicitly, the mandate of heaven (天命, tiān mìng), which justifies the Zhou’s rise but also demands virtuous conduct, as shown by their continued service to Yin.
Cultural Context:
This passage from the Analects (Book 8, Chapter 20) reflects Confucius’s central belief that a state’s order depends on virtuous and capable ministers. He praises the Zhou dynasty not only for its talented officials but for its moral restraint: possessing two-thirds of the realm, they still served the declining Shang (Yin) dynasty out of loyalty and ritual propriety (礼, lǐ). This act exemplifies “至德” (zhì dé)—the highest virtue—by prioritizing duty over ambition. The mention of a woman among the ten ministers (likely King Wu’s wife, Lady Yi Jiang) subtly acknowledges women’s potential contributions, though Confucius counts her as one of nine, reflecting the era’s gender norms. Historically, this passage underscores the Confucian ideal of rule by virtue (德治, dé zhì) over sheer force, a theme that shaped Chinese political philosophy for millennia.