According to Confucius 5 Basic Relationships According to Confucius

So, who's Confucius? The Master said, "Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application? (1:1)

Types of Relationships Ruler Father Elder Brother Husband Friend Subject Son Younger Brother Wife

Subject & Ruler “Let the ruler be a ruler, the subject a subject, the father a father, the son a son.” (12:11) The Master said about government, “Encourage the people to work hard by setting an example yourself. Do not allow your efforts to slacken.” 13:1 “In serving one’s lord, one should approach one’s duties with reverence (respect) and consider one’s pay as of secondary importance.” 15:38

Father & Son “Nowadays for a man to be filial means no more than that he is able to provide his parents with food. Even hounds and horses are, in some way, provided with food. If a man shows no reverence (respect), where is the difference?” 2:7 “In serving your father and mother you ought to dissuade them from doing wrong in the gentlest way. If you see your advice being ignored, you should not become disobedient but remain reverent. You should not complain even if in so doing you wear yourself out.” 4:18

Father and Son (ctd.) “…Being good as a son and obedient as a young man is, perhaps, the root of a man’s character.” (1:2) “When your parents are alive, you should not go too far afield in your travels. If you do, your whereabouts should always be known.” 4:19 “Everyone speaks up for his own son whether he is talented or not…” 11:8 “…Fathers cover up for their sons, and sons cover up for their fathers. Straightness is to be found in such behavior.” 13:18

Elder Brother & Younger Brother “What a good son Min Tzu-ch’ien is! No one can find fault with what his parents and brothers have to say about him.” 11:5 Tsze-lu asked whether he should immediately carry into practice what he heard. The Master said, "There are your father and elder brothers to be consulted;-why should you act on that principle of immediately carrying into practice what you hear?“ (11:22) "Abroad, to serve the high ministers and nobles; at home, to serve one's father and elder brothers

Husbands & Wives “In one’s household, it is the women and the small men that are difficult to deal with. If you let them get too close, they become insolent (disrespectful). If you keep them at a distance, they complain.” 17:25 Faithfulness is requisite in all service of others and faithfulness is especially the virtue of a wife. Once mated with her husband, all her life she will not change her feeling of duty to him; hence, when the husband dies, she will not marry again." (Bk. ix., sect. iii., 7.)

Friends “Make it your guiding principle to do your best for others and to be trustworthy in what you say. Do not accept as friend anyone who is not as good as you. When you make a mistake do not be afraid of mending your ways.” 9:25 “He stands to benefit who makes friends with three kinds of people. Equally he stands to lose who makes friends with three other kinds of people. To make friends with the straight, the trustworthy in word and the well informed is to benefit. To make friends with the ingratiating (flattering in order to gain favor) in action, the pleasant in appearance and the plausible (possible) in speech is to lose.” 16:4