Pre-chin Confucianism I

20.06.2006

Lecture Outline

Confucius the Sage Attitude on Traditional Heritage Attitude on Afterlife Political Ideas Important Ideas in Confucius’ Analects 1. xue/learning 2. ren

Confucius: the Sage

Confucius was considered as “the Teacher of the Ten Thousand Generations”/ a sage

Born in Spring-Autumn period Lived in a period of political struggle He wanted to bring the states back to

the harmonious period of early Zhou.

The Life of Confucius (551-479 B.C.)

Confucius was orphaned at a very early age.

Of his youth little is known except that he was poor and fond of learning.

He said, “I was of humble station when young. That is why I am skilled in many menial things” (Analects 9.6)

The Life of Confucius (551-479 B.C.) In the time of Duke Ting (r. 509-494 B.C.) of Lu (Con

fucius’ home state) that Confucius became the police commissioner of Lu for a short period of time.

During his term of office two events took place which are recorded.

First, Confucius accompanied the Duke to a meeting with Duke Ching of Chi and scored a diplomatic victory.

Second, he was responsible for the abortive plan to demolish the main city of each of the three powerful noble families.

The Life of Confucius (551-479 B.C.) It was probably in 497 B.C. that Confucius lef

t Lu, not to return until 13 years later. An account is given in the Analects of how he

came to leave Lu, “The men of Chi [the noble of Lu] made a present of singing and dancing girls. Chi Huanzi accepted them and stayed away from court for three days” (A 18.4)

Confucius decided to leave Lu because its noble, instead of being a good ruler, only focused on women.

The Life of Confucius (551-479 B.C.) In the Mencius, a different account is given. “Confucius was the police commissioner of Lu, bu

t his advice was not followed. He took part in a sacrifice, but afterwards, was not given a share of the meat of the sacrificial animal. He left the state without waiting to take off his ceremonial cap.

Mencius’ comment was: “Those who did not understand him thought he acted in this way because of the meat, but those who understand him realized that he left because Lu failed to observe the proper rites (li)” (M 12.6)

The Life of Confucius (551-479 B.C.) He went to various states, hoping to actuali

ze his teachings. He failed and eventually went back to his h

ome country, Lu, with his students in 484 B.C. (when he was 68).

He then became a professional teacher with 3000 students.

His last years were saddened by the death first of his son and then of his favorite disciple, Yan Hui, at an early age.

Confucius’s Analects A collection of everyday conservations

between Confucius and his disciples 20 chapters, each is entitled with the first 2

words in the first passage Not a systematic or logical text, but composed

of scattered passages Passages are condense and short, probably

due to the fact that people had to write on bamboo sheets, which were very expensive.

Such a style is commonly found in text written in that period of time.

How to read it???

How to read the Analects ? To look for all the passages containing the

particular important words/terms. Try to get a better understanding of the ide

a by synthesizing the passages together. D.C. Lau & Chen Fong Ching, The ICS Ancien

t Chinese Texts Concordance Series, The Commercial Press: Hong Kong, 1995.

Confucius’ Attitude on Traditional Heritage Tradition inheritage can be taken as the foundatio

n in Confucius’ self-cultivation. The Shijing, the Shujing, the li, and music are all tra

ditional inheritance for Confucius. Confucius is the editor of the existing The Book of

Rites/Lijing. The great respect for history Confucius inherited c

an be shown by the fact that he “uses the correct pronunciation for the Book of Songs (Shijing), the Book of History (Shujing) and the performance of the rites, li 禮” (A 7.18).

Confucius’ Attitude on Traditional Heritage

Those who already know how to learn from the tradition are described as “Having ascended the hall, though they may not have gained entrance to the inner chamber” (A 11.15)

That is, those people have already achieved some progress in their self-cultivation/ becoming a junzi.

Confucius’ Attitude on Traditional Heritage Confucius clearly points out the usage of historical

heritage: “Be stimulated by the Shijing, take one’s stand through with the help of the li, and be perfected by music” (A 8.8).

He says that an apt quotation from the Shijing can stimulate the imagination, endow one with breeding, enable one to live in a community, and give expression to grievances (A 17.9).

