CONFUCIAN
Li
"decorum" or "good form" -
The Analects
"sayings" or teachings - collected by Confucius' students after his death
FREEDOM
- Moral perfection is within our control, so we should strive to attain it.
- Chih
- it refers especially to the application of knowledge to human affairs
HUMAN NATURE
Confucius did not offer a clear answer to the question
551 - 479 B.C.E.
Confucius was born in
Chou dynasty
He lived during the worst time of the
Virtue, will and true happiness
Internal goods
studying the what the great men in the past have said about it
Morality can be known by__________
Book II
The Master said, A gentleman is not an implement
Good on level of the State
The ideal state must have "moral character"
respect Family reverence
The strength of the family was based on ______ for the father and other older members of the extended family.
• MENCIUS (371 - 289, B.C.E) • HSUN-TZU (298 - 239 B.C.E)
Two interpreters of Confucius
• MENCIUS
Which interpreter? • We're all born with virtuous inclinations; are innately good
human nature" (xing)
___________ is powerful, active, and dynamic force; it necessarily expresses itself in the social-political world.
SOCIETY- individual moral perfection
___________ is the key to a stable society.
- Chih
knowledge,
Great master
• Fu-tzu, or Kongzi means
• It appears that the consequentialist mode is also an "instrumentalist" mode of argument.
"If a ruler, equipped with a heart that cannot bear to see the suffering of others, practices a politics of compassion and empathy, he will rule the world as easily as rolling it on his palm."
Sincerity
"It is only he who is possessed of the most complete sincerity that can exist under heaven, who can give its full development to his nature. Able to give its full development to his own nature, he can do the same to the nature of other men."
• The Doctrine of the Mean or Zhongyong
"The superior man embodies the course of the Mean; the mean man acts contrary to the course of the Mean."
Leniency
"When one cultivates to the utmost the principles of his nature, and exercises them on the principle of reciprocity, he is not far from the path. What you do not like when done to yourself, do not do to others."
Confucians are "DEONTOLOGISTS"
"if one needs to undertake an unjust action, or to kill an innocent person, in order to gain the whole world, one should not do it."
SOCIETY
- A good society can foster good individuals, who then in turn sustain the stability and benevolence of the society.
- Li Chih Hsiao Cheng ming
- Conditions to produce a good society
SOCIETY
- Confucius taught that we ought to seek a good human society above all else.
FREEDOM
- Human beings are free to choose either the life of selfishness or the life of moral perfection.
ETHICS
- JEN & - SHU -
Book II
13. (asked about the true gentleman) The Master said, He does not preach what he practices till he has practiced what he preaches.
Book I
16. The Master said, (the good man) does not grieve that other people do not recognize his merits. His only anxiety is lest he should fail to recognize theirs.
3. Book IV
16. The Master said, A gentleman takes as much trouble to discover what is right as lesser men take to discover what will pay.
A. Arguments based on a theory of human nature B. Pattern-based, consequentialist arguments.
2 Arguments to justify VIRTUE & VIRTUE POLITICS
Self-watchfulness Leniency SIncerity
3 guidelines : Doctrine of the Mean or Zhongyong
yan hui zengzi zisi mencius
4 sages of Confucianism
Lu.
Born in a feudal state of
to restore order and goodness to society
Confucius' • Mission:
morality metaphysical considerations
Confucius- emphasizes _________ more than ___________
Son's filial piety (xiao) towards his father, ▪ an official must have loyalty (zhong) towards his or her ruler a ruler must have benevolence (ren) towards his or her people
Everyone in the ideal society has social roles and practical identities that come with special obligations.
HUMAN NATURE
Everyone is capable of moral perfection, although very few ever attain it.
human nature" (xing)
Everyone's "__________ is rooted in his or her heart-mind, which is the innate dispositions of virtues (benevolence, justice, ritual propriety, etc.) - this distinguishes human from non-human
Theory of external goods
External goods include: wealth, power, fame, and worldly success
way of nature
For Taoists TAO, was especially the
Good on level of the State
It is important for the state to have external goods, such as being orderly, prosperous, having an extensive territory, and a vast population.
HUMAN NATURE
It is important to establish morally good societies, it is society that makes us who we are.
ANALECTS of Confucius THE BOOK OF MENCIUS
Later, the _______________ and the _______________were added to the Classic texts.
TAO
Meaning "way" or "path."
1. Every one follows social rules and rituals (li) that govern every aspect of life in the ideal society 2. Everyone in the ideal society has social roles and practical identities that come with special obligations. 3. "Benevolent politics" 4. . "Virtue-based politics" 5. The unification of the various states in China is not achieved through force and violence, but through the transformative power of virtue
Moral characteristics of an ideal society
It is the ultimate goal.
Moral perfection is not the means to a higher goal.
originates in heaven.
Morality is not made by humans, but ___________
mandate of heaven
Morality is present in the world in the form of
ancestors of living family members,
Reverence was especially paid to the ____________ even to the point of offering prayers and sacrifices and asking for guidance
Good on level of the State
The morality of the state must be the same as the morality of the individual.
Self-watchfulness
The superior man does not wait till he sees things to be cautious, nor till he hears things to be apprehensive. There is nothing more visible than what is secret, and nothing more manifest than what is minute. Therefore the superior man is watchful over himself, when he is alone."
1. Good on level of the State 2. Good on the level of the INDIVIDUAL
Theory of the Good
FREEDOM
There are things that are not in their control. E.g., our social status was predetermined by heaven
External goods
They are not under one's control, but rather are allotted by fate or Heaven.
