Good Confucianism book (pdf) - Department of Physics

204 Issuesuniformly, tried to practice humanity and moral virtues in the face of thisabuse, but no such reflection ever seems to have been required from theparents, teachers, or employers. Expectations about behavior and attitudeoften seem to apply only to some. This lack of sanctions has, in practice,associated Confucianism with all the things the May 4th movement complainedabout.On the other hand, this lack of sanctions is a grand thing. The Confuciantradition does not threaten one with hellfire, but calls us to look at ourselvesfirst and monitor our own behavior. If we know that we should act withhumanity, we are then supposed to do that. We act from humanity notbecause we will be rewarded in the next life, but simply because it is theright thing to do. We are, in the end, adults who are responsible for what wedo, and we are responsible for doing it well, none of which, unfortunately,can answer the question of whether or not Confucianism is a religion, aphilosophy, or something else.SummaryOver 2,500 years ago, Confucius lived in a world where standards weredeclining, sleaze and corruption were everywhere, and most people werebehaving badly. Confucius ’ solution to the problems of his time wastwofold: reform of the individual and reform of society. He taught filialpiety, dutifulness, honesty, sincerity, rightness, wisdom, moral courage,and sympathy for others. These are things we can cultivate within us. Ifwe study and cultivate the virtues within us, we can come to the generalmoral attitude of humanity. Humanity, expressed through ritual, allows usto act properly in the world. Doing this makes us gentlemen or, if we doit very well, sages.Not only are we to act as moral people in the world, we can transformour society by putting words right, by ensuring that government acts forthe benefit of the people, and by being models for others.After his death, Confucius ’ followers faced attacks from Mohists,Daoists, and the many thinkers of the Warring States era. In defense ofConfucius, Mencius was the first to come up with an interpretation ofConfucius ’ thought that would deal with the new problems Mencius faced.He argued that our human nature is good and reflects the goodness ofHeaven. Confucius ’ ideas of morality were not just a matter of taste, butnatural to human beings and linked to the cosmos itself.Xunzi rejected Mencius ’ interpretation and defended Confucius, usinganother approach. Human nature is evil. The sage - kings set up an artificialmorality and that is what Confucius taught. Confucius understood thatmorality was imposed on us; that was the true basis of his teachings.