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Confucius: Disorder In Words Must Not Be Tolerated
Theodore Dalrymple mentions the passage in the Analects where Confucius talks of confusion -- or rather, "disorder" -- in words. In an article he posted on Jan. 1 2008 o he made mention of the same passage, and at the time I posted a comment which, instead of putting up again at his article this month, I will raise to the level of a posting, as below:
1 Jan 2008
Hugh Fitzgerald
Confucius is mentioned, and allusion made to his preoccupation with words, in the article above.
Frederick Ungar, in his introduction to Karl Kraus' book, "The Last Days of Mankind," writes that Kraus often quoted Confucius:
"If concepts are not right, words are not true; if words are not true, works are not achieved; if works are not achieved, morality and the arts do not thrive; if morality and the arts do not thrive, justice miscarries; if justice miscarries, the nation does not know where to put its feet and hands. Therefore, disorder in words must not be tolerated."