sjl

CONFUCIANISM AND THE SCHOLARS

What is the solution to the crisis of the Eastern Zhou Period?

100 Schools of Thought Period,

6th to 3rd Century BCE

Wandering shī getting paid to think

and write

Shī = philosophical class between

aristocracy and commoners

The classic Academic’s dilemma: trying to

explain the world when no one is listening

Confucius will famously argue “we forgot the

rituals”

Others like Mencius, Feizi, and

Laozi will argue differently

Eastern Zhou period: it looks like the sky is falling in

Confucius Kong Fu Zi 孔子

▪ Dates: 540-479 BCE by legend ▪ Like Socrates, no “evidence” he existed = his

works collected by students after his death ▪ His sayings? The Analects (Gk: “sayings”)

▪ In Chinese: Lunyu “Conversations” ▪ Collected after the fact, clear evidence of

different P.O.V. of compilers ▪ His life?

▪ Born in petty state of Lu from lowest ranking noble family

▪ Wandered as a shī, never rising above minor official

▪ Returned home as an old man with his students

▪ Never reached the high office he felt he deserved

▪ His life in his own words? ▪ Famously, the world’s shortest

autobiography

2:4 The Master said, “at 15, my heart was set upon learning; at 30, I had

become established; at 40, I was no longer perplexed; at 50, I knew what

was ordained in heaven; at 60, I obeyed; at 70, I could follow my heart’s desires without transgressing the line”

The followers of Confucius in his day

Junzi 君子 Gentleman/Superior Person

Ru 儒 Gentle/soft/enduring/scholar

• Notions of virtue come from culture, learning, refinement

• In opposition to martial virtue of his day • What his followers called themselves from the

earliest days, not “Confucianists” • Note no reference to the guy’s name, more

to his qualities • Sometimes you’ll see Confucianism called

“Ruism”

• What ru aspire to be • Phrasing of any analects = “the superior man

does X” or “how should the noble person act in Y”

• Contrast to gentry by blood • This is reaching nobility through virtue

and cultivation, the characteristics of ru • Developed a moral power, de, which in earliest

forms had almost magical powers of charisma • That magical association not totally lost

in later years • Heaven ordains what is virtuous, yet humans

acting with this virtuousness helps sustain and produce that divine ordination

Confucius Tradition and Ritual (li)禮

In the early Zhou period, they had things figured out

Virtue with rituals to guide it had made a stable society

DON’T look to the present to fix things; instead, look back [3:14] The Master said: “The

people of the Zhou were able to

observe the prior two dynasties

and thus their culture flourished. I

now follow the Zhou.”

[3:17] Zi Gong wanted to do away

with the sacrifice of the sheep on

the first of the month. Confucius

said, “Ci, you love the sheep; I

love the ceremony.”

Confucius Tradition and Ritual (li)禮

In the early Zhou period, they had things figured out

Virtue with rituals to guide it had made a stable society

DON’T look to the present to fix things; instead, look back

Crucially, he sees himself not as a founder but as one who kept alive an ancient

tradition

7:1 The Master said, “I transmit but I do not create. In believing in and loving the ancients, I dare to

compare myself with out old Peng."

7:20 The Master said, "I am not one who was born in the

possession of knowledge; I am one who is fond of antiquity, and earnest in seeking it [knowledge]

there."

Confucius On Law

For him, the law is USELESS

It won’t make us better or moral

NOT the building block of society

So, what guides humans instead?

2:3 The Master said, “The Master said, "If the people be led by

laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no sense of shame. If

they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by the rules of propriety,

they will have the sense of shame, and moreover will

become good."

Confucius Filial Piety (xiao) 孝

Filial: “Of or due from a son or daughter” Piety: “The quality of being religious or

reverent”

THE foundational building block of society

A moral principle that generates all the elements of a functioning, stable society

Not only that, it can provide a root for governance

1:2 You Zi said: “There are few who

have developed themselves filially

and fraternally who enjoy offending

their superiors. Those who do not

enjoy offending superiors are never

troublemakers. The noble man

concerns himself with the

fundamentals. Once the fundamentals

are established, the proper way

appears. Are not filial piety and

obedience to elders fundamental to

the actualization of fundamental

human goodness?

Confucius Filial Piety (xiao) 孝

Filial: “Of or due from a son or daughter” Piety: “The quality of being religious or

reverent”

THE foundational building block of society

A moral principle that generates all the elements of a functioning, stable society

Not only that, it can provide a root for governance

2:21 Some one addressed Confucius, saying, "Sir, why are

you not engaged in the government?" The Master said, "What does the Shu Jing say of filial piety? - 'You are filial, you

discharge your brotherly duties. These qualities are displayed in

government.' This then also constitutes the exercise of

government. Why must there be THAT - making one be in the

government?"

