extraction.analects.reciprocity_life_rule

extraction.analects.reciprocity_life_rule

---
record_id: extraction.analects.reciprocity_life_rule
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/confucian/project-gutenberg/analects-legge.md
passage_locator:
  label: Book XV, Ch. XXIII
  start: BOOK XV, CHAP. XXIII
  end: BOOK XV, CHAP. XXIII
  translation: James Legge, Project Gutenberg eBook
canonical_text:
  quote: Tsze-kung asks for one word that may serve as a rule for life, and the Master
    answers with reciprocity, expressed as not doing to others what one does not want
    done to oneself.
  language: English
  quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
  text: Tsze-kung asks whether one word can serve as a rule of practice for all one's
    life.
  category: speech
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:1
- id: obs:2
  text: The Master identifies reciprocity as such a word.
  category: speech
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:2
- id: obs:3
  text: The rule is stated negatively as not doing to others what one does not want
    done to oneself.
  category: ethical_command
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:3
figures:
- id: fig:1
  name_or_label: Tsze-kung
  description: Disciple who asks for a single life-rule.
  role_refs:
  - role:1
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:1
- id: fig:2
  name_or_label: The Master
  description: Confucius as teacher who answers with reciprocity.
  role_refs:
  - role:2
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:2
  - ev:3
roles:
- id: role:1
  label: disciple-questioner
  assigned_to:
  - fig:1
  basis: Tsze-kung asks the Master for a word that can guide life practice.
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:1
- id: role:2
  label: ethical teacher
  assigned_to:
  - fig:2
  basis: The Master answers with reciprocity and a concise rule of conduct.
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:2
  - ev:3
symbols:
- id: sym:1
  label: one word
  literal_form: one word
  associated_figures:
  - fig:1
  - fig:2
  taxonomy_refs:
  - wisdom
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:1
  - ev:2
- id: sym:2
  label: reciprocity
  literal_form: RECIPROCITY
  associated_figures:
  - fig:2
  taxonomy_refs: []
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:2
- id: sym:3
  label: rule of practice
  literal_form: rule of practice for all one's life
  associated_figures:
  - fig:1
  - fig:2
  taxonomy_refs: []
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:1
scenes:
- id: scene:1
  label: One-word life rule
  summary: Tsze-kung asks for a single guiding word, and the Master gives reciprocity
    as a lifelong rule expressed through restraint toward others.
  figure_refs:
  - fig:1
  - fig:2
  symbol_refs:
  - sym:1
  - sym:2
  - sym:3
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:1
  - ev:2
  - ev:3
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
  label: condensed wisdom saying
  taxonomy_refs:
  - wisdom
  basis: A single word is sought and given as a rule of practice for an entire life.
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:1
  - ev:2
  confidence: high
  cautions: Wisdom is a broad taxonomy mapping for a concise ethical teaching.
- id: motif:2
  label: reciprocity as ethical command
  taxonomy_refs: []
  basis: The Master gives a direct rule about what not to do to others.
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:2
  - ev:3
  confidence: high
  cautions: The atlas has no current taxonomy ID for ethical_command, so taxonomy_refs
    is left empty.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
  claim: The passage can be compared within the atlas to compact ethical-command traditions
    that present social conduct as a memorable rule.
  claim_level: same_function
  target: 'pattern atlas: concise ethical rule'
  evidence_refs:
  - ev:1
  - ev:2
  - ev:3
  counter_evidence_refs: []
  confidence: low
  limitations: Functional comparison only; no claim about textual dependence is made.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
  type: quote
  locator: Book XV, Ch. XXIII
  quote_or_summary: Tsze-kung asks for "one word" that can serve as a lifelong rule.
  source_text_path: texts/public-domain/confucian/project-gutenberg/analects-legge.md
  rights_note: Public-domain Project Gutenberg source text.
- id: ev:2
  type: quote
  locator: Book XV, Ch. XXIII
  quote_or_summary: The Master answers, "Is not RECIPROCITY such a word?"
  source_text_path: texts/public-domain/confucian/project-gutenberg/analects-legge.md
  rights_note: Public-domain Project Gutenberg source text.
- id: ev:3
  type: quote
  locator: Book XV, Ch. XXIII
  quote_or_summary: What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.
  source_text_path: texts/public-domain/confucian/project-gutenberg/analects-legge.md
  rights_note: Public-domain Project Gutenberg source text.
confidence:
  extraction: high
  motif_candidates: high
  comparison_claims: low
  notes: Passage is short and explicit in Legge's translation.
reviewer_status:
  status: draft
  notes: Draft extraction; needs scholarly/human review before being treated as final.
extracted_by: Codex
extracted_at: '2026-04-27'
notes: Worker A extraction focused on reciprocity as concise ethical wisdom.