PHIL349 Quiz #1

Dao

-"The Way" -The road / path to proper behavior -a method to explain -We have an active role in Dao in Confucianism (building the road)

Yi

-Appropriateness -The proper way to act in a specific situation to be in line with Ren

Wei

-Deliberate effort

Wu wei

-Effortless action

Xiao

-Filial piety, respect within the family -Hierarchical structure to respect -May be the roots of Ren (roots of virtue begin in the family and at a young age)

Ren

-Goodness / humanity -Very relational -It is achieved

Xin

-Heart-minded -encompasses perceiving / feeling -Only a property of humans and must be exercised -Extending moral feelings (Mencius)

Tian

-Heaven (not spiritual but a guiding force) -Communicates through nature, weather

Tian ming

-Mandate of heaven -King retains authority by retaining tian ming (they must have de)

Do Mencius and Xunzi make any new contributions to Confucian philosophy?

-Mencius and Xunzi both make new contributions to Confucianism -Mencius with growing what is already within us and the Four Sprouts (benevolence, deference, disdain, and approval/disapproval) -Mencius adds that humans have an innate tendency for morality that must be practied so as to not be lost (contrasted with the prevalent view at the time that believed humans only consist of desires and appetites) -Xunzi with a focus on desires and shaping how you pursue good desires / avoid bad desires, as well as an emphasis on learning through ritual and teaching,

Xiaoren

-Opposite of Junzi (lowest on moral hierarchy) -Petty person -Only concerned with image and appearing clever

Discuss the role of relationality in cultivating Ren. Does the Analects focus on exemplarism help or hinder a program of self cultivation?

-Ren is inherently relational... The symbol for Ren is literally "human" and "two -man is not the measure of all things, but mans relations with each other -We are defined by our relationships (helping others, golden rule) -Exemplarism helps the project of self cultivation in that it grants us a template of what a junzi should look like / how they should act -because so much of Confucianism is centered around learning by imitation and respect for teachers, a focus on exemplarism in the Analects sheds light on the importance of taking after morally righteous others -The 5 relationships establishes relationality as central to Confucianism and cultivating ren

Li

-Rituals / rites -Includes everyday conduct / social grammar -involves internalization (not just mimicry)

What is morality for Xun Zi?

-Something to be gained/cultivated from ritual but otherwise the same as Mencius/Confucius -Mencius says morality is cultivated through sprouts (something inside us), whereas Xun Zi says we cultivate it by imitating others (external to us)

Junzi

-The most moral person -gentleman / exemplary person

Zhengming

-The right use of words -Each individual is expected to live up to the roles indicated by their many titles (father that does not act like a father should not be called father) -Ruler be a ruler, subject a subject, etc.

De

-Virtue / excelling at being human -Being the best you that you can be

"Kongzi responded, 'Let the lord be a true lord, the ministers true ministers, the fathers true fathers, and the sons true sons.'"

Analects (Confucius) 12.11 -Pertains to Zhengming and using the right word only as it is earned / used in the right way

"The gentleman seeks it in himself; the petty person seeks it in others."

Analects (Confucius) 15.21 -Discussing Junzi vs. Xioren

"When it comes to the practice of ritual, it is harmonious ease that is to be valued. It is precisely such harmony that makes the Way of the Former Kings so beautiful. If you merely stick rigidly to ritual in all matters, great and small, there will remain that which you cannot accomplish. Yet, if you know enough to value harmonious ease but try to attain it without being regulated by the rites, this will not work either."

Analects (Confucius), 1.12 -Discussing Li and the importance of ritual, as well as the importance of striking a balance between wu wei (harmonious ease similar to effortless action) while also keeping yourself regulated by the rites.

"The gentleman applies himself to the roots. 'Once the roots are firmly established, the Way will grow.' Might we not say that filial piety and respect for elders constitute the root of Goodness?"

