Dialectical Characteristic of Chinese Philosophy

“At fifteen, I had my mind bent on learning. At thirty,

I stood firm. At forty, I had no doubts. At fifty, I knew
the Tianming ( 天命 ). At sixty, my ear was an
obedient organ for the reception of truth. At seventy,
I could follow what my heart desired, without
transgressing what was right.” This is a self-reflection
of Confucius. The improvement throughout his life,
not only demonstrates the life of a man of virtue
(junzi 君子 ), but also highlights the dialectical
characteristic of Chinese philosophy.
~from Course Description

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 Question of Fairness
Question of
Fairness
• Why do bad things happen to
Against Fatalism good people?
Mohist argument

Xunzi’s argument

Daoist Concept
of Destiny

Zhuangzi’s
assertion

Liezi’s assertion

100 years x suffering vs. x happiness

2
The Concept of Tian ( 天 ) and Ming ( 命 )
 Mohist Observation
Question of
Fairness

• “Those who believe in (destiny)# are

Against Fatalism mixed in with the population in large
numbers. And they say: ‘If (destiny)
Mohist argument
decrees wealth, then there is wealth…
Xunzi’s argument
(destiny) is everywhere…” (35.2)

Daoist Concept
#Invisible power believed to control future
of Destiny events.

Zhuangzi’s
assertion • Fatalism:
Liezi’s assertion
– Events are fixed in advance so that
human-beings are powerless to change
them.
4
Question of
• Affirming the effort of men:
Fairness
– “The world never changed and the
people never changed, but under Jie and
Against Fatalism Zhou* the world was in disorder,
whereas under Tang and Wu* the world
Mohist argument
was well ordered. How can they say
Xunzi’s argument there is (destiny)?” (35.4)
*Jie and Zhou are tyrants in ancient China while
Tang and Wu are sages.
Daoist Concept
of Destiny

• Recall the idea of “the will of

Zhuangzi’s
assertion Heaven”:
Liezi’s assertion
– “Heaven desires righteousness and
abhor unrighteousness…If I do what
Heaven desires, Heaven will also do
what I desire.” (26.2) 5
 • Consequence of putting Fatalism
Question of
Fairness into practice:
– “Formerly, the poor people of earlier
Against Fatalism generations were covetous of drink and
food and were indolent in the conduct
Mohist argument
of their affairs so the material for
Xunzi’s argument
clothing and food was insufficient and
the hardships of hunger and cold were
extreme. But they did not know
Daoist Concept
of Destiny [enough] to say: ‘We are weak and
unworthy and are not diligent in the
Zhuangzi’s
assertion conduct of our affair’. Instead, they had
to say: ‘It is our (destiny) that has
Liezi’s assertion determined that we are poor.’” (35.9)

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 • Consequence of putting Fatalism
Question of
Fairness into practice:
– “Now if the arguments of those who
Against Fatalism hold that there is (destiny) are put
Mohist argument
into practice, then those above will
not attend to government and those
Xunzi’s argument below will not carry out their
business…it is of no benefit to the
Daoist Concept
of Destiny
people below.” (35.11)

Zhuangzi’s
assertion

Liezi’s assertion

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 • Fatalism was an invention of the
Question of
Fairness
tyrants:
– “For fatalism was an invention of the
Against Fatalism
wicked kings and the practice of
miserable men. It was not a doctrine
Mohist argument
of the magnanimous. Therefore
Xunzi’s argument
those who practise magnanimity and
righteousness must examine it and
Daoist Concept
vigorously refute it.” (37.4)
of Destiny

Zhuangzi’s
assertion

Liezi’s assertion

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 Two Conceptions of Tian
Question of
Fairness

• Personal Tian （人格天） :

Against Fatalism
– Confucius, Mencius, Mohists
Mohist argument – Closely related to morality
Xunzi’s argument

Daoist Concept

• Impersonal Tian:
of Destiny

Zhuangzi’s
assertion – Zhuangzi, Liezi, Xunzi
– Tian usually refers to the sky
Liezi’s assertion

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Question of • Affirming the effort of men:
Fairness
– “(The way of Tian is) constant. It
Against Fatalism
does not prevail because of a sage
like Yao; it does not cease to
Mohist argument
prevail because of a tyrant like Jie.
Xunzi’s argument Respond to it with good
government, and good fortune will
Daoist Concept
of Destiny
result; respond to it with disorder,
and misfortune will result.”
Zhuangzi’s
assertion

Liezi’s assertion

Xunzi (313-238 B.C.) 10

 • Tian ( 天 ) as nature:
Question of
Fairness – “Are order and disorder due to (Tian)? I
reply, the sun and moon, the stars and
Against Fatalism constellations revolved in the same way in
the time of Yu as in the time of Jie. Yu
Mohist argument
achieved order; Jie brought disorder.
Xunzi’s argument
Hence order and disorder are not due to
(Tian).”
Daoist Concept
– “(Tian) does not suspend the winter
of Destiny because men dislike cold; earth does not
cease being wide because men dislike
Zhuangzi’s
assertion great distances…”

