Within the Analects, *li*—often rendered as ritual or propriety—emerges as a comprehensive framework that orders both inner life and outer conduct. It encompasses formal ceremonies such as sacrifices, mourning, and ancestral rites, yet also extends to the subtleties of daily interaction: speech, dress, gestures of deference, and manners. Through this broad scope, *li* structures the network of relationships—between ruler and minister, parent and child, elder and younger, spouse and spouse, and among friends—so that social life can unfold in an orderly and harmonious way. Rather than mere etiquette, it functions as the basic pattern that gives shape and measure to human behavior.

At the same time, the Analects portrays *li* as a disciplined path of moral cultivation. By consistently practicing ritual propriety, individuals learn to regulate desires and temper emotions, avoiding both excess and deficiency. In this way, *li* becomes a vehicle for developing virtues such as benevolence, righteousness, wisdom, trustworthiness, and humility. The repeated performance of proper forms gradually refines character, so that appropriate responses arise more naturally in changing circumstances. Ritual thus serves as a kind of moral education, training both outward conduct and inward disposition.

A central concern in these teachings is the relationship between external form and inner sincerity. Confucius criticizes empty formalism, where ritual is performed mechanically or for display, without genuine reverence or moral intention. Yet he is equally wary of unrestrained spontaneity that disregards established forms. The ideal is a unity in which heartfelt respect and understanding animate the prescribed gestures, whether in grand ceremonies or in the simplest offerings. Even modest rites, when carried out with seriousness and proper attitude, are treated as fully worthy.

This vision of *li* also bears directly on governance. The Analects contrasts rule by punishments with rule through ritual and virtue, favoring the latter as the more effective and humane approach. When rulers themselves embody *li*, they lead by example and inspire a sense of shame, self-restraint, and voluntary alignment with what is right. In this way, ritual propriety becomes a principle of political as well as personal order, guiding both the conduct of those in authority and the responses of those under their care. Through *li*, ethical self-cultivation and the stability of the broader community are woven into a single, mutually reinforcing pattern.