Confucius 551479B.C.

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Confucius (551-479B.C.)

• IAS 2540 / UGD 2270 History of Traditional
  Chinese Thought

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Confucius(551-479B.C.)

• Was born in 551B.C. in the State of Lu (modern
  Province of Shantung)
• Surname Kung
• Name Chiu
• Formal name Chung-ni
• Fu-tzu Master, Mister, Sir
• Kung Fu-tzu was Latinized by Voltaire as
  Confucius!

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• Once Confucius was asked
• How should be be described his answer was
• He is the sort of man who forgets to eat when he
  tries to solve a problem that has been driving
  him to distraction, who is so full of joy that he
  forgets his worries and who does not notice that
  onset of old age. The Analects (Lun Yu) VII19
  tr. By D.C. Lau, pp.60-61.

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The Analects (Lun YU)

• Consisted of Confucius answer to questions,
  written by disciples. (Notes taken by disciple)
• The record of Confucius lifelong activities
  shows 3 major elements
• service in government
• teaching,
• compiling texts
• John King Fairbank, East Asia The Great
  Tradition
• Hsiao Kung-Chuan (tr. Frederick Mote) A History
  of Chinese Political Thought

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• The most important elements of the Confucian
  learning were government principles and
  administration methods.
• The means for achieving its objectives was
  teaching.
• The goal was service in government.

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• Therefore, when Tzu Lu, a disciple, asked what
  was the first task of government, Confucius
  answer was what is necessary is to rectify
  names. (The Analects XIII 3 Hsiao (tr. Mote),
  p.99)
• Cf. If something has to be put first, it is,
  perhaps the rectification of names. (tr. D.C.
  Lau, pp.120-121.)

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• The concrete proposal for carrying his political
  thought out was the rectification of names.
  (cheng-ming)
• readjusting the powers and duties of ruler
  ministers, superior inferior, according to the
  institutions of the Chou feudal worlds most
  flourishing period (Duke of Chou), i.e., back to
  the good old days!
• Confucius was born after the decline of the Chou,
  when feudal government had degenerated he
  himself witnessed the chaos that had upset the
  order of the world.

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• The disorder of his own days, Confucius felt,
  could be corrected if men would return to the
  political social order created by the founders
  of the Chou Dynasty King Wen the Duke of Chou.
• To return to the ancient way, Confucius believed,
  men must play their assigned roles in a fixed
  society of authority.

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• When Duke Ching of Chi asked about government,
  Confucius answered Let the prince be a prince,
  the minister a minister, the father a father, and
  the son a son. (The Analects, XII11 Hsiao,
  p.99)
• Cf. D.C. Laus tr. Pp. 112-13
• Let the ruler be a ruler, the subject a subject,
  the father a father, the son a son.
• Cf. Plato, Republic
• Gold - the ruler (the philosopher-king)
• Silver the warriors
• Iron the common people
• order
• Cf. I Ching

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• Confucius ideal was the chun-tzu (gentleman,
  nobleman, in the sense of a cultivated man)
• The essence of Confucius thought was the concept
  of jen
• perfect virtue, benevolence (by James Legge)
• goodness (by Waley)
• virtue ( by Creel)
• human-heartedness (by Fung Yu-lan, tr. Derk
  Bodde)
• humanity (by W.T. Chan)

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• (Cf. Christianity)
• (Love thy neighbors as thyself)
• an enlargement of self-respect, extended to
  become an attitude of love or concern for the
  others. (Hsiao, p.102)
• Fan Chih asked about benevolence. The master
  said, love your fellow men. (The Analects, XII
  22 tr. D.C. Lau, pp.116-117)

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• Liang Chi-CHao, a great scholar and historian
  in 19th-20th centuries China Said, whenever
  Confucians have spoken of ethics and of taken jen
  as their basis. (Cf. Hsiao, p.102)
• The Master (Confucius) said, do not impose on
  other what you yourself do not desire. (The
  Analects, XXII 2, Tr. D.C. Lau, pp.108-109)

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• Yen Yuan, one of Confucius most favorite
  disciples, asked about benevolence. The Master
  said, to return to the observance of the rites
  through overcoming the self constitutes
  benevolence. (XII 1 tr. D.C. Lau, pp. 108-109,
  p.xvi)
• The Master said, It is rare, indeed, for a man
  with cunning words and an ingratiating face to be
  benevolent. ( I 3 tr. D.C. Lau, pp.2-3)

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• Besides benevolence, there are other virtues
  which the gentleman is supposed to possess
• Chih, wisdom, intelligence
• Yung, courage
• The Master said, The man of wisdom is never in
  two minds about right wrong the man of
  benevolence never worries about the future the
  man of courage is never afraid. (IX 29 tr. D.C.
  Lau, pp. 84-85, p.xix)

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• the man of courage is never afraid. (IX 29
  XIV 28)
• Faced with what is right, to leave it undone
  shows a lack of courage. (II 24 tr. D.C. Lau,
  pp. 16-17, xxi)
• A benevolent man is sure to possess courage.
  (XIV 4)
• Cf. George Washington courage to admit
  mistakes the story of the cherry tree)
• Christianity of the west sin in the east
  shame

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• The most important thing in our attitude towards
  knowledge is being honest with ourselves.
  Confucius said, To say you know when you know,
  and to say you do not when you do not, that is
  knowledge. (II 17 tr. D.C. Lau, pp. 14-15) (Cf.
  Socrates/Plato)

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• Cf. Christianity God grant me the serenity to
  accept things I cannot change Courage to change
  the things I can and the wisdom to know the
  difference.

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• When Fan Chih asked about wisdom, the Master
  said, Know your fellow men.(XII 22)
• Those who are born with knowledge are the
  highest. Next again come those who turn to study
  after having been vexed by difficulties. (XVI 9
  tr. D.C. Lau, pp. 164-65)

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• Filial piety (Hsiao)
• Nowadays for a man to be filial no more than
  that is to provide his parents with food. Even
  hounds and horses are , in some way, provided
  with food. If a man shows no reverence, where is
  the difference? (II 7 tr. D.C. Lau, pp. 12-13)
• If, for three years, a man makes no changes to
  his fathers way, he can be said to be a good
  son. (IV 20 tr. D.C. Lau, pp. 32-33)

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• Other virtues a gentleman should possess
• Righteousness (I)
• Conscientiousness toward others or loyalty
  (chung)
• Altruism or reciprocity (shu)
• The way of the Master consists in doing ones
  best and in using oneself as a measure to gauge
  others. That is all. ( IV15 tr. D.C. Lau, pp.
  32-33)

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• Supreme indeed is the mean as a moral virtue
  (VI 29 tr. D.C. Lau, pp. 54-55)
• Confucius set the pattern of the golden mean
  (like Aristotle), of always seeking the middle
  path. As Mencius so aptly says, Confucius did
  not go to the extremes. Moderation and balance
  may help explain the eventual triumph of
  Confucianism. Its basic political conservatism
  made is popular with most subsequent rulers in
  East Asia, and its high ethical principles gave
  political authority than mere hereditary right
  and served as a constant stimulus for the
  improvement of government.