The ultimate purpose of government is the welfare of the common people (min). This is the most basic principle in Confucianism and has remained unchanged throughout the ages. The promotion of the welfare of the common people begins with satisfying their material needs. ‘Tzu-kung asked about government. The Master said, “Give them enough food” (XII.7). In order to achieve this aim, the labour of the common people must be employed in the right seasons (I.5), i.e., they must not be taken away from their work on the land during the busy seasons.