In his conversations with his disciples, Confucius frequently quotes from the Shijing to illustrate his point (A 1.15, 8.3, 3.8, 16.13, 17.9).

Confucius’ Attitude on Afterlife Did not care/ talk about life after death/ spir

itual beings. He said, “It is man who is capable of broad

ening dao (the Way). It is not dao that is capable of broadening man.” (A 15.29)

---the Way does not pre-determine human being; his understanding of the Way is different from the Western conception of God/ Platonic Idea/Aristotelian potential

Confucius’ Attitude on Afterlife (A 11.12) Zhilu [a close disciple of Confuciu

s] asked about the spirits of the dead and the gods should be served. The Master said, “You are not able even to serve man. How can you serve the spirits”“May I ask about death?”

“You do not understand even life. How can you understand death?”

Confucius’ Attitude on Afterlife

(A 6.22) Fanzhi [a disciple of Confucius] asked about wisdom. The Master said, “To work for things the common people have a right to and to keep one’s distance from the gods and spirits of the dead while showing them reverence can be called wisdom.”

Confucius’ Philosophy

1. philosophy of life, how to become a full human being/ junzi (by self-cultivation)

2. To have a good government and harmonious human relations. He looks for a community that works by virtue and moral examples rather than punishment and rules.

Political Ideas

(A 2.3) The Master said, “Guide them by edicts, keep them in line with punishments, and the common people will stay out of trouble but will have no sense of shame. Guide them by virtue (de), keep them in line with the rites (li), they will, besides having a sense of shame, reform themselves.”

Philosophy of Life For Confucius, nobility was not a matter

of blood, but of moral character. In being moral one can neither be

assured of a reward or guaranteed success, morality must be pursued for its own sake.

One begins the process of self-cultivation first by learning, then by reflection.

Important Ideas in the Analects 1.xue 學 (to “learn,” to “study by heart,

” to “understand,” always includes to “act according to what you have learn”)

2. ren 仁 (“benevolent”, “authoritative”, “love”, “kindness”, “altruism”)

3. li 禮 (“rites”, “propriety”, “ceremony”, “manners”)

4. junzi 君子 (“gentleman”, “good person”, “moral person”)

1. xue Xue 學 appears 65 times in the Anale

cts. It is important to note the difficulties i

n translating the Chinese word, xue. The natural choice in English for an eq

uivalent is the verb “to learn,” but very often we are forced by the demands of the English language to use “to study” instead.

1. xue The verb “to learn” needs an expressed o

bject. We do not say, “He learns.” We can, of course, say, “He learns quickly,” but this is a special case where the focal point of the sentence is not in the word “learn.” We do, on the other hand, say, “He studies.”

In the English language, we tend to “learn” something practical and “study” something theoretical.

1. xue In learning, the focus is on the learner,

who improves himself by learning new skills or becomes more proficient in an old one.

In studying, the focus is on the subject and the person who has studied acquires new knowledge, which need not make any difference to him or her as a practical man.

1. xue For instance, when Confucius talks about x

ue shi, it is natural to render this as “to study the Shijing.” But this changes an activity with a practical application to something theoretical.

Yet to render the phrase as “to learn the Shijing” suggests learning the Shijing by heart. Though this certainly is part of the meaning, it definitely is not the whole of it.

1. xue The main purpose of xue shi is 學詩 both to

improve one’s sensibility and to enable one to use lines from the Shijing to convey a meaning capable of a subtle interpretation.

The words of Zixia (a disciple of Confucius) further support this point and he would grant those who act and behave appropriately as schooled, even though they never received formal education (A 1.7).

1. xue Xue, for Confucius, is a long and arduous pr

ocess that few people are willing to go through.

E.g., though Confucius has a lot of students (A 11.3), there is but one, Yan Hui, who truly loves learning (haoxue 好學 ).

“After his [Hui’s] death, there is no one” (A 6.3).

1. xue Xue is always referring to the process of human be

comig/ self-cultivation and the development of character in the promotion of the way (dao 道 ), as opposed to the way various craftsmen will practice specific skills and master a trade (A 19.7).

