Confucius

<aside> ✏ Notes:

• Lived from 551-479

• known as the Great Teacher

• The Analects - one of the most influential works of chinese philosophy

• confucianism can perhaps best be summarized as “humanistic” in promoting human welfare and dignity

• we should all strive individually and write large socially for the golden mean through Li, Jen, and Chun-tzu especially - harmony is the goal

• lived during a violent time… there was almost contnual warfare. there was a lack of social solidarity and stability. a fix was needed

• thus the Analects aided in ordering society through its creation of a system and set of rules and moral conduct. it is therefore primarily a work of ethics

• authored 5 important works togehter known as the Five Classics: In English Translation: The Annals, The Classic of Poetry (sometimes titled The Book of Songs)

• The Analects: Jen

  • Jen is generally translated as “Human heartedness” - the virtue of all virtues

  • this virtue aims to glorify the difnity of huanity

  • one of his most famous expressions is an example of Jen: the “silver rule” to “do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you.”

• The Analects: Chun Zhu

  • within the ideal relationship between people, Jen, there is the ideal kind of indicidual and that is Chun Tzu

  • Types of virtues: One who is mature, charitable to others, and avoids haughtiness and vulgarity - one could say that these are the kinds of people who bring peace to the world

• The Analects: Li

  • Li is essentially a kind of moral guidebook and thus compass for ethical behavior

  • about knowing what is right and then putting that into practice with the proper models for how to act - one should be left without doubt about what constitues moral behavior

  • Sub-elements: rectification, Doctrine of the Mean, the Five Constant Relationships

• The Analects: Te

  • Te translates into power

  • our leaders should be our moral exemplars - top-down structure

  • as moral exemplars our leaders should be honest and show genuine care for their people

  • this kind of truest is essential for a government that aids in the flourishing of its society

• The Analects: Wen

  • Wen is essentially about the art of peace; literally; how the arts can be employed to promote moral behavior

  • confucius argued that the highest cultures would have the highest Wen

• Confucianism: In Sum

  • confucianism is most fundamentally a way of life - it is foocused on ethics

  • the key here is that we each strive to be better people - his focus was on practical wisdom

  • the self is the sum of its relationships - his emphasis was creating a flourishing and harmonious society through the proper kinds of relationships and how that is expressed in behavior, action and belief </aside>