Confucius

1
Confucius

• 551?- 479 ? B.C.
• Concerned with opening up education to all,
  emphasis on character building rather than
  vocational training.
• Public teacher at 22
• In his fifties he became a magistrate and a
  minister of justice.
• At 56 he sought to spread his doctrines by
  traveling extensively with some of his students.
• He urged the practice of gravity, generosity of
  soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.

2
Confucius

• Impact- beliefs developed into a philosophy
  -unparalleled impact on Chinese life and many
  other Eastern Asian countries
• Official state doctrine of most Chinese emperors
  from 2nd Century B.C. until overthrow in 1911.
• Major part of elementary and intermediate
  schooling
• Basis for civil service exams for government
  positions

3
The Analects

• Deals with all social units family- state
• Lays out the central ideas of government in
  Confucian thought.
• Use of rhetoric, analogies and aphorisms

4
The Analects

• The Master said, To learn and at due times to
• repeat what one has learnt, is that not after all
  a
• pleasure? That friends should come to one from
• afar, is this not after all delightful? To
  remain un-
• soured even though ones merits are unrecognized
• by others, is that not after all what is expected
  of a
• gentleman?
• Master Confucius
• Emphasizes learning
• Education pleasure
• Do not expect recognition
• Qualities of a gentleman- moral way to live life

5
The Analects

• The Master said, A young mans duty is to be-
• have well to his parents at home and to his
  elders
• abroad, to be cautious in giving promises and
• punctual in keeping them, to have kindly feelings
  
• towards everyone, but seek the intimacy of the
• good. If, when all that is done, he has any
  energy
• to spare, then let him study the polite arts.
• moral behavior and family structure
• Keep all promises, cautious in giving them
• Kind to all but only seek close relationships
  that are good
• Polite Arts The Book of Songs, book of Chinese
  poetry

6
The Analects

• The Master said, (good man) does not
• grieve that other people do not recognize his
  merits.
• His only anxiety is lest he should fail to
  recognize theirs.
• Do not expect praise or recognition
• Should focus on recognizing others merits
• Full circle

7
The Analects

• The Master said, He who rules by moral force
• is like the pole-star, which remains in its place
• while all the lesser stars do homage to it.
• Rule by moral force and power will remain
• Pole- star North Star- leads the way
• All will willingly follow

8
The Analects

• The Master said, Govern the people by regula-
• tions, keep order among them by chastisements,
• and they will flee from you, and lose all self-
• respect. Govern them by moral force, keep order
• among them by ritual, and they will keep their
  self-
• respect and come to you of their own accord.
• Regulate the people
• If keep them confined, they wont obey
• Rule by moral force and they will respect
  themselves and you and want to be under your rule
• Central idea of government

9
The Analects

• The Master said, A gentleman can see a
• questions from all sides without bias. The
  small man is biased and can see a question from
  only one side.
• Gentleman embodies central idea in Confucian
  thought
• Virtuous and moralistic

10
The Analects

• The Master said, You shall I teach you what
• knowledge is? When you know a thing, to
• recognize that you know it, and when you do not
• know a thing, to recognize that you do not know
  it. That is knowledge.
• Knowledge is unbiased
• Admit when you dont know

11
The Analects

• The Master said, High office filled by men of
  narrow views, ritual preformed without reverence,
  the forms of mourning observed without grief-
  these are things I cannot bear to see!
• Through rituals and social morality that order
  will be upheld

12
The Analects

• The Master said, In old days men studied for the
  sake of self-improvement nowadays men study In
  order to impress other people.
• Confucian social philosophy looks back to the
  Golden Age
• Gentlemen ruled
• Social relations were conducted in a proper
  fashion.