Xue cannot simply be taken as book-learning, but life-learning.

Confucius was once reproved by a villager for not having mastered any specialty although he was broad in learning (A 9.2).

He might have replied that an exemplary person is not a “mere vessel,” (A 2.12) meaning that the junzi 君子 is not a person of instrumental skills.

1. xue Confucius is keen to maintain a distinction betwee

n education (for self-cultivation) and training in a skill (for earning a living).

He points out that we should be concerned with how to live our lives with dao but not preoccupied with making a living (A 15.32). The passage continues as follows, “Go and till the land and you will end up by being hungry as a matter of course; study, and you will end up with the salary of an official as a matter of course.”

However, most people study with an eye to fame, power, or wealth.

1. xue Even Confucius himself was asked by one of his dis

ciples about studying (xue) to an official post. His answer was that if one focused on self-cultivation, an official post would come therein (A 2.18).

Confucius once lamented that it was difficult to find one who would study (xue) for three years without concentrating on the matter of salary (A 8.12).

There was only one, Yan Hui (the favorite disciple of Confucius) who focused on studying without fixing his eye on fame, wealth, or power.

1. Passages on xue in the Analects (A 2.15) The Master said, “If one learns from

others but does not think, one will be bewildered. If, on the other hand, one thinks but does not learn from others, one will be in danger.”

(A 19.13) Zihsia [a disciple of Confucius] said, “When a man in office finds that he can more than cope with his duties, then he studies; when a student finds that he can more than cope with his studies, then he takes office.”

1. Passages on xue in the Analects (A 14.24) The Master said, “Men of antiquity studie

d to improved themselves; men today study to impress others.”

(A 16.9) Confucius said, “Those who born with knowledge are the highest. Next come those who attain knowledge through study/xue. Next again come those who turn to study/xue after having been vexed by difficulties. The common people, in so far as they make no effort to study/xue even after having been vexed by difficulties, are the lowest.”

2. ren 仁 Appears 109 times in the Analects. Confucius answered direct questions about

ren 6 times in the Analects. The most important moral quality one can

possess. This word was used before Confucius but h

e added much complexity and moral quality to the term.

It is the moral quality a junzi 君子 must possess.

2. ren 仁 “If the junzi forsakes ren, wherein can he make a

name for himself? The junzi never deserts ren, not even for as long as it takes to eat a meal. If he hurries and stumbles one may be sure that it is in ren that he does so.” (A 4.5)

In some context “the junzi” and “the renzhe” (person of ren) are almost interchangeable terms.

“The junzi is free from worries and fears” (A 12.4) & it is the renzhe who is said not to have worries (A 9.29, 14.28).

2. ren 仁 Confucius’ answer (on ren) to his disciple, “Do n

ot impose on others what you yourself do not desire” (A 12.2).

“A renzhe helps others to take their stand [become a junzi] in that he himself wishes to take his stand, and gets others there in that he himself wishes to get there. The ability to take as analogy what is near at hand can be called the method of ren” (A 6.30)

This is similar to the famous German philosopher, Immanuel Kant’s morality and duty.

2. ren 仁 The conception of “universal conformi

ty to law” is Kant’s central notion of duty.

Kant defines it, as a generalized version of the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

The point is, decide what you ought to do by asking you the question, “What if everyone were to do that?”

2. ren 仁 Confucius: negative aspect

-“Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire” (A 12.2).

Immanuel Kant: positive aspect- “Do unto others as you would have

them do unto you.”

2. ren 仁 ren: “Love your fellow men” (A 12.2

2). A 12.22 is brief. “In guiding a state of thousand chari

ots…keep expenditure under proper regulation and love your fellow men; employ the labor of the common people in the right seasons” (A 1.5).

2. How to become ren 仁 ? (A 14.4) The Master said, “…A renzhe is sure

to possess courage, but a courageous man does not necessarily possess ren.”

---a renzhe is a courageous person

(A 13.27) The Master said, “Unbending strength, resoluteness, simplicity and slowness of speech are close to be ren.”

