Review: Utilitarian Moral Theory• 利 害 li-haibenefit-harm standard selects social

discourse 道 daoguide – Everyone's guiding rules, attitudes norms– Reform tradition--shocking resultsmoral reform

impasse• Partial solution: Rule out collectively self-

defeating moralities– Morally oppose themselves as public morality– Like Socrates, doesn't tell us the correct morality

• And not technically inconsistent• Just can't be publicly acknowledged

Other Mencius Background• Yang Zhu: Ethical egoism

– Not psychological--people are naturally social• But shouldn't be--authority of 天 tiannature:sky • Command 命 in form of life capacity 氣

• Classification of ethics– Metaethics: Socrates knowable, Confucius

traditional (?)– Moral psychology: West egoistic, Confucius-

Mozi-Yang social– Normative theory: Confucius: 禮 liritual, Mozi 利

libenefit Yang woI 我

Mencius Response• Prefers not to 辯 biandistinction dispute but must

respond to Yang and Mo– Use Yang to answer Mo– Natural, inborn capacity, but more detail

• Strategy in burial argument– Tradition arises from "natural inclinations"– Commanded by 天 tiannature:sky and not mere

convention

Four Beginnings 端• The 心 xinheart-mind has four impulse

patterns• Lead to the four classic virtues

–側隱 compassion 仁 benevolence–羞惡 shame 義 yimorality

–辭 讓 deference 禮 liritual

–是非 shi/feithis:right/not this:wrong 智 zhiwisdom

QuestionsQuiz 3. This sentence is false.

Why is the above sentence a paradox? Is “All language distorts the Dao” also a paradox?

Explain.Notice Mid-Term Questions

Stories: • Child by the well and 仁 renhumanity

– Problems as answer tMozi– Problems as a defense of Confucianism

• Strong and Weak versions– Weak is probably shared by Yang-Mo– Strong is implausible for 禮 liritual – where it is

needed• Mozi's influence -- 仁 renhumanity 義 yimorality

• Interesting problem for 義 yimorality

Developmental Innatism: • Plant analogy

– Morality not fully known at birth• Soil = economic climate• Water + nourishment = self-

reflection– Valuing one’s inclination

• Seed = innate tendencies– The spontaneous, pre-social reactions

• Sprout = beginning reactions• Weeds = selfish desires

– Problem of evil

Sagehood Ideal• Banyan tree = sagehood

–Universal concern• Flood-like 浩 然之氣 qibreath

• Heart and 智 zhiwisdom responsiveness–Language too coarse, imprecise

• Situational shi-feithis-not this 是 非–Combine judgment and inclination–Spontaneous and natural – 氣 qibreath link ? Unclear

Two Principles • Link fact & duty:

– "Is-ought": “is” does not imply “ought”• Undermines appeal to nature

– "Ought-can:" ought implies can• Is moral reform possible

• Can't get an 'ought' from an 'is'– Why follow the heart? Why follow 天 tiannature:sky

– Distinguishing feature– Health (like finger)

Mencius and Daoism• Prefers not to 辯 biandistinction dispute

– Doesn’t like language– Doesn’t need language: intuition

• Foolish man and plants• Don’t force growth with theory (language and

distinctions)

Daoism: Early History• Hermits and Yang Zhu 楊朱 : No theory

of 道• First theoretical Daoist: Shen Dao 慎 到

– Natural performance daoguide 道– Sum of all actual performance 道 daoguides is

the great dao 大 道– You will follow 大 道— no knowledge of 道

needed

Three Determinisms• Logical, Scientific, Fatalistic

– What will be will be, by predictable laws, out of human control

– 慎 到 draws fatalistic conclusion from logical determinism

• Paradox of "abandon knowledge"– 道 Dao as the object of knowledge– Obey it only if you ignore it

Laozi 老子• Textual issues• The Zhuangzi's history

–Between Shendao and Zhuangzi• Abandon knowledge w/o relying on

fatalism–Argument from freedom from social

control–Spontaneity

Analysis of "Knowledge"• Discourse 道 daos: come in

opposites–Names 名 (opposites)–Distinctions (implied: one per pair)–Desires 欲

• Innovation in seeing desires generated by names/distinctions

– 為 weideem:do action

Problem: Same Paradox?• Distinction of natural and conventional

desires– Forms of social constraint– Language distorts by gross distinction while

there are infinite shades in nature • Desire to be natural• Act on the desire (forgetting)• 無 為 wulack weideem:do a paradox

– Wu-wei and yet wu-bu-wei 無不為– no concept guided action

No Constant Dao • 道可道非常道 Any dao that guides is not

constant dao-ing• Because based on 名 and

– 名可名非常名 Any name that names is not constant name-ing

• Negative 道 daoguide by emphasizing opposite virtues– Passive, lower, water, cool, submissive,

female– Constant 道 daoguide ? Unspeakable?

Relevance to Mencius• The intuitions that Confucians think are

natural are socially cultivated–Burial, filial piety, attitudes to authority–Status, wealth, style

• Hong Kong slavery– Innate 天 道 is very thin

• Eat, sleep, children, farm, small villages

Common Anti-language Problem• 墨 辯 Mohist semantic analysis:

– To say “language bad” is bad– Paradox of the liar

• This sentence is false• All Sentences are false

– Not a paradox– But false

• Challenge to Zhuangzi

Puzzle

• All language distorts the 道 dao

• Distorts the 道 dao