Analects (Confucius), 1.2 -Discussing how xiao (filial piety) is the root of Ren and virtue

"Zixia said, 'As long as one does not transgress the bounds when it comes to important Virtues, it is permissible to cross the line here and there when it comes to minor Virtues.'"

Analects (Confucius), 19.11 -There is a hierarchy of virtues, some that must be followed much more strictly than others

"If you try to guide the common people with coercive regulations and keep them in line with punishments, the common people will become evasive and will have no sense of shame. If, however, you guide them with Virtue, and keep them in line by means of ritual, the people will have a sense of shame and will rectify themselves. "

Analects (Confucius), 2.3 -Describing Li and how it is characterized by intrinsic / internal reform and order -Contrasted to dictatorships that are led by punishments and coercion, resulting in order but no internalization or virtue

"In serving your parents you may gently remonstrate with them. However, once it becomes apparent that they have not taken you criticism to heart you should be respectful and not oppose them, and follow their lead diligently without resentment."

Analects (Confucius), 4.18 -Commenting on the hierarchy of morality and the duty to filial piety -If your parents are doing wrong, you may (gently) correct then, but if they do not listen then you must respect them

"Virtue is never solitary; it always has neighbors."

Analects (Confucius), 4.25 -Confucius is commenting both on the charismatic nature of virtue and it's attractive power, as well as how relational it is

What are the 4 incipient virtues?

Benevolence, righteousness, ritual/propriety, wisdom

What are the 4 sprouts?

Compassion is the sprout of benevolence (Ren) Disdain the sprout of righteousness Deference the sprout of propriety Approval/disapproval the sprout of wisdom

Analyze Confucius' notion of xiao in the Analects, particularly hierarchy and deference. Are these concepts an enhancement or hindrance to his ideas of self and moral cultivation?

Confucius' notion of xiao enhances his idea of self cultivation. -Filial piety is the roots of virtue and Ren, learned from a young age -The deference and hierarchy within families forms from an early age the concepts of respect and ritual -The 5 relationships (structured in a hierarchy) teaches benevolence and respect

What role do emotions play in Confucian philosophy? Include the work of at least two Confucian thinkers in developing your response

Emotion is central to Confucian philosophy. -At the time that Confucius taught about Li, rituals were focused on ancestors and the past. -Confucius shifted this to focus on the present and those still alive, focusing especially on emotions and how conducting ritual correctly required the proper and sincere feelings / primed emotions while doing them -Sarkissian discusses the importance of priming our emotions to be more effortlessly virtuous (emotional intelligent) -Sarkissian says that we have the ability to "read minds," i.e. read other peoples emotions / social ques even if we have entirely different emotional experiences from them

"If you are careful about the teachings of the schools, explaining the righteousness of filial piety and fraternal respect, then those with gray hair will not be carrying loads on the roads. For the old to wear silk and eat meat, and the black-haired people to be neither hungry nor cold, yet for their ruler not to become a king - such a thing has never happened."

Mencius, 1A7 -Relates to tian ming and how a ruler must have de -Discussing the importance of teaching people ritual and filial piety and how this can lead to a just state and welfare for the people

Quote about incipient goodness and a child falling in a well

Mencius, 2A6

"The heart of compassion is the sprout of benevolence. The heart of disdain is the sprout of righteousness. The heart of deference is the sprout of propriety. The heart of approval and disapproval is the sprout of wisdom."

Mencius, 2A6 -Sprouts

"Human nature is like a willow tree; righteousness is like cups and bowls. To make human nature benevolent and righteous is like making a willow tree into cups and bowls."

Mencius, 6A1 -Gaozi is using a metaphor of a willow tree to describe human nature and how in order to make humans benevolent you must change them into something different entirely

"Water surely does not distinguish between east and west. But does it not distinguish between upward and downward? Human nature's being good is like water's tending downward. There is no human who does not tend toward goodness. There is no water that does not tend downward."

Mencius, 6A2 -Mencius is replying to Gaozi's description of human nature being like water's inability to distinguish between east and west, and human nature's inability to distinguish between good and not good -Mencius says human nature is more like water's tendency to flow downward... human's have a tendency toward benevolence

What are the 5 relations?

