搜索
1XiaonanJiangMidtermPaper(ConfuciusandtheAnalects)TheAnalectsisafamousbookthathasinfluencedChinesethoughtsforthousandsofyears.Asthesayinggoes,halfAnalectsrulestheworld,thusitcanbeseenthattheAnalectsisveryimportanttothepoliticalfield.NowIwillcharacterizethepoliticalphilosophyofearlyConfucianismasitisexpressedintheAnalects.First,theAnalectssuggeststhatthegovernmentshouldbuildagoodleadership.Confuciusattachesgreatimportancetotheleadershipinthefunctionofthepoliticalfield,andheaskstheleadermustfirstmakesomeachievementsinmorals,otherwisewillbeunabletoleadthelowerclassofpeople.Confuciusdividespeopleinthesocietyintotwoclasses,namelyjunziandxiaoren.BeforeConfucius,theoriginalmeaningsofthesetwowordswereleadersandtheirsubordinates.IntheeraofConfucius,thesewordsbegantohavingthemoralsense.TheAnalectssays:Therelationbetweensuperiorsandinferiorsislikethatbetweenthewindandthegrass.Thegrassmustbend,whenthewindblowsacrossit.Combingthemoralelementsintothewordswhichrepresentedthetheregulatorsandtheregulatedpreviously,theConfuciansthinksthataleadershouldbeavirtuousperson.Also,Confuciussuggeststhattheleadershouldsetagoodexampletothemasses.WhenChiK’angaskedConfuciusaboutgovernment,Confuciusreplied:togovernmeanstorectify.Ifyouleadonthepeoplewithcorrectness,whowilldarenottobecorrect?Confuciusalsosaidthatifapersonwasnotcovetous,althoughyourewardhimtodoit,hewouldnotsteal.Theseexamplesillustratethatthegovernorshouldleadhismeninachargeand2taketheleadindoinggood.ThentheAnalectsproposesarightstrategyofadministeringthecountry:Rulingthecountrybyvirtue.TheMatersays:Ifthepeopleareledbylaws,anduniformitysoughttobegiventhembypunishments,theywilltrytoavoidthepunishment,buthavenosenseofshame.Iftheyareledbyvirtue,anduniformitysoughttobegiventhempropriety,theywillhavethesenseofshame,andmoreoverwillbecomegood.Confuciusherecomparestwokindsofwaystorunacountry:rulingthecountrybylawsandbyvirtue.Hethinksusinglawstodetercitizensfromcrimeswillonlyscratchthesurface.Butthroughtheruleofvirtue,peoplewillestablishtheviewofhonoranddisgrace,havingthesenseofshame,sotheywillmeasuretheirbehaviorswiththisstandardbeforedoinganything.Obviously,leadingbyvirtueisbetterthanleadingbylawsbecauseofitseffectofapermanentcure.Particularly,IsummarizethreespecificmethodsthatConfuciusadvises.First,thegovernmentshouldwinthetrustofthepeople.WhenTsze-kungaskedaboutgovernment,Confuciussaidthatfromofold,deathhasbeenthelotofallmen;butifthepeoplehavenofaithintheirrulers,thereisnostandingforthestate.InConfucius’view,thefaithismoreimportantthaneconomyandmilitaryanditisthefundamentalfactorofrulingacountry.Ifwehavetoabandontwooutofthree,weshouldholdthefaith.Second,thegovernmentshouldappointofficialsontheirmerits.Whetheranofficialistalentedornotissuggestedbythewillofthepeople.AccordingtotheAnalects,anofficialshouldadvancetheuprightandsetasidethecrooked,thenthepeoplewillsubmit.Ifheadvancesthecrookedandsetasidetheupright,thenthepeoplewon’tsubmit.3Third,itisveryimportanttocivilizepeople.ZanYuaskedConfuciuswhenthepeoplehavebeenenriched,whatshallbedone?TheMasteranswered:Teachthem.Ifeveryoneimproveshisspiritlevel,havingagoodcharacter,thentheultimategoalofformingamoralsocietywillbeachieved.ThecoreideaofrunningacountrybyvirtueIthinkiscarryingouttheconcept“ren”whichmeanshumaneness.TherearemanykindsofcharactersstatedbyConfuciusasvirtues,butthemostimportantonewhichConfuciusfocusesonishumaneness.“Ren”isaverycomplicatedconceptinConfucius’philosophicalsystembecausewhenIreadtheAnalects,IfoundConfuciusonceexplainedtheconceptof“ren”inmanydifferentwaystohissixstudentssuchasTsze-kung,FanZhangandYenYuan.Butgenerally,inmyopinionIthinkthemainpointof“ren”isthelovebetweenpersonsorhumanaffectivity.Thebenevolentlovesothers.Lovecanformaharmonioussociety,so“Ren”isthespiritofthevirtue.Thepracticalsocialnormstorulethecountrybyvirtueisperforming“li”(礼).TheConfuciussays:Ifaprinceisabletogovernhiskingdomwiththecomplaisancepropertotherulesofpropriety,whatdifficultywillhehave?Healsosaysthatthesuperiormanineverythingconsidersrighteousnesstobeessentialandheperformsitaccordingtotherulesofpropriety.SoIhavethereasontobelievethatConfuciusthinksrulingacountryshouldbebasedon“li”and“li”isaformofexpressionofthevirtue.ConfuciuslivedinthelatespringandAutumnperiodwithmuchpoliticalchaos.SincetheZhoudynastymovedtotheeast,itdeclinedgraduallytotheextentthatdidn’t4havethestrengthtocontendwithloca.Militarystateswagedwarwitheachothertofightforlandandsmallstatswereswallowedupbyrisingstates.Withinthestates,thepowerfulbureaucratsoftenwentagainsttheirsuperiorsandoverthrewthepreviousleader.Unrestoccurredfromtimetotime.ConfuciussaysintheAnalects:Whengoodgovernmentprevailsintheempire,ceremonies,music,andpunitivemilitaryexpeditionsproceedfromthesonofHeaven.Whenbadgovernmentprevailsintheempire,ceremonies,musicandpunitivemilitaryexpeditionsproceedfromtheprinces.Underthesecircumstances,becauseitwasthetimesthatemphasizedonthestrength,theancientceremonyandmusicsystemdescendedfromKingWenandKingWuoftheWesternZhoudynastycollapsed.Thesocietywasmorallybankrupt.So