Kongzi (Confucius), The Analects, Lecture Notes and Outline

Kongzi – (Confucius)

“The Analects”

• Shang Dynasty (pronounced shong) 1700-1027 B.C.E.
• Shang Di, a spiritual entity, and other entities, controls the way that things go (the Dao)
  • di indicates royal ancestors
    • where the Shang rulers originated
  • to contact Shan Di, you can contact your ancestors, and they can contact Shang Di for you
    • referred to as 'ancestor worship'
      • more like reverence than worship
      • one normally worships a deity, that is not the case here
      • high importance of family
    • importance is an inner attitude, this is significant
      • this is the beginning of ethical ideas; the correct idea
      • in the west, virtue – not what you do but how you do it
• Primary Virtue – Ren/Jen
  • concept of Jen/Ren is predates Confucius
  • expressed primarily in terms of family relationships
  • why familial relationships are so important:
    • ancestors are closer to Shang Di than you are, hence mucho respecto
  • the primary virtue: Ren or Jen = humanity / human-heartedness
    • the human being is one in relationship with others
    • existing as a human being means being with others
    • to be (human) is to be in relationship with others
    • western concept of individual autonomy
      • Kant – individual free will, autonomy
      • Chinese culture has a difficult time understanding this concept
• Zhou Dynasties
  • Western Zhou 1027-771 B.C.E.
  • Eastern Zhou 770-221 B.C.E.
  • Dao – “the way”, the path, the way things go (the way of nature)
    • tian (heaven, sky, nature)
      • initially, Shang Di is tian; originally identified as one
        then becomes defined as the structure/disposition of the universe itself
    • a principle of order
    • not a personal deity, not “God,” not transcendent
    • harmony in human society is directly connected with the natural order
• Kongzi – 551-479 B.C.E.
  • Kongzi does not deny an order in nature, however focuses on personal morality first
  • worry about the social order before the natural order: the initially practical
  • his primary interest is as The Dao is reflected in human society
    • the actual Daoists focus on what pattern is observable in nature
  • he is writing during a period of intense turmoil and social discord China is at war
  • order in the sense of harmony is a very important Chinese idea
  • Confucianism became the official state ideology/philosophy during the Han dynasty (206-220 C.E.)
  • The Analects – Confucian thought preserved in this book
    • not exactly sure how much is authentic
    • books 1-9 widely accepted as authentic
    • some may be as a result of later Daoist or Buddhist influence
    • focus on human nature, relationships, considered humanistic
    • talks about spiritual entities and whatnot, but not the focus of the books
    • *Western thought: contrast between the natural and supernatural
    • *Eastern thought: no strong contrast, between these in traditional Chinese culture
  • Ren – again
    • humaneness, humanity (at its best – to meet the human potential)
    • a moral quality
    • human heartedness, love, benevolence
    • the cultivated distinction between humans and other biological entities
    • cultivating Ren leads to happiness
      • Aristotle – happiness is a property as functioning well, flourishing as a human being, meeting the human potential
    • one does not possess Ren until one has cultivated it
      • some say that Confucius believed we are born good
      • other followers believe other things
      • at the very least, one must be born with the raw material for Ren
      • perhaps we all have Ren in us, must learn the expression, the practice of Ren
    • moral goodness
    • does it seem right that moral goodness is something that needs to be cultivated?
    • Kongzi: Ren vs. Calvin: Total Depravity
  • Practice of Ren: Li
    • though Kongzi was part of a very hierarchal society, he perhaps was on to something in having known roles in relationships
    • rite, propriety, protocol
    • rituals –
      • ex. shaking hands – expressing one's trust, gesture of friendliness
      • rituals give physical expression to a meaning
      • once you are a acculturated, it is without thought, automatic
    • Li reifies Ren; makes it concrete
      • *reify – to make real or substantial
      • different rites for different relationships
      • must be personalized; Li is not a matter of blindly following rules, it is with an attitude of caring
• living the good life is in community with others – social harmony
  • the use of ritual is helpful in achieving harmony
  • ritual greases the wheels of social interaction
  • manners and morality are not the same thing
  • social harmony – manners, politeness – instances of Li
• important to develop a healthy sense of shame
