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K'ung Fu Tzu or Confucius
Born: 551 BCE Lu in northeastern
China
Died: 479 BCE |
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Famous For:
Sayings
and biographical fragments contained in the Analects (Chinese: Lunyu)
which heavily influenced Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese
thought as well as Western thought. These sayings have been
re-visited and re-discovered many times over the centuries. |
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Humanist Ideas:
Most
of us have seen some of the sayings of Confucius at one time or
another. However, a closer look at the collection of his
writings called the Analects shows us four of his views that are
often thought to be in conflict but in reality are quite
complimentary. These four sets of complimentary concerns are
Theodicy, Harmonious Order, Moral Force and Self-Cultivation.
Theodicy.
Confucius seems to
view a force called Tian as the absolute power in the
universe in three ways:
(1) it's alignment with moral goodness;
(2)
its dependence on human agents to actualize its will;
(3) the
variable, unpredictable nature of its associations with mortal
actors.
Harmonious Order.
According to
Confucius there are three different kinds of interlocking kinds of
order; aesthetic, moral, and social. "The instrument for
effecting and emulating all three is li (ritual propriety)
Moral Force.
In Chinese this is known as De. It is the quality of a
successful ruler which is allied with morality. Without De a
ruler could not rule at all.
Self-Cultivation.
In the world
of Confucius, while every human being is alike at birth, there are
two different ways people develop their potential. They are junzi
(profound person) and xiaoren (small person). To
properly cultivate one's potential, a person looks within
and compares itself to the aesthetic, moral and social canons of
tradition.
"Confucius' vision of order unites
aesthetic concerns for harmony and symmetry with moral force in
pursuit of social goals: a well-ordered family, a well-ordered
state, and a well ordered world. Such an aesthetic, moral and
social program begins at home, with the cultivation of the
individual."
Confucius [Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy] |
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Noted Sayings:
"There is no one who recognizes
me....I neither resent heaven nor blame humanity. In learning about the
lower I have understood the higher. The one who recognizes me -
wouldn't that be heaven?" (Analects 14.35)
"One who rules by moral force
may be compared to the North Star -- it occupies its place and
all the stars pay homage to it." (Analects
2.1)
"The profound person understands
what is moral. The small person understands what is
profitable." (Analects 4.16)
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