# Ji Shi: authority and responsibility: summary

Examines political power, responsibility associated with a position, relationships, learning and restraint.

https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/analects/chapter-16-ji-shi-authority-and-responsibility

## Source and summary

[The Analects · Ji Shi: authority and responsibility](https://zh.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=%E8%AB%96%E8%AA%9E/%E5%85%A8%E8%A6%BD&oldid=1082965#%E5%AD%A3%E6%B0%8F%E7%AC%AC%E5%8D%81%E5%85%AD)

> 季氏將伐顓臾。冉有季路見於孔子曰：「季氏將有事於顓臾。」孔子曰：「求！無乃爾是過與？夫顓臾，昔者先王以爲東蒙主，且在邦域之中矣，是社稷之臣也。何以伐爲？」冉有曰：「夫子欲之，吾二臣…

Examines political power, responsibility associated with a position, relationships, learning and restraint.

## Editorial interpretation

The example below adapts this chapter’s questions to modern work. Evaluate it against the actual purpose and conditions; ancient politics, warfare or ethics do not establish business results.

## Business application

State what leaders must check and what the team may decide, instead of delegating responsibility for a problem’s reporting entirely downward.

1. Choose one relevant case and record its objective, available resources, verified facts and unknowns.
2. Compare options using this chapter’s perspective; choose a limited trial, owner, deadline and a measure to assess the result.

Deliverable: A comparison using ji shi: authority and responsibility, with conditions for acting or declining.

## Limits

The summary selects main points rather than translating every sentence. The example is not a demonstrated business method; check it against stakeholders’ conditions and actual evidence.

## Validation question

How does this chapter’s perspective change the selected option or priority, and what further evidence could change the decision?

[The Analects: a guide to learning and reflection](https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/analects)

[This material](https://sakimyto.com/classics-data/entries/analects/chapter-16-ji-shi-authority-and-responsibility.en.md)

Updated: 2026-10-13 · v1.0.0