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He came to be known as
The Great Sage and
Teacher.
On Virtue and Social Reform
• Confucius studied the work of other great sages: Yao, Shun, and Yu
seen as embodiments of great virtue.
• They believed that Heaven had given them their mandate power
to rule because of their virtue. But if they lost their virtue, they
would also lose their mandate to rule.
• De = virtue
• Li = propriety
• Xiao = filiality
• Yi = rightness.
Ren
• Ren is what makes humans unique.
• Ren = human-heartedness
• Ren has to do with the ability to love other humans and creatures.
Wealth and honor are what every man desires. But if they have been obtained in
violation of moral principles, they must not be kept. Poverty and humble stations
are what every man dislikes. But if they can be avoided only in violation of moral
principles, they must not be avoided. If a superior person departs from humanity
(ren), how can he fulfill that name? A superior man never abandons humanity (ren)
even for the lapse of a single meal. In moments of haste, he acts according to it. In
times of difficulty or confusion, he acts according to it.
This principle reveals that a true human never departs from the way
of ren. It has the consequence that a person would forgo their life
rather than depart from or violate humanity.
Because ren is what makes us human, to violate it, would mean one
has moved beyond being human.
Ren
As a principle that guides how we should live:
• Xiao requires caring and protecting one’s body from harm, since
one’s body comes from one’s parents.
• When one learns to love and respect their parents, they can by
extension learn to love and respect other family members.
• Yi means rightness.
• ‘Right use’ means that the word should correspond to the reality
it names. ‘Right use of words’ applies most appropriately to
human actions and relationships.
• If parents have cultivated ren, then they can teach the child ren.
To be kept stable, society must have leaders who can be trusted; the
only leaders to be trusted are men of character; character is to be
developed through education acquired from others and through self-
discipline; no man is a safe leader who goes to extremes; the right
cultivation of his own character must be the chief concern of every
leader; no parent, teacher, or public officer has the right to take
lightly his responsibilities for guiding, through percept, rules and
example, the conduct of those who are under him.
Parts of World dominated by
Confucianism
Confucianism= BLUE,
takes over more than
half of China. Has
about 5-6 million
followers.
• -Taoism: a religion native to China, its followers attempt to live according to the
“Tao”, or the way which they believe governs the universe.
• -Daoism: philosophical system developed by Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu
advocating a simple honest life and noninterference with the course of natural
events
• -Yin/Yang: two principals of Chinese religion, one negative, dark and feminine
(yin), and one positive, bright, and masculine (yang), the interactions with these
influence the destinies of living things.
• -Five Classics: are described in terms of the five visions: metaphysical,
political, poetic, social, and historical.
• -Five Elements: represent cyclic movements. Wood, fire, earth, water, and
metal. This list was made to cover and explain all things.
• -Xin: refers to keeping ones word and being faithful. One of the “Five Constant
Virtues.”
• -Yi: important in Confucianism, means justice and righteousness.
• -Zhi: Means wisdom, believed that wisdom didn’t just concern the persons
ability and aptitude, but also his moral cultivation.
• -Jen: Another word for humaneness in Confucianism.
• -Chung: Means loyalty to the state.
• -Hsiao: filial piety, which is considered very important in this religion, is the
primary duty of respect, obedience, and to care for ones elderly relation. Also
means love within the family.
The Five Elements
o Represented gold
http://www.indiana.edu/~p374/Glossary.html