17.24: What stood out the most in this passage for me was the fine line between courage and recklessness, pointed out both by Zigong and the Master. On the one hand, a junzi would require moral courage to "detest" those who deviate from ren. Yet too much courage can also make someone arrogant and rude. This is an interesting moment where different teachings combine: Kongzi says that courage is to be tempered by "ritual propriety" so that it is not excessive.

9.23: Passage 9.23 stood out to me because it seemingly contradicts the previously established fundamentals of filial conduct. A different reading of it, however, suggests that by "esteem," Kongzi means an even greater degree of reverence than that proposed by filial conduct, akin to not only respecting someone but also recognizing their potential to become a junzi, or at least someone closer to one. Then it would make greater sense for this esteem to be withheld from those who reach "forty or fifty years and yet have done nothing of note." What is your interpretation of what Kongzi means by "esteem" in this passage?

4.4: While a short passage, I believe 4.4 encapsulates the fundamental theme of Kongzi's thinking that one is never born with ren or as a junzi, but must rather seek to attain these ideals through learning. By emphasizing how "one's purpose" is the driving force behind doing what is right, he is highlighting the role of our free will. Essentially, choosing to be a better person is the first step in becoming one.