Analects · Chapter
XXIX explained
Confucius reflects on the proximity of virtue, suggesting that it is not a distant or unattainable ideal but rather something that can be realized through one's own will and effort.
What happens
Confucius reflects on the proximity of virtue, suggesting that it is not a distant or unattainable ideal but rather something that can be realized through one's own will and effort.
Themes in this chapter
Self-Cultivation
The chapter emphasizes that virtue is within reach if one desires it, highlighting the importance of personal effort in moral development.
Characters to notice
- Confucius
The Master speaks on the accessibility of virtue.
Key passages
“Is virtue a thing remote? I wish to be virtuous, and lo! virtue is at hand.”
Virtue is not far away; if I simply desire to be virtuous, it is immediately present.
Confucius underscores the immediacy of virtue, attainable through one's own intention.