Transcript Document
Confucian Ethics and The Contemporary World Part One: On Virtue
By Mary I. Bockover
Basic concepts in the
Lun Yu
or
Analects
Li
: ritual, rites, propriety, civil conduct, ceremony
Ren
: nobility, goodness, human-heartedness, humanity-at-its best, authority
De
: moral power, virtue, or excellence (generated by
li
and
ren
)
Ren Dao
: the way of human goodness
Like
yin
and
yang
,
li
and
ren
form an inseparable union:
li
social manifestation of
ren
, and
ren
is the is the spirit – or conscious aim – of
li
. Consider a human greeting, culturally diverse (
li
) but still a universal human aim (
ren
).
Like
yin
and
yang
,
li
and
ren
form an inseparable union:
li
social manifestation of
ren
, and
ren
is the is the spirit – or conscious aim – of
li
. Consider a human greeting, culturally diverse (
li
) but still a universal human aim (
ren
).
There is no inner – outer distinction in the
Analects
. This false dichotomy mistakes the human spirit – which is a false dichotomy).
social
phenomenon for Confucius – with subjective or individualistic mental states like intentions (“the secular as sacred,” another
Moral virtue or
de
is
also
is the power of
li
, or ritual. It is what gets people to
want
to be
ren
– good, noble, benevolent, human hearted, or authoritative.
Ren
is an “innate” human quality that learned, or realized in a social, interpersonal context.
Moral virtue or
de
is
also
is the power of
li
, or ritual. It is what gets people to
want
to be
ren
– good, noble, benevolent, human hearted, or authoritative.
Ren
is an “innate” human quality that learned, or realized in a social, interpersonal context.
Ren
is the most basic of all Confucian virtues (in the
Analects
or
Lun Yu
), more fundamental and important than any other. It is what all other virtues aim to cultivate in a person.
On loyalty and “authority”: The Governor of She in conversation with Confucius said, "In our village there is someone called 'True Person.' When his father took a sheep on the sly, he reported him to the authorities." Confucius replied, "Those who are true in my village conduct themselves differently. A father covers for his son, and a son covers for his father. And being true lies in this.” (13:18)
On constancy: The Master said: "A person who for three years refrains from reforming the ways of his late father can be called a filial son." (4:20) Another on (lifelong) filial piety: While [the parents] are alive, serve them according to the observances of ritual propriety; when they are dead, bury them and sacrifice to them according to the observances of ritual propriety. (2.5)
On cowardice: To see what it is appropriate to do, and not do it, is cowardice. (2:24) When a disciple asked Confucius what he would most like to do, he said: I would like to bring peace and contentment to the aged, to share relationships of trust and confidence with friends, and to love and protect the young. (5:26)
On laws or regulations to govern society: Lead the people with administrative injunctions and keep them orderly with penal law, and they will avoid punishments but will be without a sense of shame. Lead them with excellence and keep them orderly through observing ritual propriety and they will develop a sense of shame, and moreover, will order themselves. (2:3) If rulers are able to effect order in the state through the combination of observing ritual propriety and deferring to others, what more is needed? But if they are unable to accomplish this, what have they to do with ritual propriety? (4:13)
The Master said: "Governing with excellence can be compared to being the North Star: The North Star dwells in its place, and the multitude of stars pay it tribute." (2:1)
The Master said: "Governing with excellence can be compared to being the North Star: The North Star dwells in its place, and the multitude of stars pay it tribute." (2:1) The good or noble ruler is a “son” or “prince” of “heaven” (
tian
), truly a person of
ren
who has the mandate of heaven – is destined – to lead his society to the good life.
On the flexibility of ritual: The Master said: “the use of a hemp cap is prescribed in the observance of ritual propriety. Nowadays, that a silk cap is used instead is a matter of frugality. I would follow the newer accepted practice in this. A subject kowtowing on entering the hall is prescribed in the observance of ritual propriety (
li
). Nowadays that one kowtows only after ascending the hall is a matter of hubris. Although it goes contrary to accepted practice, I still kowtow on entering the hall. (9:3)
The rituals must be “internalized” or made one’s own in order to authentically reflect personal virtue. One must
want
to be good, and not just act as such for some ulterior reason.
The rituals must be “internalized” or made one’s own in order to authentically reflect personal virtue. One must
want
to be good, and not just act as such for some ulterior reason.
What it means to be a person is to be a
social
being who aims to cultivate goodness in the world around him or her.
The rituals must be “internalized” or made one’s own in order to authentically reflect personal virtue. One must
want
to be good, and not just act as such for some ulterior reason.
What it means to be a person is to be a
social
being who aims to cultivate goodness in the world around him or her.
It is to be a
relational
being, interdependently connected with, and ultimately responsible to, as well as for others.
The rituals must be “internalized” or made one’s own in order to authentically reflect personal virtue. One must
want
to be good, and not just act as such for some ulterior reason.
What it means to be a person is to be a
social
being who aims to cultivate goodness in the world around him or her.
It is to be a
relational
being, interdependently connected with, and ultimately responsible to, as well as for others.
There is no concept of an “individual” that stands independent of some social context, as is so prevalent in the West.
Five Basic Confucian Relations
1) Father to son 2) Older to younger brother 3) Husband to wife 4) Ruler to subject 5) Teacher to student
Five Basic Confucian Relations
1) Father to son 2) Older to younger brother 3) Husband to wife 4) Ruler to subject 5) Teacher to student
…And in the Contemporary World
1) Parent to child 2) Older to younger person or relation 3) Lifelong partner to partner 4) Civil servant to citizen 5) Person to person
Virtue in the context of filial piety: As for the young contributing their energies when there is work to be done, and deferring to their elders when there is wine and food to be had – how can merely doing this be considered being filial? (2:8) And in the context of rituals: The Master said: "In referring time and again to following ritual propriety, how could I just be talking about gifts of jade and silk?" (17:11) And finally, in the context of leadership: What could I see in a person who in holding a position of influence is not tolerant, who in observing ritual propriety is not respectful, and who in overseeing the mourning rites does not grieve? (3:26)