Rectification of names: Confucius...

Zi-lu said, "The ruler of Wei has been waiting for you, in order with you to administer the government. What will you consider the first thing to be done?"
The Master replied, "What is necessary to rectify names."
"So! indeed!" said Zi-lu. "You are wide off the mark! Why must there be such rectification?"
The Master said, "How uncultivated you are, Yu! A superior man, in regard to what he does not know, shows a cautious reserve.
If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with the truth of things.
If language be not in accordance with the truth of things, affairs cannot be carried on to success.
When affairs cannot be carried on to success, proprieties and music do not flourish.
When proprieties and music do not flourish, punishments will not be properly awarded.
When punishments are not properly awarded, the people do not know how to move hand or foot.
Therefore a superior man considers it necessary that the names he uses may be spoken appropriately, and also that what he speaks may be carried out appropriately. What the superior man requires is just that in his words there may be nothing incorrect."
(Analects XIII, 3, tr. Legge)

Confucius here is pushing for the meaning of words and the importance of knowing what we are talking about ahead of time, and that both parties are agreed on the meaning of a word so they can move forward in the discussion with clarity. Language needs to be in accordance with the truth of things; otherwise if not in accordance how can we proceed to anything good or substantial or succeed in any endeavors? How can we be in conformity to established standards of good or proper behavior or manners? Now his student here laughs at him and thinks him absurd to even worry about the rectification of names with the Ruler. Now if Proper standards of behavior do not pass to a population, or are understood, then how can punishments be passed out properly or even rewards, which are meant to correct a person so they can move hand or foot? If these names/words are confused, dubious, then what follows must be a confused state and this will not serve to help the populace walk straight, be moral, be proper, or just.  And as basic a thing as names/words are to people, should we not know when words are univocal and when equivocal? When a word has a specific meaning and when the word is open to more meanings? And can we be sure we are always talking about the same thing in a discussion? Confucius believed that we could be sure if we rectified names. He saw the definitions of words, the basics of meanings, as absolutely important to running things properly from the top to the bottom, and if this fails, there can be not good conduct from the top to the bottom, from the king down to the individual citizen. Is this a warning for us today and our appeal to emotions, popular beliefs, and literal confusion? And what role does the history of Saul, David, Solomon, and the early Israel and the prophets mean for us today? What of Sodom and Gomorrah and Tyre and of Babylon, Rome, Ancient Greece and others? What lessons have we learned from them regarding propriety, proper conduct, punishments, rewards, etc. Does tradition matter to us and a proper understanding of the word tradition? What traditions are we moving forward with today? Are they good traditions and good for our children? Or are we far too politically correct and tolerant to a fault?  As basic words fail and new words, sacred, are re-defined by appeal to emotions, fear, and popular beliefs, we crack the trunk and begin to work from the branches. Laws and the meaning of law have to be correct if it will ever serve to guide the person hand or foot.