Confucius (551 - 479 SM)

Confucius ialah seorang ahli falsafah yang termasyhur di China pada Dinasti Chou. Beliau berasal dari Zhou (sekarang: Wilayah Shandong) yang terletaknya di negeri Lu. Confucius dilahirkan pada Zaman Chunqiu dalam sebuah keluarga kelas pemerintahan dan nama sebenarnya ialah Kung Fu Tze. Ketika berusia 3 tahun, ayahnya telah meninggal dunia dan sejak itu beliau dijaga oleh ibunya. Sewaktu Confucius masih kecil lagi, beliau telah minat membaca mengenai sejarah, matematik dan tradisi orang Cina. Beliau merupakan orang Cina yang pertama memperkenalkan pendidikan. Beliau meninggalkan negerinya dan mengembara seluruh China selama 13 tahun. Semasa beliau berumur 69 tahun, beliau kembali ke Lu dan mati 3 tahun kemudiannya pada 479 S.M.

Confucius mengemukakan prinsipnya yang terkenal seperti Jangan melakukan kepada orang lain apa yang kamu tidak ingin dilakukan kepada diri sendiri (Peraturan Emas) Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself" Beliau juga sangat mahir tentang "Li", iaitu susunan tingkah laku yang baik. walaupun keluarganya dalam kesusahan, Confucius tetap belajar dengan tekun dan berjaya memasuki perkhidmatan kerajaan semasa berusia 17 tahun. Setiap jabatan di bawah jagaannya semua berjalan dengan lancar. Beliau telah dilantik menjadi ketua hakim dan Perdana Menteri di negeri Lu. Oleh sebab pemerintahan Lu itu sangat puas hati dengan kerja-kerja beliau, beliau telah dinaikkan pangkat dengan cepat. Confucianisme tidak dianggap sebagai satu agama yang berunsurkan ketuhanan tetapi merupakan prinsip-prinsip hidup yang baik. Confucianisme dapat dirumuskan dalam Konsep Jen yang menekankan perasaan perikemanusiaan terhadap orang lain dan harga diri. Apabila Confucius disoal pengikutnya tentang makna perikemanusiaan, dia menjawab "kebolehan mengamalkan lima kebaikan di merata dunia adalah kemanusiaan. Kebaikan itu ialah budi bahasa, kemurahan hati, amanah, kerajinan dan sifat baik." Ajaran-ajaran Confucius adalah berkenaan dengan Li atau Rukun Bangsa. Antaranya ajaran Confucius ialah bagaimana keamanan dan kepatuhan boleh dibawa kepada negaranya. Dalam ajaran Confucius, terdapat lima jenis perhubungan baik yang menetapkan peranan individu dalam masyarakat iaitu pemerintah terhadap rakyat, ibu bapa dan anak, suami dengan isteri, abang dengan adik dan kawan dengan kawan. Menurut beliau, setiap individu mempunyai tugas dan tanggungjawab terhadap pihak lain. Sekiranya setiap tanggungjawab dipatuhi, masyarakat serta negara akan bersatu, tenteram dan harmoni. Beliau menegaskan bahawa seseorang anak harus menghormati ibu bapa mereka dan juga harus menjaga ibu bapa apabila mereka sudah tua. Dari segi ibu bapa pula, beliau mengatakan bahawa kasih saying patut diberi kepada anak-anak mereka termasuklah membimbing dan mendisiplinkan anak. Suami isteri harus hormat-menghormati. Seseorang juga harus menjaga negerinya, negeri adalah disamakan dengan sebuah keluarga yang besar. Bagi masyarakat China. Mereka sangat mementingkan tradisi dan nilai-nilai murni hasil daripada ajaran Confucius. Beliau menggalakkan pengikutnya memandang ke zaman silam untuk mendapat pengajaran supaya masalah dapat diselesaikan. Beliau yang mewujudkan Confucianisme, juga mementingkan penyembahan kepada nenek moyang sebagai penghormatan kepada mereka. Confucianisme

