Lecture 15

Confucius Says

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Today’s Topics

• Foundation of Chinese Neo-Kinship society• Political Philosophy of Chinese Neo-Kinship: – King as Good Father of All – The Mandate of Heaven

• Essential ideas of Confucian philosophy– Jen and Li– The Doctrine of the Mean

• Absolute and Relative in Morality• Contradiction in Confucius?

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Neo-Kinship Society

• One clan group rules others• Head of clan > king of society• Kinship + hierarchy• = Kinship system adapts to civilization• Kinship is not replaced by legal unification

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Sharp class division under Shang

• City of Louyang: “to the north were the dwellings and graves of the wealthy and powerful, marked by ritual bronze vessels and sacrificial victims; to the south were the dwellings of the commoners and their burial places in trash pits.” Spodek, 94

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Bronze Age Hierarchy

• See Shang dynasty bronze wine vessel, p. 94• Bronze as metal of aristocracy• = Bronze age society, like Mesopotamia– But based on kinship hierarchies, – not legal system

• Iron comes to peasantry late; a powerful state is already established– Hence, implications of iron age take place within the

framework of the old bronze-age society6

Neo-Kinship Society

• One clan group conquers others– Contrast with Western model: internal warrior,

like Gilgamesh, breaks with clan democracy, imposes his own rules: “law,” legalism

• Head of clan > king of society• Kinship + hierarchy• = Kinship system adapts to civilization• Kinship is not replaced by legal order

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Early ancestor worship

• Father of family is “priest”: – mediator with Heaven

• The “gods” include great grandmother!– i.e., not alien, arbitrary rulers, as in the West

• Religion = ritual exchange between living and spirits of the dead

• => a religion of kinship– Also in nature: Heaven and the Earth as cosmic

father and mother8

Ideology of the Good Father

• With neo-kinship hierarchy, the King is regarded as the Father of all his people– Not literal kinship but metaphorical– However, ethnic appearance, culture, language is

similar

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How justify overthrow of old dynasty?

• King as mediator between heaven and earth• Originally claims divine right of kings – as in Mesopotamia, Egypt

• But how justify a new dynasty?– Xia > Shang

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Mandate of Heaven

• New dynasty (Shang) replies: “Mandate of Heaven” was lost by abuses of old dynasty

• Former King did not rule as a good father should

• = Divine right of revolution

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Qin revolution

• Qin centralization: – Unifies China by military force: 221 BCE– Replaces family-based tradition with centralized legal system– Law made by the Emperor replaces kinship traditions

• Results of over-extension of state: chaos and impoverishment– Recall reasons for fall of Roman empire: over-extension,

legalism

• Han revolution: return to family-based system and right of revolution

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Two Approaches to Society

• “The Governor of She said to Confucius, ‘In our village there is a man nicknamed ‘Straight Body’. When his father stole a sheep, he gave evidence against him.’ Confucius answered, ‘In our village those who are straight are quite different. Fathers cover up for their sons, and sons cover up for their fathers. Straightness is to be found in such behaviour.’” (Analects, XIII, 18)

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Why Confucianism?

• Confucius defends primacy of family, kinship• Praises Sage kings of Xia dynasty (2205-1766

BCE)– Confucius’ birth: 551 BCE– Xia precedes the hereditary monarchy and the

sharper inequalities of Shang (1766-1122 BCE)• Confucius refers to a time that is closer to

early kinship egalitarianism– No hereditary monarchy with the early Xia– Confucius: return to the time before “the Fall”

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Kinship tradition of Chinaversus Greek anti-traditionalism

• > reflects ancient Chinese kinship tradition of over 1700 years before Confucius– Traditionalism of Confucius: find the truth, the core values, in the

tradition—but at its ideal starting point– The Qin Emperor in 221 BCE was trying to reverse 2000 years of

history by installing legalism• Socrates rejects the rule of tradition

– He “corrupts the youth,” by demanding that we rethink everything for ourselves, not accept what the elders say

– Reflects Greek overthrow of old kinship order • Confucius’ tradition provides ethical corrective for corrupt

states – Coincides with tradition of Mandate of Heaven

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Heart of Confucian thought: Jen (Ren)

• “A young man’s duty is to be filial to his parents at home and respectful to his elders abroad, to be circumspect and truthful, and, while overflowing with love for all men, to associate himself with humanity [jen]. If, when all that is done, he has any energy to spare, then let him study the polite arts.” – (See different translation in Spodek, 210: “overflowing

with love for living beings, and intimate with those who are humane”)

• “What you would not want for yourself, do not do to others.” (Spodek, 210), “Doctrine of the Mean”– “Negative Golden Rule”

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Why begin with parents?

• Jen is learned in the home• 1) First object of practice: parents, siblings• 2) Then, extend to others in widening circles• 3) Finally: all humanity• Confucius: love all humanity as you love

yourself, as you love your parents

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East v. West

• Difficulty in West because of legalism?– You are a person = citizen with equal rights– Recall Roman cosmopolitan citizenship

• Equality in legal relations– Some are rich, others poor– All are equal under the law as citizens

• Inequality in family relations: parent/child– Emphasis on my duties v. “my rights”– Emphasis on love v. rights

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External expression: Li (Yi)

• “Look at nothing contrary to ritual [li]; listen to nothing contrary to ritual; say nothing contrary to ritual; do nothing contrary to ritual.” (Spodek 210)– Li = ritual propriety– Yi = propriety

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Li as ritual

• “The Master said, ‘If there was a ruler who achieved order without taking any action, it was, perhaps, Shun. There was nothing for him to do but to hold himself in a respectful posture and to face due south.’” (Analects, XV, 4.)

• King rules by observing ritual, not by force• Gives example to others: if all followed his example –

peace in the land

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Relation of Jen and Li

• “Respectfulness [jen], without the rules of propriety [li], becomes laborious bustle . . . Straightforwardness [jen] without the rules of propriety [li], becomes rudeness.”

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Contemporary problems of Li

• “Dear Miss Manners:• If a woman offers you her hand in greeting, should

you shake it only or should you grasp it, squeeze it gently, and at the same time pull her toward you and peck her on the cheek?

• “It would appear to me most appropriate to kiss a woman on the cheek, but if she offers you her lips instead, what should you do – kiss her on the lips or go round to a cheek?

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Kissing, continued

• “Once you have kissed a woman as a greeting, are you expected to continue with the practice in all future greetings involving that person? If you don’t is that person likely to be offended?” (79)

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Absolute and Relative in Morality

• Inner spirit: respect for other people– Learn this in your family– Begin with your parents

• External expression: relative to culture– In India: greet someone by placing hands in prayer

position and bowing– Handshake contaminates

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Doctrine of the Mean:

• Balance between opposites: Jen and Li– Inner spirit of love; appropriate external behavior

• Compare with Daoism: Yin and Yang• NB ambiguity in translation of the Doctrine of the

Mean (balance)– Followed by the “superior” man– Not followed by the “mean” (common, inferior) man

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Contradiction in Confucius?

• (1) Overflow with love for all humanity• (2) Should you treat injury with kindness?• “What do you say concerning the principle that

injury should be recompensed with kindness?” The Master said, “With what then will you recompense kindness? Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness.”

• Compare Jesus: “Turn the other cheek.”

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Solution to contradiction

• Inner respect: jen: – Therefore love everyone.

• External behavior: li– But do not behave the same way to everyone.

• Apply to misbehaving child– Love the child– But “punish” the behavior

• Lesson: all actions have consequences

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