Flexibility and Moral Cultivation in the Analects of Confucius
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Flexibility, or acting in line with the needs of the situation rather than strictly adhering to prefigured rules and principles, has long been seen as a primary feature of early Confucian ethics as articulated in the Analects of Confucius. This paper develops an understanding of flexibility in the Analects through a close reading of two passages, 18.8 and 17.4. The goal is to both add nuance to standard readings of flexibility in the text and contribute to contemporary discourse, where consideration of moral flexibility is lacking. I show that while flexibility in the Analects is presented as an exemplary ethical approach, it requires a high level of moral cultivation, making it inaccessible to many. For those incapable of a flexible approach, a rigid approach that strictly adheres to rules and principles provides a means of both proper conduct and further ethical development. The Analects thus offers a fairly nuanced consideration of the notion of flexibility and the role of moral cultivation that can enliven contemporary ethical discourse.
Source: Religions
DOI: 10.3390/rel16040441
Author: Henry Allen
Institution: East China Normal University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,172
OpenAlex ID: W4408936907