yang berasaskan ajaran Confucius mementingkan (Yi)kesopanan dan kesusilaan dalam kehidupan seseorang. Idea peperiksaan awam untuk memilih pegawai kerajaan adalah hasil daripada pengaruh Confucianisme supaya negara dapat dipimpin oleh pegawai yang berkebolehan dan bukan kerana keturunannya. Falsafah Confucius menekankan prinsip moral peribadi dan politik, ketepatan hubungan sosial, keadilan dan keikhlasan. Satu konsep lagi yang dikemukakan oleh dalam teori pendidikan Confucius ialah Yi yang bermakna apa yang paling baik dilakukan dalam konteks dari kacamata etika. Ia adalah bertentangan dengan tindakan yang dilakukan untuk kepentingan diri sendiri. Ren merupakan satu kebaikan seseorang memenuhi tanggunjawabnya terhadap manusia lain, biasanya diterjemahkan sebagai kemurahan hati. Ren (or Rn) (Chinese: ; pinyin: rn; WadeGiles: jen) is the Confucian virtue denoting the good feeling a virtuous human experiences when being altruistic. is exemplified by a normal adult's protective feelings for children. It is considered the inward expression of Confucian ideals. Yan Hui, Confucius's most outstanding student, once asked his master to describe the rules of Rn and Confucius replied, "One should see nothing improper, hear nothing improper, say nothing improper, do nothing improper." Confucius believed humanity is good at its very core and considered Rn common to everyone, although followers of Hsun Lzu believed human nature is bad. Confucius said, "Rn is not far off; he who seeks it has already found it." Rn is close to man and never leaves him.[1] The single ideogram Rn is a composite of two distinct common Hanzi, (Man, a man, a person ) and (two), with assuming its common form inside another character, to which various interpretations have been assigned. One often hears that Rn means "how two people should treat one another". While such folk etymologies are common in discussions of Chinese characters, they often are as misleading as they are entertaining. In the case of Rn - usually translated as "benevolence" or "humaneness" - Humaneness is Human-ness, the essence of being human. For Confucius the interaction of completely dependent infant and caring parent is the most emotionally charged human interaction, To love a thing means wanting it to live.The Way of humaneness is human interaction and through shared experience

knowing ones family. Fan Chi asked about humaneness. The Master said it is loving people. Fan Chi asked about wisdom. The Master said it is knowing people.[3] In other words, human love and interaction is the source of humaneness, the source of the human self. Another common interpretation of the graphical elements is Man or a man connecting Heaven and Earth. The Principles of Li, Rn, and Yi The principle of Rn is tied directly to the concepts of li and yi. Li is often translated as "ritual" while yi is often translated as "righteousness". These three interrelated terms deal with agency as Confucians conceive it. Li is the action which has been deemed appropriate by society, yi is the action that is indeed correct, while Rn deals with the relationship between the agent and object of the action. Often li and yi are the same; however, that is not always the case. In the Lunyu there is a parable about a man named "Upright" who reported his own father to the authorities after he discovered that his father had been stealing sheep. This would seem to conform with "right" behavior as the obligatory thing to do when you discover a thief is to report them. However, Confucius commented that such an act was in fact not correct. The relationship between a father and a son is more important than the laws or conventions regarding theft of property so the "righteous" thing to do according to Confucius would have been for the son to not report the crime. Li is the outward expression of Confucian ideals, while Rn is the inward expression of those same ideals. Li, according to Hopfe and Woodward: "Basically, li seems to mean 'the course of life as it is intended to go'. Li also has religious and social connotations. When a society lives by li, it moves smoothly: men and women respect their elders and superiors; the proper rituals and ceremonies are performed; everything and everyone is in its proper place."[4] Life is subdivided into Five Relationships. Confucius believed that if Li were present in all of these relationships throughout society, the social order would be ideal.[5] Nature of Rn

Rn relies heavily on the relationships between two people, but at the same time encompasses much more than that. It represents an inner development towards an altruistic goal, while simultaneously realizing that one is never alone, and that everyone has these relationships to fall back on, being a member of a family, the state, and the world.[6] 5 Relations The Five Relationships are:

Father to Son - There should be kindness in the father, and filial piety in the son.

