The Original Quote:
逸民：伯夷、叔齐、虞仲、夷逸、朱张、柳下惠、少连。子曰：“不降其志，不辱其身，伯夷、叔齐与！”谓：“柳下惠、少连降志辱身矣，言中伦，行中虑，其斯而已矣。”谓：“虞仲、夷逸隐居放言，身中清，废中权。我则异于是，无可无不可。”
Yì mín: Bó Yí, Shū Qí, Yú Zhòng, Yí Yì, Zhū Zhāng, Liǔ Xià Huì, Shǎo Lián. Zǐ yuē: “Bù jiàng qí zhì, bù rǔ qí shēn, Bó Yí, Shū Qí yǔ!” Wèi: “Liǔ Xià Huì, Shǎo Lián jiàng zhì rǔ shēn yǐ, yán zhòng lún, xíng zhòng lǜ, qí sī ér yǐ yǐ.” Wèi: “Yú Zhòng, Yí Yì yǐn jū fàng yán, shēn zhòng qīng, fèi zhòng quán. Wǒ zé yì yú shì, wú kě wú bù kě.”
English Translation:
The recluses were: Bo Yi, Shu Qi, Yu Zhong, Yi Yi, Zhu Zhang, Liu Xia Hui, and Shao Lian. The Master said: “They who did not lower their will or disgrace their person—were these not Bo Yi and Shu Qi?” He added: “Liu Xia Hui and Shao Lian lowered their will and disgraced their person, yet their words were in accord with moral order (lún 伦), and their actions were thoughtful; that is all.” He said: “Yu Zhong and Yi Yi lived in seclusion and spoke freely; their persons were pure (qīng 清), and their retirement was in accordance with expediency (quán 权). I, however, am different from them: I have no predetermined ‘may’ or ‘may not.’”
Key Concepts Explained:
- 志 (Zhì): The will or aspiration; here, the unwavering commitment to moral integrity, even at the cost of social standing.
- 身 (Shēn): The self or person; encompasses both physical dignity and social honor, which the recluse may preserve or sacrifice.
- 清 (Qīng): Purity; moral clarity achieved through withdrawal from worldly corruption, as embodied by Yu Zhong and Yi Yi.
- 权 (Quán): Expediency or weighing circumstances; the wisdom to adapt principles to changing situations, distinct from rigid adherence.
- 无可无不可 (Wú kě wú bù kě): “No fixed ‘may’ or ‘may not’”; the Confucian ideal of flexible responsiveness to the Dao (道), guided by the Mean (中庸 zhōng yōng), avoiding extremes while serving the greater good.
Cultural Context:
This passage from The Analects (Book XVIII, Chapter 8) reflects Confucius’s nuanced view on reclusion—a theme central to Chinese intellectual history. The seven “yì mín” (逸民) represent diverse responses to political corruption: some (like Bo Yi and Shu Qi) maintain unyielding integrity, others (like Liu Xia Hui) serve society with humility, and still others (like Yu Zhong) retreat into pure seclusion. Confucius distinguishes himself by advocating the Middle Way (中庸 zhōng yōng): neither rigid withdrawal nor unconditional service, but adaptive engagement based on circumstance (权). This philosophy profoundly influenced later scholars and statesmen, such as the Tang-dynasty minister Li Mi (李泌), who navigated four reigns by “advancing when needed, retreating when prudent” (用之则行，舍之则藏), embodying the ideal of wú kě wú bù kě as a practical guide to ethical leadership in turbulent times.