Analects 12.13 · Yan Yuan
“In hearing lawsuits, I am no different from anyone else. What is necessary is to bring about a society without lawsuits.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
聽訟吾猶人也 必也使無訟乎 (tīng sòng wú yóu rén yě, bì yě shǐ wú sòng hū) means “In hearing lawsuits, I am no different from anyone else. What is necessary is to bring about a society without lawsuits.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 12 (Yan Yuan), Chapter 13.
聽訟吾猶人也 必也使無訟乎
- Pinyin
- tīng sòng wú yóu rén yě, bì yě shǐ wú sòng hū
- Translation
- In hearing lawsuits, I am no different from anyone else. What is necessary is to bring about a society without lawsuits.
- Source
- Analects, Book 12 (Yan Yuan), Chapter 13
What does this passage mean?
聽訟 means hearing legal disputes—adjudicating cases. Confucius modestly says that he can conduct a trial as others do, but that the true goal is to create a society in which litigation does not arise at all. This lies at the heart of his ideal of government by virtue. Under laws and punishments, people seek only to avoid penalties; led by virtue, they develop a sense of shame and refrain from wrongdoing themselves. A fundamental solution removes the causes of conflict.
How can we apply it today?
Modern society is woven densely with laws and regulations, yet lawsuits do not decline and disputes never cease. From Confucius's perspective, this is like treating symptoms without addressing the underlying disease. Within an organization, it is wiser to ask why recurring conflicts arise than to add another rule every time one occurs. A good leader is not merely someone who solves problems, but someone who creates an environment in which those problems do not arise.
Questions to reflect on
- ·If a conflict or problem keeps recurring, what is its root cause?
- ·Do I focus on solving problems or on preventing them?
- ·Can we build a culture in which people do what is right even without rules?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 聽 | tīng | hear | 22 | 耳 (ear) |
| 訟 | sòng | lawsuit | 11 | 言 (speech) |
| 吾 | wú | I; me | 7 | 口 (mouth) |
| 猶 | yóu | still; yet | 12 | 犬 (dog) |
| 人 | rén | person | 2 | 人 (person) |
| 也 | yě | grammatical particle | 3 | 乙 (second) |
| 必 | bì | certainly | 5 | 心 (heart) |
| 也 | yě | grammatical particle | 3 | 乙 (second) |
| 使 | shǐ | cause | 8 | 人 (person) |
| 無 | wú | lack | 12 | 火 (fire) |
| 訟 | sòng | lawsuit | 11 | 言 (speech) |
| 乎 | hū | grammatical particle | 5 | 丿 (slash) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “In hearing lawsuits, I am no different from…” mean?
聽訟吾猶人也 必也使無訟乎 (tīng sòng wú yóu rén yě, bì yě shǐ wú sòng hū) means “In hearing lawsuits, I am no different from anyone else. What is necessary is to bring about a society without lawsuits.” It comes from the Analects, Book 12 (Yan Yuan), Chapter 13.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 12.13: Book 12 (Yan Yuan), Chapter 13.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Modern society is woven densely with laws and regulations, yet lawsuits do not decline and disputes never cease.