Confucius Humaneness (ren) 仁

The quality that holds the whole system together

THE foundational virtue of society

A moral quality that generates all the elements of a functioning, stable society

Like filial piety, can provide a root for governance

Confucius Humaneness (ren) 仁

15:24 Zi Gong asked, saying, "Is there one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one's life?" The Master said, "Is not RECIPROCITY such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others."

Is it easy?

No! It’s a HEAVY burden that is LONG as life itself

1:6 The Master said, "A youth, when at home, should be filial, and, abroad, respectful to his elders. He should be earnest and truthful. He should overflow in love to all, and cultivate the friendship of the good. When he has time and opportunity, after the practice of these things, he should employ them in polite studies."

Filial Piety and the Five Relationships!

2:5 Meng Yi asked what filial piety was. The Master said, "It is not being

disobedient." Soon after, as Fan Chi was driving him, the Master told him,

saying, "Meng-sun asked me what filial piety was, and I answered him, - 'not

being disobedient.'" Fan Chi said, "What did you mean?" The Master replied,

"That parents, when alive, be served according to propriety; that, when dead,

they should be buried according to propriety; and that they should be

sacrificed to according to propriety."

Women 17:25 The Master said, "Of all people, girls and

servants (small men) are the most difficult to behave

to. If you are familiar with them, they lose their

humility. If you maintain a reserve towards them, they

are discontented."• Spring and Autumn histories filled with stories of

manipulative women leading to the ruin of states

• Strictly gender segregated society; men of the shī class

would rarely interact with women outside their household

• Just THREE passages in Analects about women

• Women equated to “small men,” the opposite of the junzi

• 17:25 women as servile; 8:20 acknowledging a female

minister as key to King Wen’s success

• Nan Zi visit- C. visits her because he has no access to the

Ruler, her husband, that he wants to visit

• A problem because she had a bad reputation?

• Did interacting with a woman outside of your

household ALWAYS imply sexual relations?

• Just she was a woman?

• Confucius didn’t see a problem as he was doing it-

more important to honor the rituals than avoiding strict

rules?

• Pattern shows Confucius thought high social status (sometimes)

overruled gender restrictions

• Willing to acknowledge legendary founder of Zhou

and high-ranking woman with a bad reputation in his

own day

• Still, dismissive of women but acknowledges vague

obligation to inferiors, like master to servant

• We will see later generations of Chinese women carve out

MUCH more space within Confucianism

6:28 The Master having visited Nan

Zi(female), Zi Lu (male disciple) was

displeased, on which the Master swore,

saying, "Wherein I have done improperly,

may Heaven reject me! may Heaven

reject me!"

While he was there, Duke Ling’s wife sent Confucius the following message:

“When gentlemen from other lands honor our lord with their friendship, they

always call on me. I would like to meet with you.” Confucius at first declined, but

feeling compelled, he went to see her. The lady was stationed behind a linen

curtain. Confucius went in the door, and facing north, prostrated himself before

her. From within the curtain, the lady bowed twice with her jade pendants

tinkling. [Later] Confucius told Zilu, “Originally, I was not for going to see her,

but by meeting with her I was able to respond to [her] ritual [salutation].” Zilu

was displeased. Confucius then made an oath, saying, “If that was not the case,

then may Heaven reject me! May Heaven reject me!” – Sima Qian’s elaboration

of 6:28

8:20 Shun had five ministers, and the empire was well governed. King Wu said, "I have ten

able ministers." Confucius said, "Is not the saying that talents are difficult to find, true? Only

when the dynasties of Tang and Yu met, were they more abundant than in this of Zhou, yet

there was a woman among them. The able ministers were no more than nine men. King

Wen possessed two of the three parts of the empire, and with those he served the dynasty

of Yin. The virtue of the house of Zhou may be said to have reached the highest point

indeed."

Confucianism/Ruism

Virtues

Filial Piety (xiao/孝)

Humaneness/reciprocity (ren/仁)

Rites (li/禮)

Virtue (De/德))

Righteousness (yi/義)

The Superior Person (Junzi/君子)

5 Relationships

Ruler Father Husband Elder Brother

Ruled Son Wife Younger Brother

Friend Friend

And how to achieve

these virtues? Constant

Self-Improvement

If EVERYONE lives like

this, then Society doesn’t

even need laws

Diagrammed Out