Confucians are "internalists"
They define virtuous actions in terms of factors internal to the agent, such as the agent's intentions, motives, emotions, or deep dispositions
Leniency
This guideline requires understanding, concern and tolerance towards one another.
JEN
This ought to be the root of all human relationships
HEAVEN
This was not so much a supernatural world which contained gods and other spirits, the cosmos above the earth
virtue politics
Thus, ________ is the best or necessary means to achieve the Confucian ideal society.
1. Ren - humanity, benevolence, empathy 2. Yi - justice, righteousness 3. Li - social rules and rituals internalized 4. Zhi - practical wisdom
Virtues of a junzi
virtuous action.
When human nature expresses itself as human action, it would necessarily be _____________
• MENCIUS
Which interpreter? Accdg. to Confucius human can be morally perfected, so for ______ human nature is essentially good from the start.
• HSUN-TZU
Which interpreter? Believed that we are evil by nature.
• MENCIUS
Which interpreter? Heaven has built into our hearts a sense of compassion for the suffering of our fellow humans.
• MENCIUS
Which interpreter? Heaven instilled in us innate knowledge of right from wrong.
• HSUN-TZU
Which interpreter? No altruism in human nature.
• HSUN-TZU
Which interpreter? Not self-discipline, but the discipline and training forced upon a person by a strong society that is the only foil to selfishness and ignorance
• HSUN-TZU
Which interpreter? People are driven by desire, not knowledge because they are ignorant of the Way.
• HSUN-TZU
Which interpreter? The only way to gain moral perfection is through proper training and control by a strong ruler.
• HSUN-TZU
Which interpreter? They are indifferent to the fate of others.
• MENCIUS
Which interpreter? We are also born with desires.
• MENCIUS
Which interpreter? We help each other, we feel guilty if we don't.
• MENCIUS
Which interpreter? • Believed that human nature is essentially good.
• MENCIUS
Which interpreter? • Heaven has also given us a sense of shame for our misdeeds, which acts as an immediate, emotional check on our vices.
• HSUN-TZU
Which interpreter? • People must be taught the Way, and be forced to adopt it.
• HSUN-TZU
Which interpreter? • Selfishness leads to envy, hatred & violence.
Doctrine of the Mean
Zhongyong
Virtuous persons
_________- take pleasure in doing virtuous actions, even when they live in poverty.
Virtue, will and true happiness
are not subject to luck and are under the agent's control
JEN
benevolence or kind-heartedness.
yang
bright side
the true way is the life of moral perfection
central claim of Confucius
GREAT MASTER
confucius means
The CHING (Classic) texts
contains the ancient wisdom of China
Sincerity
contributes to a close connection between Heaven and human.
Human nature
determined more by moral nature which is endowed to us all alike by heaven.
THE MANDATE OF HEAVEN
imposed certain benefits and duties on a ruler. The main benefit was the increased authority and social force it gave to the ruler.
"Virtue-based politics"
is practiced when the ruler wins the allegiance and trust of the people not through laws or coercion, but through the transformative power of virtuous actions
YANG
is the active, strong, constructive, male principle.
benevolent action
it is _________ if it is a natural and spontaneous expression of one's deep dispositions of compassion for the people
- Cheng ming -
it requires that there is truthfulness, meaning that the ruler and the subjects alike say what they mean and mean what they say. They keep their word.
Yin
mountain's shadow
YIN & YANG
opposing components of all things in nature and society
Pattern-based consequentialist arguments
patterns in social reality are observed
"Virtue-based politics"
pertains to the Confucian ethical-political program as a whole
"Benevolent politics"
practiced when the state adopts just and benevolent policies regarding the distribution of external goods, as well as policies that may be characterized as "universal altruism"
k'ung fu-tzu
real name of confucius
SHU
reciprocity, like a golden rule, requires us to treat people as we would want them to treat us.
Li
refers to rites and ceremonies. This instils self-discipline and surrender self-interest to benevolence and virtue.
Cheng ming
reification of names
"Benevolent politics"
ren-zheng
Hsiao
respect, a feeling of reverence, for one's father and for elders.
Zhongyong /Doctrine of the Mean
s both a doctrine of Confucianism and also the title of one of the Four Books of Confucian philosophy.
moral character
state should have no other end than the perfection of human relationships and the cultivation of virtues of the individual.
HEAVEN
the moral laws inherent in the universe to which human beings must submit in order to live excellent lives.
Mencius
the most persistent advocate for an internalist view.
YIN
the passive, weak, destructive, female principle,
THE MANDATE OF HEAVEN
the sanction of heaven granted to a ruler.
To follow the Tao
to align yourself with the order of the universe, and thus to achieve a happy life;
Tao
to deviate from its path is to court disaster and misery, the lot of most people.
Is human nature basically corrupt or is it basically good (but only corrupted by rulers)?
• Because of the terrible state of affairs in China during Confucius' time, the fundamental question still was:
membership in a morally good society
• Confucius teaches that the right way is not in harmony with nature but __________ that offered the best way to live.
human nature social
• For confucius, _________ is essentially _____________. It is pliable and shaped by the social environment.
instrumentalist
• It appears that the consequentialist mode is also an "__________" mode of argument
moral nature
• Our _________ is part of the universe
• The Doctrine of the Mean or Zhongyong
• The guiding principle is that one should never act in excess.
deontologists
• They are also considered "_____________" in the sense that they believe in the existence of constraints on the promotion of the good.
"deep... compassion"
▪ For Mencius this ___________ is the "heart that cannot bear to see the suffering of others."
External goods
▪ They have no intrinsic value, hence one should not be concerned with them.
Self-watchfulness
❖This guideline requires self-education, self-questioning and self-discipline during the process of self-cultivation