---characters close to being ren

2. How to become ren 仁 ? (A 4.3) The Master said, “It is the renzhe alo

ne who is capable of liking or disliking other men.”

---only a renzhe is capable of distinguishing other people

(A 4.4) The Master said, “If a man were to set his heart-and-mind on ren, he would be free from evil.”

---a renzhe is a good (moral) person

2. ren in the Analects (A 4.1) The Master said, “Of neighborhoods re

n is the most beautiful. How can the man be considered wise who, when he has the choice, does not settle in ren?”

---to be with other renzhe.

(A 7.30) The Master said, “Is ren really far away? No sooner do I desire it than it is here.”

--- being ren or not, depends on yourself, your effort

2. ren 仁 in the Analects (A 4.6) The Master said, “Is there a man wh

o, for the space of a single day, is able to devote all his strength to ren? I have not come across such a man whose strength proves insufficient for this task. There must be such cases of insufficient strength, only I have not come across them.”

---everyone is capable of becoming a renzhe

Example of a Sage: Confucius

(A 6.30) Zigong said, “If there were a man who gave extensively to the common people and brought help to the multitude, what would you think of him? Could he be called ren?”The Master said, “It is no longer a matter of ren with such a man. If you describe him, “sage” is, perhaps, the right word. Even Yao and Shun [the most respectable ancient kings] would have found it difficult to accomplish as much…”

---Confucius is known as a Sage, as his teaching cares for the common people and brings help to the multitude. His ideal is even higher than being ren.

Example of a renzhe: Confucius (A 7.16) The Master said, “In the eating of c

oarse rice and the drinking of water, the using of one’s elbow for a pillar, joy is to be found. Wealth and rank attained through immoral means (biyi) have as much to do with me as passing clouds.”

---Confucius’ life is similar to that of Yan Hui, (the favorite disciple of Confucius), who is greatly praised and considered as a renzhe by Confucius (A 6.3, 11.7).

Example of a renzhe: Yan Hui First, Hui focused on studying without fixin

g his eye on fame, wealth, or power. He enjoyed himself in the process of self-cultivation so that he could live with joy even in a mean dwelling with plain rice and water (A 6.11).

Throughout his short life span, Hui lived in poverty.

His everyday life was a hardship most people would find intolerable.

Example of a renzhe: Yan Hui Secondly, Hui is highly appreciated fo

r his achievement in the process of human becoming.

Hui is the only person (in Confucius’ eyes) who does not lapse from ren for three months at a time, whereas the others attain ren merely in fits and starts (A 6.7).

Example of a renzhe: Yan Hui (A 6.11) The Master said, “How admirable H

ui is! Living in a mean dwelling on a bowlful of rice and a ladleful of water is a hardship most men would find insupportable, but Hui does not allow this to affect his joy. How admirable Hui is!”

---though Hui is in poverty, he finds joy in being a renzhe

Example of a renzhe: Yan Hui (A 6.3) When asked which of his disciples wa

s eager to learn, Confucius answered, “There was on Yan Hui who was eager to learn. He never transferred the anger he felt towards one person to another. Nor did he make the same mistake twice. Unfortunately his allotted span was a short one and he died. Now there is no one. No one eager to learn has come to my notice.”

---Hui does not transfer anger, rectifies his mistakes & love learning

Example of a renzen: Yan Hui Confucius’ most talented disciple, Yan Hui, also a

sked about ren. (A 12.1) The Master said, “To return to the observ

ance of the rites (li) through overcoming the self constitutes ren. If for a single day a man could return to the observance of the rites through overcoming himself, then the whole Empire would consider ren to be his. However the practice of ren depends on oneself alone, not on others.”

---ren consists in overcoming the self; & to be ren one has to return to li.

2. Being ren Being the Confucian renzhe is not like winning a medal. One does not possess a kind of status attained once and for a

ll, in the sense that one can carry a glorious name for the rest of one’s life.

Being ren is an attitude towards life Human life and humanity is an ongoing process E.g. by doing so and so (such as share your food with a hungr

y person), you are being ren. But it is possible that in the next moment, you do something

else, such as cheating in an exam), which is not the behavior of a renzhe, then you are no longer being ren.