3 pages essay
Damond
Week2_Confucianism.pptxConfucianism
Confucius
551-479 B.C.
Confucius 551-479 B.C.
Kong Qiu 孔 丘
Kong Fuzi 孔 夫 子
Latinized to “Confucius”
Master Kong = Kongzi 孔 子
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Eastern Zhou 770-256 B.C.
770 move to Luoyang
No real military power
Rise of Multi-state system
Zhou retains nominal authority and legitimacy
States compete
100 Schools
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Social Elites
Shi 士 Warrior Aristocrats elite
Ru 儒 “Learned Men” ritual specialists, priests, astronomers, keepers of tradition,
Merge into one group = educated elite, literati (government service)
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Spring and Autumn Period 722-481 B. C.
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Life of Confucius
From State of Lu
Only low position
When 56 years old, travels to other states for 13 years
Tries to get employment in government
(Does he?)
Collects students
Dies 479, age 73
The Analects
20 chapters, divided into verses
Short passages, etc.
No direct writings of Confucius
Students of students wrote
Teachings
Radical solution to warfare
Improve individual, self cultivation, return to virtue
Ruler virtuous also
Learned men rule state (Duke of Zhou ideal)
Look to Past: 3 Sage Rulers, King Wen, King Wu (Analects 7:1)
Hierarchy: authority and harmony, in family and state, filial piety
Conservative vs. Radical?
Gentleman (Noble Person) chün-tzu 君子
“Son of ruler”
Formerly “Nobleman”
Confucius says is based on Virtue
Analects 1.1
Ren 仁 humanity, goodness, virtue
仁
人 ＋ ２＝ 仁
Tzu Chang asked Confucius about humanity. Confucius said: “To be able to practice five virtues everywhere in the world constitutes humanity.” Tzu Chang begged to know what these were. (Cont. next page)
Confucius said: “Courtesy, magnanimity, good faith, diligence, and kindness. He who is courteous is not humiliated, he who is magnanimous wins the multitude, he who is of good faith is trusted by the people, he who is diligent attains his objective, and he who is kind gen get service from people.” (17.6)
Fan Ch’ih asked about humanity. Confucius said: “Love men.” (7.22)
1:3: clever words, pretentious appearance
1:8: seriousness, corrects one’s faults
7:29: humaneness far away?
Shu 恕 Reciprocity, Mutuality, Altruism
恕 ＝如 + 心
Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.(15.23)
6:28: You want to establish yourself; then help others to establish themselves. You want to develop yourself; then help others to develop themselves. Being able to recognize oneself in others, one is on the way to being humane.
Chung 忠 Loyalty,Conscientiousness, True to self
忠 ＝ 中 ＋ 心
Confucius said: “The resolute scholar and the humane person will under no circumstance seek life at the expense of humanity. On occasion they will sacrifice their lives to preserve their humanity.” (15.8)
4:5: the noble person does not abandon humaneness for so much as the space of a meal.
Confucius said: “Shen! My teaching contains one principle that runs through it all.” “Yes,” replied Tseng Tzu. When Confucius had left the room the disciples asked: “What did he mean?” Tseng Tzu replied: “Our Master’s teaching is simply this: loyalty and reciprocity.” (4.15)
Filial Piety
Foundation of Confucian ethics, basis of ren (humanity)
Society built on family
Arises from natural emotions
Experience love of parents
3 years mourning for them
Obey absolutely, care for parents
Can “remonstrate” only
Shield your parents from law?
Tzu Yu asked about filial piety. Confucius said: “Nowadays a filial son is just a man who keeps his parents in food. But even dogs or horses are given food. If there is no feeling of reverence, wherein lies the difference?” (3.7)
Confucius said: “In serving his parents, a son may gently remonstrate with them. If he sees that they are not inclined to follow his suggestion, he should resume his reverential attitude but not abandon his purpose. If he is belabored, he will not complain.” (4.18)
The Duke of She observed to Confucius: “Among us there was an upright man called Kung who was so upright that when his father appropriated a sheep, he bore witness against him.” Confucius said: “The upright men among us are not like that. A father will screen his son and a son his father – yet uprightness is to be found in that.” (13.18)
Confucius on Human Nature
Confucius said: “By nature men are pretty much alike; it is learning and practice that set them apart.” (17.2)
Meaning?