Elder Brother to Younger Brother - There should be gentility (politeness) in the elder brother, and humility in the younger.

Husband to Wife - The husband should be benevolent, and the wife should listen.

Elder to Junior - There should be consideration among the elders and deference among the juniors.

Ruler to Subject - There should be benevolence among the rulers and loyalty among the subjects.

Confucius meletakkan lima hubungan asas antara manusia dengan manusia (konsep li):-

Anak patuh pada ibu bapa Adik patuh pada abang Isteri patuh pada suami Murid patuh pada guru Rakyat patuh pada raja

All of these practices are the physical, or outward, expression of Confucian ideals. These are the observable behaviours of the members of society. Confucius; however, believed that in order for society to truly follow li, one must also adhere to and internalize these practices. The mentality involved in performing these rituals in society must not exist only there, it must be a part of the private life of the person. This is known as Rn.

Rn is not a concept that is learned; it is innate, that is to say, everyone is born with the sense of Rn. Confucius believed that the key to long-lasting integrity was to constantly think, since the world is continually changing at a rapid pace. A figure on par in Confucianism with Confucius, Mencius, believed that "responsibility", or , was so critical to Confucianism that he added it to Confucius' concept of Rn. The concept of resembles the duty that an emperor or duke owes to the people of his kingdom, and not to people from other kingdoms. There have been a variety of definitions for the term Rn. Rn has been translated as "benevolence", "perfect virtue", "goodness" or even "human-heartedness".When asked, Confucius defined it by the ordinary Chinese word for love, ai, saying that it meant to "love others". Rn also has a political dimension. Confucianism says that if the ruler lacks Rn, it will be difficult if not impossible for his subjects to behave humanely. Rn is the basis of Confucian political theory; it presupposes an autocratic ruler, exhorted to refrain from acting inhumanely towards his subjects. An inhumane ruler runs the risk of losing the Mandate of Heaven or, in other words, the right to rule. A ruler lacking such a mandate need not be obeyed, but a ruler who reigns humanely and takes care of the people is to be obeyed strictly, for the benevolence of his dominion shows that he has been mandated by heaven. Confucius himself had little to say on the will of the people, but his leading follower, Mencius, did state on one occasion that the peoples' opinion on certain weighty matters should be polled. Rn also includes traits that are a part of being righteous, such as hsin, meaning to make one's words compliment his actions; li, which means to properly participate in everyday rituals; ching, or "seriousness"; and yi, which means right action. When all these qualities are present, then one can truly be identified as a chn tzu ( ), or "superior man," which means both a man of superior rank in a government and a morally superior human being. The fact that this term combines two meanings reveals the view often held by Confucians that government should be run by ethically superior human beings who concentrate solely on the welfare of the people they govern.

All of these practices are the physical, or outward, expression of Confucian ideals. These are the observable behaviours of the members of society. Confucius; however, believed that in order for society to truly follow li, one must also adhere to and internalize these practices. The mentality involved in performing these rituals in society must not exist only there, it must be a part of the private life of the person. This is known as Rn. Rn is not a concept that is learned; it is innate, that is to say, everyone is born with the sense of Rn. Confucius believed that the key to long-lasting integrity was to constantly think, since the world is continually changing at a rapid pace. Hikmah Confucius, "I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand" (Saya dengar dan saya lupa, saya lihat dan saya ingat, saya buat dan saya faham). It means that actions are more important than words, some one can say a million things and you will forget them if their actions dont prove/show their words, and based on that you act a certain way and you understand it. What someone does you will remember, because those are actions, actions are real, words are not always real/true they could be lies. ( Ini bermakna, tingkah laku lebih penting daripada pertuturan. Apa yang dipercakapkan tidak semestinya benar dan mungkin sesuatu pembohongan. ) This saying highlights the fact that many people learn a new skill or fact poorly if it is only heard. You learn and remember a little better when seeing the fact or a demonstration of how to do something, but the best learning of all comes from 'hands on' experience...actually getting and doing the thing you wish to learn. Many people learn this way, but others may learn best in a visual or aural way, as recent research into learning styles shows. ( Belajar kemahiran : Contoh: matematik. Kalau seseorang mengajar melalui telefon dan tidak ada demonstrasi, murid tidak nampak dan cepat melupakannya. Kalau cara membuat soalan matematik ditunjukkan di atas kertas/papan putih di depan murid, mereka akan dapat mengingatinya dengan lebih baik. Namun,

