"Employ the upright and put aside the

crooked: in this way the crooked can be made to be

upright." "The administration of government," says the

Doctrine of the Mean, "lies in (getting proper) men. Such men are to

be got by means of (the ruler"s) own character." What would

not a ministry of Higher Men do, even in one generation, to cleanse

the state and guide the people to a loftier level of

civilization? First of all, they would avoid foreign

relations as much as possible, and seek to make their state so

independent of outside supplies that it would never be tempted to

war for them. They would reduce the luxury of courts, and seek a

wide distribution of wealth, for "the centralization of wealth is

the way to scatter the people, and letting it be scattered among

them is the way to collect the people." They would decrease

punishments, and increase public instruction; for "there being

instruction, there will be no distinction of classes." The

higher subjects would be forbidden to the mediocre, but music would be

taught to all. "When one has mastered music completely, and

regulates his heart and mind accordingly, the natural, correct, gentle

and sincere heart is easily developed, and joy attends its

development.... The best way to improve manners and customs is to...

pay attention to the composition of the music played in the

country.... Manners and music should not for a moment be

neglected by any one.... Benevolence is akin to music, and

righteousness to good manners."

China_Zhou Dynasty Philosophy_Confucius Politics