Education and Learning
Confucius said: “In education there are no class distinctions.” (15.38)
These were the subjects on which Confucius often discoursed: poetry, history, and the performance of ceremonies – all these were what he often discoursed on. (7.17)
Confucius took four subjects for his teaching – literature, conduct, loyalty, and truthfulness. (7.17)
There were four things that Confucius was determined to eradicate: a biased mind, arbitrary judgments, obstinancy, and egotism. (9.4)
Confucius said: “Those who know the truth are not up to those who love it; those who love the truth are not up to those who delight in it.” (6.18)
Confucius said: “Having heard the Way (Tao) in the morning, one may die content in the evening.” (4.8)
Confucius said: “At fifteen, I set my heart on learning. At thirty, I was firmly established. At forty, I had no more doubts. At fifty, I knew the will of Heaven. At sixty, I was ready to listen to it. At seventy, I could follow my heart’s desire without transgressing what was right.” （2.4）
Not explicit on human nature
optimistic
Everyone is perfectible through education and learning
Spirits and afterlife
11:11: before you have learned how to serve human beings, how can you serve spirits? When you do not yet know life, how can you know about death?
6:20: respect ghosts and spirits, but keep them at a distance.
Confucius on Good Government
De 德 Virtue, Moral force, charisma Rule by Example
The Master said, “One who governs through virtue may be compared to the polestar, which occupies its place while the host of other stars pay homage to it.” （2.1）
“The virtue of the gentleman may be compared to the wind and that of the commoner to the grass. When the wind blows over the grass, the grass must bend.” (12.19)
Li 禮 ritual, rites, propriety, decorum
Rituals in our society?
Crucial for Confucians
Part of inner cultivation
Outward expression of ren (humanity)
Channel feelings, have proper feelings
Teaches place in society
Rule people through, order world, instead of laws
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Confucius said: “Personal cultivation begins with poetry, is made firm by rules of decorum, and is perfected by music.” (8.8)
12:1: Through mastering yourself and returning to ritual one becomes humane.
3:4: better be sparing then excessive, better to express grief than to emphasize formalities
3:12: sacrifice as if they were present
Confucius said： “Lead the people by laws and regulate them by penalties, and the people will try to keep out of jail, but will have no sense of shame. Lead the people by virtue and restrain them by the rules of decorum, and the people will have a sense of shame, and moreover will become good.” (2.3)
Confucius on Women
Confucius said: “Women and servants are the most difficult to deal with. If you are familiar with them, they cease to be humble. If you keep a distance from them, they resent it.” (17.25)
“What would Confucius say?”
1. Your boss wants you to lie to a client in order to close a good deal. He’ll fire you if you don’t go along! What do you do?
2. You’re going to a formal event with the governor of California in Palm Springs where it is currently 110 degrees outside. You’re supposed to wear a jacket and tie (women: long-sleeved jacket). Do you?
3. Your mother is getting old and needs care, but you live 1000 miles away and can’t provide it for her personally. What should you do?
4. Your father admits that his new laptop computer was stolen from a PCC office. The police come to question you about it. What do you say?
Mencius ca. 371-289
Mengzi 孟 子
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Life of Mencius 371-289
Latinized name: Mengzi 孟 子
Men + ci + -us (Portuguese)
More idealistic, not less
Born State of Zou, near Lu, Shandong
Student of Confucius’s grandson
Brief office 319-312, in State of Qi
Travelled around (listened to?)
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Mencius Human Nature Good (vs. Xunzi)
Like water flowing down 6A:2
argues with Kao Tzu (Gaozi)
Natural stream vs. fountains
Child falling into well 2A:6
4 Beginnings 6A:6
Sense of Compassion -> Humanity ren 仁
Sense of Shame -> Rightness, Duty yi 義
Sense of Courtesy -> Propriety li 禮
Sense of Right and Wrong -> Wisdom zhi 智
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Why do people do bad things?
