Zǐ yuē: “Wéi zhèng yǐ dé, pì rú běi chèn, zhū qí suǒ ér zhòng xīng gǒng zhī.”
The Master Says: “Using virtue for governing (is) metaphorically like (being) (the) North Star, resting/stopping itself so (the) multitude (of) stars revolve around it.”
This is one of my favorite passages in the Analects: the image is captivating and inspiring while the conceptual content is complex and a bit paradoxical. Untangling the image leads to a very optimistic view of human nature and the capacity to inspire others with exemplary/virtuous behavior.
The key to this passage is remembering that virtue (dé 德) is complex: it refers to the power/ability to direct or navigate circumstances, especially in conjunction with daò 道. Remember that daò 道 is not always perfectly clear, but the forces created by changing conditions do manifest in the environment and do create hazards to personal and social health.
In terms of the Confucian Sage dé 德 is the capacity to create harmony within society by creative or exemplary uses of knowledge, culture, or ritual.
The beauty of dé 德 is that exemplary practice can be truly inspirational, like a violin player or professional athlete inspiring awe and respect. We may not be able to directly emulate these exemplary individuals but they inspire us to excellence in our own pursuits. Exemplary practice of dé 德 actually raises the community standards for dé 德.
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