Note 13 — THE SAYINGS OF CONFUCIUS (continued 2)

The idea is, "Every man to his own trade. Why should I not then busy myself with government—the subject to which I have devoted my life?" I do not agree with Legge that the compiler of this chapter could not have been a disciple of the sage. Confucius successfully refutes the laisser-faire argument of the hermit, who would dissuade him from reform on the strange and unsatisfactory ground that the world's affairs were in a thoroughly bad state. To any one but a Taoist it would be evident that this was the very time for reform.