Book XII 22

1 Fan Ch’ih asked about benevolence. The Master said, ‘It is to love all men.’ He asked about knowledge. The Master said, ‘It is to know all men.’

2 Fan Ch’ih did not immediately understand these answers.

3 The Master said, ‘Employ the upright and put aside all the crooked;— in this way the crooked can be made to be upright.’

4 Fan Ch’ih retired, and, seeing Tsze-hsia, he said to him, ‘A Little while ago, I had an interview with our Master, and asked him about knowledge. He said, ‘Employ the upright, and put aside all the crooked;— in this way, the crooked will be made to be upright.’ What did he mean?’

5 Tsze-hsia said, ‘Truly rich is his saying!

6 ‘Shun, being in possession of the kingdom, selected from among all the people, and employed Kao-yao, on which all who were devoid of virtue disappeared. T’ang, being in possession of the kingdom, selected from among all the people, and employed I Yin, and all who were devoid of virtue disappeared.’