Seeking Ren in the Analects

The Analects reports Confucius describing ren differently to different students. This article presents an approach to reading ren through the lens of the particularities of each student in relation to how they discuss ren with Confucius. It argues for not viewing Confucius as a philosopher expounding a single universal virtue of ren that people can possess, but as a teacher guiding his students toward types of contextually appropriate conduct.