Lecture 2: Confucius Flashcards
According to Fung Yu-lan, what are the six classics serving as teaching materials in the Classical Confucianism?
The Book of Poetry (詩經), The Book of History (書經), The Book of Rituals (禮記), The Book of Changes (易經), The Spring and Autumn Annals (春秋), and the Book of Music (樂經), which has been lost.
Explain the three meanings of lî 禮 (礼) in ancient China.
The lî 禮 (礼) can be understood as: (1) sacrificial (religious) ceremonies; (2) institutionalized social/political order; (3) and codes of behavior.
Philosophically speaking, what is the main contribution of Confucius to li?
Confucius re-vitalized li by giving it a philosophical foundation. Confucius said: “It’s li they say. It’s li they say. Are gems and silk all that were meant by li? It’s yue they say. It’s yue they say. Are bell and drums all that were meant by music?” (Analects 17.11) Confucius believed that people had gotten to the point where they were just going through the motions of rituals without any feeling or meaning behind it. In order to give li more meaning, Confucius integrated it with ren and yi, and
Explain Confucius’s internal and external arguments for filial piety and respect for elders.
One should practice filial piety because having good relationships with one’s parents and siblings shows that one has a good foundation, and understands how to treat superiors. Thus, filial piety is also required in order to maintain social order.
- “Among those who are filial and fraternal, rare are those inclined to offend against their superiors. Among those who are yet disinclined to offend against their superiors, never will any be inclined to create disorder. A Junzi (superior man) works on the beginning/root. When the beginning/root is established, the Way is rising. Indeed, filial piety and brotherly love are the root or humaneness!” (Analects 1.2)
Explain the meaning of ren, yi, li, and their relationship.
The lî 禮 (礼) are rites or rituals. Confucius traced li to rén (仁), humanness or humanity, the self-aware interconnectedness with and responsiveness to many others. When Fan Chi asked about ren, Confucius answered, “It is to love other humans.” (12.22) You do good things for other people or objects or nature when you feel a connection with others and the world. Love is an expression of humanness/humanity. Confucius derives from ren the concept of yì 義 (义), righteousness, the respect for and proper actions to others. Yi is made up of 羊 and 我 – “sheep” and “me/mine” – so you should respect everyone’s feelings. Everyone has a part of themselves, things that belong to them, so you have to respect that. Confucius believes that justice is fairness, and that we should also respect each other.
What is the meaning of “virtue” according to Confucius? What three of the most important virtues in his virtue ethics?
In Chinese philosophy, excellence and harmonization of human relationships are always emphasized. Confucius takes virtues such as wisdom, humanness, and bravery as his ideals. (Analects, 14.30) Here “virtue” means excellence of abilities: wisdom as excellence of human intellect; that of ren or humanness as excellence of human feeling; and that of bravery as excellence of human will. Virtue also refers to the good relation with others.
What was Confucius’ conception of politics?
He believed in “leading people with virtue” and “regulat[ing] them by li”, instead of “leading the people by political power” and “regulat[ing] by law and punishment”. (Analects 2.3)
Explain the meaning of Confucius’ politics of rectification of names.
His biggest political goal was zhèngmíng 正名 (rectification of name). Even with certain semantic and logical concern, it was the ethical and political names, status titles and codes of behavior that Confucius meant to rectify. Confucius thought that a man should be a man, a ruler a ruler, a statesman a statesman, and a father a father. Because the name of everything is supposed to represent its essence, then that’s what the names should in fact do.
- “…If names are not rectified, then language will not be in accord with truth. If language is not in accord with truth, then things cannot be accomplished. If things cannot be accomplished, then li and yue will not flourish. If li and yue do not flourish, then punishment will not be just. If punishment [is] not just, then people will not know how to move hand or foot. Therefore, a superior person will give only names that can be described in speech and say only what can be carry out in practice.” (13.3., SB, p.40)
What is a negative golden rule? What is a positive golden rule? Explain them in terms of ‘reciprocity’.
When asked about a code of ethics, Confucius replied with the negative golden rule: “There is shù 恕 (altruistic extension): do not impose on others what you yourself do not want.” (Analects 15:24) Confucius also states a positive golden rule: “A man of humanity, wishing to establish himself, also establish others; wishing to be prominent himself, also helps others to be prominent.” (Analects 6.28) Both emphasize the concept of reciprocity, which means empathy, to go outside of ourselves and understand people as they are.
Explain Confucius’ concept of shu in terms of the capacity to go beyond oneself to reach others, and ren the capacity to go beyond reciprocity to universalizability.
Shu is empathy, a synthetic understanding of other people’s minds through intuitive knowledge. It is the extending of oneself to others and understanding their situation. If shu is not limited to reciprocity, it will be able to extend, with the universalizing capacity of ren, to all the world.
What is Fung Yu-lan’s account of Confucius’ attitude towards Ming (destiny/Mandate of Heaven)?
- Ming* is often translated as Fate, Destiny, or Decree. To Confucius, it meant the Decree/Will of Heaven.
- About himself Confucius said: “If my principles are to prevail in the world, it is Ming. If they are to fall to the ground, it is also Ming.” (Fung, p. 45)
What is Fung Yu-lan’s account of Confucius’ position in Chinese history?
For Fung Yu-lan, Confucius was a teacher. However, after Confucius’s death, he became the teacher, superior to others. In the 2nd Century B.C., Confucius and his ideologies rose to the status of a king. According to Fung, although Confucius’s influence rose and fell up until the 3rd Century A.D., Confucius has managed to hold a god-like position as the Teacher.
