The Master said, "Let every man consider virtue as what devolves on himself. He may not yield the performance of it even to his teacher."

33. HOW TO KNOW THE SUPERIOR MAN AND THE MEAN MAN; AND THEIR CAPACITIES. Choo He says—知, 我知之, 'the knowing here is our knowing the individuals'. The 'little matters' are ingenious but trifling arts and accomplishments, in which a really great man may sometimes be deficient, while a small man will be familiar with them. The 'knowing' is not that the parties are keun-tsze and seaou-jin, but what attainments they have, and for what they are fit. The difficulty, on this view, is with the conclusion—而可小知.—Ho An gives the view of Wang Shuh:—'The way of the keun-tsze is profound and far-reaching. He may not let his knowledge be small, and he may receive what is great. The way of the seaou-jin is shallow and near. He may let his knowledge be small, and he may not receive what is great.'

34. VIRTUE MORE TO MAN THAN WATER OR FIRE, AND NEVER HURTFUL TO HIM. 民 is here=人, 'man', as in VI.20. 民之于仁也—'the people's relation to, or dependence on, virtue'. The case is easily conceivable of men's suffering death on account of their virtue. There have been martyrs for their loyalty and other virtues, as well as for their religious faith. Choo He provides for this diff. in his remarks:—'The want of fire and water is hurtful only to man's body, but to be without virtue is to lose one's mind (the higher nature), and so it is more to him than water or fire.' See on IV. 8.

35. VIRTUE PERSONAL AND OBLIGATORY ON EVERY MAN. The old interpreters take 当 in the sense of 'ought'. Choo He certainly improves on them by taking it in the sense of 担当, as in the translation. A student at first takes 当 to be in the 2d person, but the不following recalls him to the 3d.