一孔录The video for this chapter is still in production. For now this page gives the original text, the facsimile page, a working translation and the commentary; the full reading follows when the video is out.
子曰：可與共學，未可與適道；可與適道，未可與立；可與立，未可與權。The Master said: Some you can study with, but not go with toward the Way; some you can go with toward the Way, but not stand with; some you can stand with, but not weigh things with.
What this chapter says
一孔按：可以一同学的，未必能一同走向道；能走向道的，未必能一同立得住；立得住的，未必能一同权衡。权是在常规之外仍合乎义，最难。常有人问：“可与立，未可与权”，为什么“权”最难？上面是一孔录的回答。
Yikonglu's reading of this chapter is in Chinese for now; the English version comes with the video.
白Plain Chinese
孔子说：可以一起求学的人，未必能一起走向正道；能一起走向正道的人，未必能一起站稳立场；能一起站稳的人，未必能一起通权达变。
Draft plain-Chinese rendering following Zhu Xi; it will be checked when the chapter is covered.
看Watch this chapter
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Connections
- Other books
- Cited by commentatorsDaodejing 36: Emperor Xuanzong of Tang defends "What is to be shrunk must first be stretched" (将欲歙之，必固张之) by citing Confucius: "One may stand firm with someone, yet not be able to weigh circumstances with him." This, he says, is expedience…
- Read alongside (Yikonglu)Daodejing 40: "Reversal is the movement of the Dao" (反者道之动): Confucius too knew that, beyond holding to the constant, one must adapt to change.
Relationship map of the whole book · The Analects, AI-reconstructed edition (PDF)
Close reading and checking
For readers who want to go deeper or check our work: key words in the commentary, what other commentators say, textual variants, the commentaries in their own words with facsimile pages, pronunciation and corrections. Tap a heading to open it.
常The common reading
“可与立，未可与权”，为什么“权”最难？
注Key words in the commentary
可与者，言其可与共为此事也。
核Zhu Xi's commentary, line by line
Zhu Xi's own words on each line of this chapter, each checked against the base-edition page. Other commentators are added when the chapter is covered. About this edition
| Line | Quoted text | Page |
|---|---|---|
| 子曰：可与共学， | “可与者，言其可与共为此事也。” | page 128—129 |
| 子曰：可与共学， | “可与共学，知所以求之也。可与适道，知所往也。可与立者，笃志固执而不变也。权，称锤也，所以称物而知轻重者也。可与权，谓能权轻重，使合义也。” | page 128—129 |
| 子曰：可与共学， | “知为己，则可与共学矣。学足以明善，然后可与适道。信道笃，然后可与立。知时措之宜，然后可与权。” | page 129 |
| 子曰：可与共学， | “易九卦，终于巽以行权。权者，圣人之大用。未能立而言权，犹人未能立而欲行，鲜不仆矣。” | page 129 |
| 子曰：可与共学， | “汉儒以反经合道为权，故有权变权术之论，皆非也。权只是经也。自汉以下，无人识权字。” | page 129 |
| 子曰：可与共学， | “先儒误以此章连下文偏其反而为一章，故有反经合道之说。程子非之，是矣。然以孟子嫂溺援之以手之义推之，则权与经亦当有辨。” | page 129 |
家Other commentaries
Our base text is Zhu Xi's Collected Commentaries (above). Here are other commentaries side by side: for old commentaries, the first line of the sub-commentary with a link to the woodblock scan; for modern editions, one short quoted translation for comparison. The “compared with Zhu Xi” notes are written by Yikonglu, not quoted.
皇侃《论语义疏》Liang dynasty · 1750 Japanese woodblock edition · juan 五
“此章明權道之難也。”……
Compared with Zhu Xi
| Commentary | Point | Relation | Confidence | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 钱穆《论语新解》 | same | fairly sure | 同分共学、适道、立、权层进，权为称轻重合义，不是无忌惮随俗；钱以义精仁熟方可权强调条件。 |
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