君子义以为质

君子義以為質

jūnzǐyìyǐwéizhì

phrase

Meanings

1 the gentleman takes righteousness as his substance
2 (fig.) a person of character is defined first by a moral core (yi); everything else is form wrapped around that substance
3 (lit.) gentleman — righteousness — take-as — substance

Characters

son / noble (君子 = gentleman)

Examples

做人要有原则，君子义以为质。

Zuòrén yào yǒu yuánzé, jūnzǐ yì yǐ wéi zhì.

One must have principles — 'the gentleman takes righteousness as his substance.'

他讲课引用君子义以为质，礼以行之。

Tā jiǎngkè yǐnyòng jūnzǐ yì yǐ wéi zhì, lǐ yǐ xíng zhī.

In his lecture he quoted: 'the gentleman takes righteousness as substance and acts on it through ritual.'

Tips

history

From 《论语·卫灵公》 (Analects, Wei Ling Gong chapter, ~5th-4th c. BCE): 君子义以为质，礼以行之，孙以出之，信以成之。君子哉 (The gentleman takes righteousness as substance, acts on it through ritual, expresses it with modesty, completes it with trustworthiness — such is the gentleman). A core Confucian definition of 君子 in four clauses.

usage

以为 here = 'to take as / regard as' (classical), not modern 'to think / believe.' Always canonically followed by 礼以行之，孙以出之，信以成之 — the four-clause structure is essential to its meaning. 孙 here reads xùn = 逊 (humble / modest).

Stroke Order

君 jūn

子 zǐ

义 yì

以 yǐ

为 wèi

质 zhì