The Analects asks how a person or a society become good - and determines that happens through habits, not slogans.

In spare dialogues and crisp aphorisms recorded by his students, Confucius sketches the 'junzi', the person who aligns feeling and action through 'ren' (human‑heartedness), practises 'li' (ritual tact), and chooses 'yi' (the fitting, the right) when it costs. Words matter — hence the “rectification of names”: say what you mean, act as you say. Rulers lead by moral gravity rather than force; influence ripples outward from self‑scrutiny to family, office, and state. Daily work is humble: learn widely, honour parents, speak precisely, and examine yourself at dusk.

The Analects is not a system but a training ground for character and leadership, offering clear, portable principles for living well together - even in fractious times.