  • Li is motivated negatively by sense of shame
  • appropriate shame – dishonored by improper behavior
  • guilt – individual
  • shame – social – shamed before people; embarrassing yourself
  • when one does something that one is properly ashamed of, one is diminished in front of the community
  • Li (rites) make Ren concrete
    • without Li, there is no way to express Ren, but Li is not meant to be thoughtless
    • 'Li humanizes us'
• De – virtue, power
  • *vir – (virile) - power, potency [English etymology]
  • wu-wei – non-action, actionless action, minimal action – maximum result
    • see The Analects, 15.5
    • idea that real power is taking the tiniest action and getting maximum result
    • Chinese philosophy and the martial arts
    • if you have mastered the rights, you need not do much to accomplish a great deal
    • spontaneous, easy
    • rituals cultivated
    • ideal society: everybody has been trained with the proper rites, nobody needs to be threatened with force
      • people's sense of shame will keep them in check
    • music – somewhat in controversy about what this concept means
      • music is a lot like Li – practice makes perfect
        • when you first set out to play, it takes real effort to get it
        • when you get good, it becomes spontaneous and creative
        • social harmony might be similar to musical harmony
    • you shouldn't have to force compliance, especially politics
    • applying just the right influence at just the right time in just the right way
  • in Kongzi, De and wu-wei is connected with Li
  • a society that needs lots of brute force to get things done is the opposite of what Kongzi taught
  • 'one who rules through the powers of de is the polestar' – everything moves around it, little is exerted
• the desire for Ren is Ren itself
• Shu
  • reciprocity
  • being able to imaginatively put yourself in someone else's place
  • maxim of reciprocity: “do not impose on others which yourself you do not desire”
    • sounds like the golden rule
    • “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”
    • this is a positive, the western version
  • reciprocity is more a negative version of the golden rule
    • there are things you should refrain from doing
  • 4.15 – one guiding principle, zhong (loyalty, dutifulness) tempered by shu (sympathetic understanding
  • organization of the family ↔ organization of society
    • can we have a have a harmonious society / social structure without having a harmonious family structure
      • if you can't respect your parents, how can you respect the emperor
• Fundamental Relationships
  • ruler / subject
  • father / son (parent / child)
  • husband / wife
  • elder brother / junior brother
  • friend / friend
  • it would be a mistake to suppose that these relationships are one sided
    • even in hierarchal relationships, there is reciprocity
    • this does not mean the ruler is the same as the subject, but that the ruler seeks to understand the subjects and see their side
    • though parents are in charge of children, the parents must put themselves in the position of the children
  • so...if hierarchies in societies are inevitable, these relationships ought to have reciprocity
  • would these principles apply in an egalitarian society?
    • nobody has any power over anyone else
  • does society need to be hierarchical?
  • 'filial piety extends even to protect your father from his own misconduct'
    • 13.18 – loyalty to father extends past morality
    • relationship here is more important than morality
  • Zheng Ming
    • 13.3 –
    • 'rectification of names' – two interpretations
      • a general thesis about language -
        • our language should be in conformity with reality
      • certain names in particular must be rectified
        • “ruler,” “father,” “husband/wife”
        • a “ruler” must be a ruler
        • for ex. a ruler may be a ruler in name only, but the people don't follow the ruler and the relationship between subjects and ruler is not in action
    • rendition → a word intended to obscure reality
      • ex. collateral damage – you are trying to bomb terrorists, and you kill a wedding party instead

• Kongzi is a virtue theorist
  • Rule-Based Theory – morality based upon if one is following the rules
  • virtue theory not thought to be rule based
  • virtue theory emphasis is based on character (disposition)
    • who you are psychologically
  • a person of good character does not need rules – they will spontaneously do what is 'right'
  • one is not born virtuous, it requires cultivation
    • however, you don't have to think about it once you have cultivated it
  • no rules are necessary
  • however Li (rites) are rules, which is a bit unusual
    • Kongzi breaks the rules from time to time, implying the emphasis on character
    • rules are not the bottom line