Analects of Confucius

Confucius gives his full attention to providing further commentary on the method of governing correctly and in accordance to “manhood.” And so Confucius says: 

You bumpkin! Sprout! When a proper man doesn’t know something, he shows some reserve [...] If words are not precise, they cannot be followed out, or complete in action according to specifications [...] When the services are not brought to true focus, the ceremonies and music will not prosper [...] Therefore the proper man must have terms that can be spoke, and when uttered be carried into effect; the proper man’s words must cohere to things, correspond to them (exactly) and no more fuss about it (79-80). 

For Confucius, it is of the highest priority that those who govern have cultivated their moral character precisely because while the population may find it easy to cultivate filiality and respect for authority, each individual cannot be expected to achieve “manhood.” Given a situation such as this, Confucius states: 

If the men above love the rites no one of the people will dare be irreverent. If the men above love justice, none of the people will fail to conform, if the men above love veracity, none of the people will want to use mendacity, when the Great one is like this, the people of the Four Squares will come to him with their children on their backs, what does he need to know about farming? (80).