一孔录

English version: the interface and Yikonglu's notes are translated; quoted commentary stays in Chinese. The Chinese page is authoritative.

The Analects › Xue er (Book 1)

Xue er (Book 1) · chapter 2Filial and fraternal duty as the root of ren

有子曰:其为人也孝弟,而好犯上者,鲜矣;不好犯上,而好作乱者,未之有也。君子务本,本立而道生。孝弟也者,其为仁之本与!
Source text and commentary from Zhu Xi, Lunyu jizhu (Sibu beiyao printing).

Master You said: Those who are filial and fraternal yet fond of defying their superiors are few; those not fond of defying their superiors yet fond of starting disorder have never existed. The gentleman works at the root; once the root is set, the Way grows. Being filial and fraternal — is that not the root of ren?

Working English rendering by Yikonglu; the Chinese text above is what counts.

常The common reading

Filial and fraternal duty is the root of ren (humaneness).

注Key words in the commentary

“为仁,犹曰行仁” — wei ren here means practising ren; Cheng Yi: “谓之行仁之本则可,谓是仁之本则不可” — call it the root of practising ren, yes; the root of ren itself, no; “与者,疑辞,谦退不敢质言也” — the final particle yu marks a question, a modest refusal to assert.

读How Yikonglu reads it

Filial and fraternal duty is where practising ren begins. Today: kind to strangers online, no patience for one's parents at home — that is starting from the far end.

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 textSourcePage
“有子,名若”Zhu Xi's commentarypage 14
“善事父母为孝,善事兄长为弟;鲜,少也;务,专力也;本,犹根也”Zhu Xi's commentarypage 14
“其心和顺”Zhu Xi's commentarypage 14
“为仁,犹曰行仁”Zhu Xi's commentarypage 14
“谓之行仁之本则可,谓是仁之本则不可”Cheng Yi, quoted by Zhu Xipage 15
paraphrase仁是性也,孝弟是用也;仁主于爱,爱莫大于爱亲as abovepage 15
“与者,疑辞,谦退不敢质言也”Zhu Xi's commentarypage 14

音Pronunciation

CharacterIn the lineRead as
弟孝弟tì
好好犯上、好作乱hào
与为仁之本与yú

页Pages of the base edition

勘Errata for this chapter

Errata are kept in Chinese.

  • 2026-11-02 读音原来:旁白“得从孝弟做起”的“得”(应读 děi)配音读不准;改为:改说“要从孝弟做起”重配(依据:配音听写校对;勘误者:一孔录自查)
  • 2026-11-02 读音原来:旁白“‘弟’读‘替’”,前一个“弟”字也被配成“替”;改为:前字还原读“弟”,后字读“替”(tì,同“悌”)(依据:多音字逐句核;勘误者:一孔录自查)
  • 2026-11-02 读音原来:旁白“‘与’读‘鱼’”,前一个“与”字也被配成“鱼”;改为:前字还原读“与”,后字读“鱼”(yú,句末语气词同“欤”)(依据:多音字逐句核;勘误者:一孔录自查)
Cite this pageYikonglu, Analects Xue er (Book 1) 1.2 “Filial and fraternal duty as the root of ren”, https://yikonglu.com/en/lunyu/xue-er/2.html, version 2026-11-03.

Last checked: 2026-11-03. Changes are logged on theerrata page.

Found an error in this chapter? Email us; once checked, it goes on the errata page under your username: email (image)

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