Ruler to subject, Father to son, Husband to wife, Older sibling to younger sibling, Friend to friend

Soles' arguments

Soles' says that while Mencius describes a virtue based conception of morality, Xun Zi tends toward a rule-based morality -Differences come less from their view of the nature of humanity and more from their system of ethics

Critically assess Sarkissian's analysis of the role of li in Confucian moral cultivation. Does he successfully explain the move from li to wu-wei?

Through Li we can prime our emotions -Through emotions we can achieve more effortless virtue -Emotional intelligence is something that is to be practiced and cultivated through Li, which with enough practice can give us wu-wei and help us be effortlessly virtuous

Van Norden's arguments

Van Norden opposes the position that Mencius and Xun Zi are not really in conflict, but actually saying the same thing with a different focus -He says that this is wrong, they are saying entirely different things -Van Norden says Xun Zi makes an argument for an objective right (the practice of self cultivation begins with ritual... even if you don't like it at first, you will grow to appreciate it, and with the right teaching / ritual you can guide your heart toward goodness) -He compares Xun Zi with Gaozi -The great difference in agency comes from difference of self cultivation through ritual -Mencius says that ritual is about growing what is already inside of you, vs. Xun Zi says ritual is for cultivating the good in order to strip away the bad -Mencius seems like an a priori moral theorist, Xun Zi seems much more like an empiricist

"Those who nevertheless do not take ritual as their model nor find sufficiency in it are called 'standardless commoners.' Those who take ritual as their model and find sufficiency in it are called 'men of standards.' To be able to reflect and ponder what is central to ritual is called 'being able to be firm.' When one can deliberate and be firm, and adds to this fondness for it, then this is to be a sage."

Xun Zi -By following the proper patterns and rituals, you can become a sage -If you do not follow the patterns and rituals, you will become a commoner

"Humans are born having desires. When they have desires but do not get the objects of their desires, then they cannot but seek some means of satisfaction. If there is no measure or limit to their seeking, then they cannot help but struggle with each other, If they struggle with each other then there will be chaos, and if there is chaos then they will be impoverished. The former kings hated such chaos, and so they established rituals and the standards of righteousness in order to allot things to people, to nurture their desires, and to satisfy their seeking."

Xun Zi -Human nature consists in desires, which inevitably leads to conflict -Morality is needed to establish rules to minimize conflict in the face of desires

"People's nature is bad. Their goodness is a matter of deliberate effort. Now people's nature is such that they are born with a fondness for profit. If they follow along with this, then struggle and contention will arise, and yielding and deference will perish therein."

Xun Zi -Human nature is bad -People are born with desires that lead to badness, so the sages created Li to help guide people

"Human nature is an accomplishment of Heaven. The dispositions are the substance of the nature. The desires re the responses of the dispositions to things. To view the object of desires as obtainable and seek for it is something that the dispositions cannot avoid, but to approve the object of desires and guide them is something that the understanding must provide."

Xun Zi -The heart's job is to approve / disapprove your good / bad desires, as well as how you go about fulfilling those desires -The hearts approval is what you chase / don't chase (the gate keeper), and -The proper patterning is how you go about obtaining it

"If your disposition accords with ritual, and your understand is just like your teacher's understanding, then this is to be a sage. And so, to contradict ritual is to be without a proper model, and to contradict your teacher is to be without a teacher. If you do not concur with your teacher and the proper model but instead like to use your own judgment, then this is like relying on a blind person to distinguish colors, or like relying on a deaf person to distinguish sounds."

Xun Zi -If you just use your own judgements, chaos and destruction... you must learn from others -Vs. Mencius says you need only look withing at the sprouts

"Zigong said, 'What I do not wish other to do unto me, I also wish not to do unto others.'"

[Anal]ects (Confucius), 5.12 -Negative formulation of the Golden Rule