Analects · Chapter
XXV explained
Confucius evaluates two musical compositions, the Shâo and the Wû, commenting on their aesthetic beauty and moral goodness.
What happens
Confucius evaluates two musical compositions, the Shâo and the Wû, commenting on their aesthetic beauty and moral goodness.
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Narrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional peak occurs when Confucius directly confronts Yû with a list of six virtues—benevolence, knowled…
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- Confucius
Evaluates the Shâo and Wû in terms of beauty and goodness.
Key passages
“The Master said of the Shâo that it was perfectly beautiful and also perfectly good. He said of the Wû that it was perfectly beautiful but not perfectly good.”
Confucius praised the Shâo as both aesthetically perfect and morally excellent, while he considered the Wû aesthetically perfect but lacking in moral perfection.
This reflects Confucius's emphasis on the integration of beauty and virtue.