mengingatimya tidak mencukupi. Murid haruslah buat banyak latihan untuk memahaminya. )

Ajaran Confucius dikumpulkan oleh pengikut-pengikutnya dalam bentuk buku yang bertajuk Lun-Yu atau Analekta. Lun Yu merupakan kitab yang paling tepat mengisahkan kehidupan Confucius serta ajarannya yang semakin hilang. Dua orang pengikutnya yang terkenal ialah Hsun Kuang dan Meng Tze (Mencius). Confucius merupakan orang yang pertama di China yang cuba menulis sejarahnya dengan lebih sistematik. Beliau juga menulis sebahagian daripada 5 klasik yang dihasilkan pada zaman Chou. Klasik-klasik ini terdiri daripada Book of Odes (Shih Ching), Book of History (Shu Ching), Book of Rites (Li Chi), Book of Changes (I Ching) dan Spring and Autumn Annals. Selepas ibunya meninggal dunia pada tahun 527 S.M., beliau memulakan pekerjaannya sebagai seorang guru. Beliau mengembara pengajaran. dan mengajar murid-murid yang berkumpul berhampirannya. Confucius mengatakan bahawa tidak patut wujud perbezaan kelas dalam Sesiapa pun berhak menerima pendidikan tanpa mengira

latarbelakangnya, samada dia berasal dari kelas bangsawan atau kelas bawahan. Beliau menerima pelajar-pelajar dari pelbagai kelas sosial sebagai pelajar-pelajar atau pengikut-pengikutnya. Satu pencapaian Confucius lagi ialah penubuhan sekolah yang telah menghasilkan ramai negarawan yang memiliki perasaan kenegaraan dan tanggungjawab yang kuat, yang dikenali sebagai Rujia.

Beliau juga telah mengemukakan banyak ungkapan bijak dan teori-teori tentang undang-undang, kehidupan dan kerajaan. Beliau membantu kerajaan dan maharaja dengan pengajaran-pengajaran mengenai bagaimana maharaja patut memerintah negeri dengan jayanya. Perasaan kemanusiaan menganjurkan 5 kebaikan di dunia iaitu amanah, rajin, bersifat mulia, berbudi bahasa dan bermurah hati. Confucianism mempunyai pengaruh yang sangat bagus dalam tamadun china kerana Confucianism datang dalam bentuk falsafah yang nilainilainya secara mendalam telah menjadi dasar kepada tahap undang-undang. Tegasnya , Confucius menekankan bahawa dalam setiap hubungan perlu dititikberatkan kejujuran dan kebaikan dan sekiranya keadaan ini tidak dipatuhi nescaya keadaan kucar kacir akan wujud.

Falsafah pendidikan Confucius mengatakan bahawa pendidikan adalah untuk semua, tanpa mengira status sosio-ekonomi atau kedudukan sosial seperti yang disarankan oleh pendidikan di Malaysia. Di Negara ini, pendidikan diberikan kepada semua orang tidak kiralah mereka orang yang berupaya atau kurang berupaya. Confucius beranggapan guru sebagai fasilitator dan penyampai limu yang mahir. Guru perlu menunjukkan komitmen terhadap tugas dan tanggungjawab yg diberikan. Selain itu, guru perlu mengenali dan memahami murid yang diajar dapat memaksimumkan potensi dan kebolehan.