Analects Book 15: 卫灵公 (Wèi líng gōng) — Duke Ling of Wei — Complete Guide

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Analects Book 15: 卫灵公 (Wèi líng gōng) — Duke Ling of Wei

The gentleman endures hardship, the craftsman sharpens his tools

Published July 17, 2026 · 8 min read · By Oriens

Summary

Analects Book 15, traditionally titled 衛靈公 / 卫灵公 (Wèi Líng Gōng, Duke Ling of Wei), is a collection of sayings and exchanges rather than a continuous philosophical argument. Its passages range across public service, hardship, ren (humaneness), the junzi, speech, self-examination, and shu (reciprocity). Several of the Analects' best-known short sayings appear in this Book, but they should be read by passage locator rather than treated as one continuous speech.

Key Takeaways

Book 15 brings together passages on hardship, ren, the junzi, public service, speech, self-examination, and shu.
Its short sayings should be read by passage locator and immediate context, rather than treated as one continuous speech.
The chapter's received order connects distinct sayings and exchanges without making them one systematic argument.

Book 15 is traditionally titled 衛靈公 / 卫灵公 (Wèi Líng Gōng, Duke Ling of Wei). It is an anthology of sayings and exchanges: military questions, hardship in Chen, ren, the junzi, speech, self-examination, and shu all appear at distinct locators. The passages are best approached as separate units whose contexts remain visible.

Key passages in Analects Book 15

15.1 — Duke Ling asks about military affairs

衛靈公問陳於孔子。 Oriens working rendering: Duke Ling of Wei asks Confucius about military formations. The passage records a question and response, not a settled biography of the ruler or teacher.

15.2 — The junzi in hardship

在陳絕糧。 Oriens working rendering: In Chen, provisions ran out. The passage contrasts how the junzi and the petty person respond to hardship; its point is attached to this exchange rather than made into a guarantee about suffering.

15.10 — The craftsman must sharpen his tools

子貢問為仁。子曰：工欲善其事，必先利其器。 Oriens working rendering: Zigong asks about practicing ren. Confucius answers with the craftsman image, then speaks of serving among worthy ministers and befriending humane scholars. The saying later became widely reusable, but its Analects context concerns ren, preparation, and worthy associates rather than a universal productivity or business slogan.

15.21 — The junzi seeks from himself

君子求諸己，小人求諸人。 Oriens working rendering: The junzi seeks from himself; the petty person seeks from others. The concise contrast should be read as a passage-level statement about responsibility and conduct.

15.23 — Judge words and people separately

君子不以言舉人，不以人廢言。 Oriens working rendering: The junzi does not recommend a person solely because of their words, nor reject words solely because of the person who said them. The passage separates evaluating speech from evaluating its speaker.

15.24 — Shu and “do not impose”

其恕乎！己所不欲，勿施於人。 Oriens working rendering: Zigong asks whether one word could guide a whole life. The answer proposes shu (恕, reciprocity), followed by the maxim: what one does not wish for oneself, one should not impose on others. This is Analects 15.24; the related wording in Analects 12.2 has a different question and context. See the Analects 15.24 Golden Rule card for related context.

15.36 — Do not yield when ren is at stake

當仁，不讓於師。 Oriens working rendering: When ren is at stake, do not yield even to a teacher. The line gives urgency to humane conduct without promising that every situation has one automatic answer.

What Book 15 is not saying

Book 15 is not a continuous speech, a universal productivity manual, or a ranking of one ethical formula above every other passage. Its received chapters bring distinct sayings and exchanges together; passage locators and local context remain the safest way to read them.

Oriens has mapped 71 philosophical concepts across 330 wisdom cards and 868 conceptual relationships

Sources & Further Reading

Confucius. The Analects. Translated by D.C. Lau. Penguin Classics, 1979.
Mencius. Mencius. Translated by D.C. Lau. Penguin Classics, 2004.
Chan, Wing-tsit. A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy. Princeton University Press, 1963.