Core Values in Confucianism

Wang Yu

Soochow University

Contents

Confucius and Lun Yu (the Analects)

Core values in Confucianism

A brief comment

Confucius the Sage

A great thinker, educator, political figure, philosopher, founder of the Ru School of Chinese thought

Confucius (551 – 479 BC)

Born Kong Qiu into a lesser aristocratic family Struggled to secure an education and make his wa

y in the world

An unhappy and war-torn land

Called for a social theory to reunite the country and make it a powerful and mighty nation

The Spring-Autumn Period

Confucius believed that his place was in the world of politics

His success short-lived

Withdrew to a life of teaching ancient traditions and rites

“I am neither wise nor sage, I am merely a man who

struggles for virtue and who will never give up teaching

it.”

3000 disciples

Lun Yu (the Analects) A 20-chapter

Confucian classic

Compiled by his disciples and the disciples of disciples

Confucianism

A school of moral doctrine Not a religion, but more a

philosophy and a guide to morality and good government

Concerned with the needs of society

A Return to Virtue

“Unless men individually embraced Ren, or perfect virtue – there was no hope that the society could be spared the evil, cruelty, and violence that was destroying it.”

What Solution

Ren (Humanity) “Love men.” (XII: 22) “To be able to practice five virtues everywhere in

the world constitutes humanity.” (XVII: 6) “Courtesy, generosity, good faith, diligence and

kindness.” (XVII: 6) “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.” (IV: 5)

“Pay back injury with justice, and kindness with kindness.” (XIV: 36)

He who is courteous is not humiliated, he who is generous wins the multitude, he who is of good faith is trusted by people, he who is diligent attains his objective, and he who is kind can get service from the people. (XVII: 6)

At the core of Confucianism …

Benevolence (Ren) Righteousness (Yi) Propriety (Li) Faithfulness (Xin)

Benevolence (Ren, Love)

Based on blood relations

Love his parents, brothers and the whole family, and then love extensively the others

Kind-hearted and generous esp. to one’s subordinates

Fan Zhongyan of the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) gave financial aid to one of his subordinates who died of illness and left behind a young wife and two children.

范仲淹

Benevolence (Ren, Reciprocity)

“Put yourself into others’ shoes.”

“What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.”

Righteousness (Yi)

Political proprieties

包 拯

Bao Zheng’s Dilemma

Righteousness (Yi)

In its economic aspect, polarized against profit-making

“To be rich and respectable is men’s common drive, but I’d rather not wish for it if it was not to be pursued in the right way.” (IV: 5)

Propriety (Li)

Politeness

Imperial rites

Codes of behavior: respect and modest derefence

“When three men are walking together, there is one who can be my teacher.”

A teacher for a day is a father

for a lifetime!

Faithfulness (Xin)

Externally, one’s deeds match one’s words; and internally one’s words and mind are in unison.

A key to the perfection of human nature

“When you know a thing, say that you know it;

when you do not know a thing, admit that you do not know it.

That is true wisdom.”

Ji Bu 季布 Ji Bu (in the late Qin Dy

nasty, 221-207 BC) always kept his word.

Better to get Ji Bu's promise than one hundred jin.

General Comments

A harmonious mixture of ethics, politics, education, humanism, etc.

Some of the ideas could be very helpful to the modern political leaders and just ordinary people in everyday life.

Positive Ideas

Optimism (vs. sin vs. a sea of suffering)

The benevolence begins from near to far.

More emphasis on virtue than on interests

“The pursuit of material profit did not coincide, but more often directly conflicted with the dictates of virtue: it was the concern of the small and unenlightened mind.”

Negative Influences

Promotion of corruption and nepotism

Lack of change or innovative spirits

Loss of free-will and individuality

…

Wrap-Up: “A King Without A Crown”

Suggested Readings

De Bary, W. et. al. 1960. Sources of Chinese Tradition. New York: Columbia University Press.

Feng, Y. 2007. A Short History of Chinese Philosophy. Tianjin: Tianjin Social Science Academy Press.

Hong, Q. 2003. A Lead-Up to Confucianism. Shanghai: Shanghai Education Publishing House.

Waley, A. 1998. An English Version of The Analects. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Rearch Press.

Thank You!