一孔录子曰：为政以德，譬如北辰，居其所而众星共之。The Master said: One who governs by virtue is like the pole star: it stays in its place, and all the other stars turn toward it.
常The common reading
The pole star does not move, so the ruler need do nothing at all.
注Key words in the commentary
“政之为言正也” — zheng (governing) means setting straight; “德之为言得也，行道而有得于心也” — de (virtue) means attainment, what one gains in the heart by walking the Way; “北辰……天之枢也” — the pole star is the pivot of the sky; “共，向也” — gong means to turn toward.
家What other commentators say
Cheng Yi: “为政以德，然后无为” — govern by virtue, and only then can one be without striving (the order cannot be reversed); Fan Zuyu: “所守者至简而能御烦” — what he holds to is utterly simple, yet it masters complexity.
读How Yikonglu reads it
Not that decrees are unnecessary, but that the one who governs must first have gained something himself. Today: the form teacher whose word counts.
核Check every citation
Every commentary line quoted in the video: the original wording, who said it, and the page in the base edition. “Paraphrase” marks our summary, not the commentator's words.
| Quoted text | Source | Page |
|---|---|---|
| “共，音拱，亦作拱；共，向也；北辰（即北极）” | Zhu Xi's commentary | page 23 page 24 |
| “政之为言正也，所以正人之不正也；德之为言得也，行道而有得于心也” | Zhu Xi's commentary | page 24 |
| “北辰，北极，天之枢也；居其所，不动也；言众星四面旋绕而归向之也” | Zhu Xi's commentary | page 24 |
| “为政以德，则无为而天下归之，其象如此” | Zhu Xi's commentary | page 24 |
| “为政以德，然后无为” | Cheng Yi, quoted by Zhu Xi | page 24 |
| “为政以德，则不动而化，不言而信，无为而成；所守者至简而能御烦，所处者至静而能制动，所务者至寡而能服众” | Fan Zuyu, quoted by Zhu Xi | page 24 |
音Pronunciation
| Character | In the line | Read as |
|---|---|---|
| 共 | 众星共之 | gǒng |
页Pages of the base edition
Yikonglu, Analects Wei zheng (Book 2) 2.1 “Governing by virtue”, https://yikonglu.com/en/lunyu/wei-zheng/1.html, version 2026-11-03.Last checked: 2026-11-03. Changes are logged on theerrata page.
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