Ox Mountain
Niu Mt 6A:8
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Recover Lost Mind (Heart, xin 心)
Don’t abuse original nature
Education cultivates mind/heart
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The trees on Ox Mountain were once beautiful. But being situated on the outskirts of a large state, the trees are hewn down by axes. Could they remain beautiful? Given the air of the day and the night, and the moisture of the rain and the dew, they do not fail to put forth new buds and shoots, but then cattle and sheep also come to graze. This accounts for the barren appearance of the mountain. Seeing this barrenness, people suppose that the mountain was never wooded. But how could this be the nature of the mountain? So it is also with what is preserved in a human being: could it be that anyone should lack the mind of humaneness and rightness? If one lets go of the innate good mind, this is like taking an axe to a tree; being hewn down day after day, can it remain beautiful?
Given the rest that one gets in the day and the night, and the effect of the calm morning qi, one’s likes and dislikes will still resemble those of other people, but barely so. One becomes fettered and destroyed by what one does during the day, and if this fettering occurs repeatedly, the effect of the night qi will no longer be enough to allow him to preserve his mind, and he will be at scant remove from the animals. Seeing this, one might suppose that he never had the capacity for goodness. But can this be a human being’s natural tendency? Thus, given nourishment, there is nothing that will not grow; lacking nourishment, there is nothing that will not be destroyed. (6A:8)
Education
3A:4
“Must have education or will become like animals”
Nurture 4 good beginnings so they can grow into 4 virtues
Cultivate the heart/mind
Education
2A:2
Man of Sung:
“There was a man of Sung who was sorry that his corn was not growing, and so he pulled it up.”
Goodness is natural, not forced from outside.
Humane Government
Opening Lines 1A:1
King Hui of Liang
Humanity (Ren 仁) plus Righteousness, Duty (Yi 義)
“Never speak of Profit” (chaos results)
6A:10 (Chan, 57) choose yi (righteousness, duty) over life itself, don’t accept tainted money
Government Policies
Well-field System 3A:3
井
1A:7 Ruler take care of people and become “true king of empire”
3A:3 People must have steady livelihood, or will lapse into crime = “entrapping the people”
Right of Revolution
Mandate of Heaven
People come first 7B:14
Will of Heaven expressed through the people 5A:5
“Heaven sees as my people see, hears as my people hear”
1B:8 “I have heard of killing a mere fellow Chou, not heard of murdering the ruler”
Revolution Geming 革命 =
“Remove the Mandate”
Filial Piety
Heavy emphasis
Graded Love
vs. universal love 3B:9
Ethical priorities 1A:7
Basis of Humanity and Duty (ren and yi) 4A:27
Must have children 4A:26
5 Moral Relations
Ruler-Minister
Father-Son
Husband-Wife
Elder Brother-Younger Brother
Friend-Friend
What do you notice about them?
Xunzi (ca. 312-230)
Human nature bad
Born with selfish desires, hate and envy, and passion for sensual pleasures, which will grow into disorder and criminality of unchecked
Must curb desire through education and ritual.
A warped piece of wood must be steamed and forced before it is made straight; a metal blade must be put to the whetstone before it becomes sharp. Since the nature of people is bad, to become corrected they must be taught by teachers and to be orderly they must acquire ritual and moral principles. When people lack teachers, their tendencies are not corrected; when they do not have ritual and moral principles, then their lawlessness is not controlled.
Goodness: man-made, artificial
Acquired virtue: not natural endowment, must strive to achieve
Original nature vs. acquired character
Source of goodness: accumulated effort of ancient sage kings: decorum and righteousness
Perfectibility of human nature
Sage kings started out with the same bad nature
The man on the street can become a sage
Everyone has the perceptive faculties to know goodness, capacity to practice goodness
Xunzi on Government
Heaven = nature
Ruler needs administrative skills
Needs both law and ritual to maintain order
Rituals: establish order, channel feelings, curb desires, etc.
Prepare for natural disasters
The Four Books
The Analects 論語
The Mencius 孟子
Great Learning 大學
Doctrine of the Mean 中庸
Homework
Read the selected works from Laozi and Zhuangzi, pick a quote that you like best (or makes the most sense to you), and explain your choice.
