“A person lacking in humaneness cannot endure straightened circumstances for long, nor can he enjoy favorable circumstances for long” (Watson 32).
Here, Confucius concerns himself with the qualities of a gentleman and things that cannot be considered gentlemanly. In this regard, Confucius outlines various examples of what a gentleman should do as well as what he should not do. Book 4 is considerably brief as compared to the other books and also represents matters of filial piety with regard to the mourning periods when parents have passed on ad the extent to which a child should continue the path of the father following the death of the latter. Book 5 continues with the discussion regarding the characteristics of a gentleman ...