Liezi’s assertion

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Question of
Fairness
• Explanation of offering sacrifices
and prayer:
Against Fatalism
– “You pray for rain and it rains. Why?
Mohist argument For no particular reason, I say. It is
Xunzi’s argument
just as though you had not prayed for
rain and it rained anyway…it is not as
Daoist Concept though you could hope to accomplish
of Destiny
anything by such ceremonies. They
Zhuangzi’s
assertion
are done merely for ornament.”
Liezi’s assertion

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Question of
• Make use of the nature:
Fairness
– “Is it better to exalt (Tian) and think of it,
Against Fatalism
or to nourish its creatures and regulate
them? Is it better to obey (Tian) and sing
Mohist argument
hymns to it, or to grasp the mandate of
Xunzi’s argument (Tian) and make use of it?...”
– “…man may form a triad with (the Tian
Daoist Concept
of Destiny and earth)…(Tian) and earth too perform
their functions and all things serve (the
Zhuangzi’s
assertion sage)…That is what it means to truly
Liezi’s assertion
understand (Tian).”

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Question of
• Make use of the nature:
Fairness
– “When (the sage) turns his
Against Fatalism thoughts to (Tian), he seeks to
understand only those
Mohist argument
phenomena which can be
Xunzi’s argument
regularly expected…The experts
may study (Tian); the ruler
Daoist Concept
of Destiny himself should concentrate the
Zhuangzi’s Way.”
assertion

Liezi’s assertion

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Question of • Distinction between gentleman ( 君
Fairness
子 ) and petty man ( 小人 ):
Against Fatalism – “Therefore the gentleman cherishes
what is within his power and does not
Mohist argument
long for what is within the power of
Xunzi’s argument (Tian) alone…(thus) he goes forward
day by day…The same cause impels
Daoist Concept the gentleman forward day by day,
of Destiny
and the petty man backward. What
Zhuangzi’s separates the two originates in this
assertion
one point alone.”
Liezi’s assertion

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Question of
• Distinction between
Fairness
gentleman and petty man:
Against Fatalism
– “The King of Chu has a
retinue of a thousand “Man can conquer nature.”
Mohist argument
chariots, but not because
Xunzi’s argument
he is wise. The gentleman
must eat boiled greens
Daoist Concept
of Destiny and drink water, but not
Zhuangzi’s
because he is stupid.
assertion
These are accidents of
Liezi’s assertion circumstance.”

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Question of
Fairness
• Natural law of the world:
– “Life and death are destiny…There
Against Fatalism
are some things which man can do
nothing about—all are a matter of
Mohist argument
the nature of creatures.” (Chapter 6)
Xunzi’s argument

Daoist Concept
of Destiny

Zhuangzi’s
assertion

Liezi’s assertion

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Question of • Inevitability of destiny:
Fairness
– “If you play around in front of Archer
Yi*’s target, you’re right in the way of
Against Fatalism
the arrows, and if you don’t get hit,
Mohist argument it’s a matter of destiny.” (Chapter 5)
• The man being aimed at cannot escape
Xunzi’s argument
from the attack;
• Yi cannot hit the man even if he has
Daoist Concept
of Destiny never missed his target before.
*Archer Yi is a mythological and skillful archer in ancient China
Zhuangzi’s
assertion

Liezi’s assertion

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Question of • Story of Zisang in “The Great and
Fairness
Venerable Teacher”:
Against Fatalism – Zisang is in an extremely poor
Mohist argument
situation (hunger)
– Not a result of laziness (i.e. at
Xunzi’s argument
the beginning of this story,
Daoist Concept Zhuangzi wrote that “once it
rained incessantly for ten days”)
of Destiny

Zhuangzi’s
assertion

Liezi’s assertion

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 • Story of Zisang in “The Great and
Question of
Fairness Venerable Teacher”:
– “My father and mother surely
Against Fatalism
wouldn’t wish this poverty on
Mohist argument
me. Tian covers all without
Xunzi’s argument partiality; earth bears up all
without partiality— Tian and
Daoist Concept
of Destiny
earth surely wouldn’t single me
out to make me poor. I try to
Zhuangzi’s
assertion discover who is doing it, but I
can’t get the answer. Still, here
Liezi’s assertion
I am—at the very extreme. It
must be destiny.”
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 Concept of Destiny in Zhuangzi
• Belief rather than investigation:
“As to what is beyond the Six Natural law
Realms, the sage admits
its existence but does not theorize.”
( 六合之外，聖人存而不論 )
- Destiny
Chapter 2
• Content with destiny, but not Unknowable Inevitable
understand destiny:
“Be content with this time and dwell in
this order and then neither sorrow nor
joy can touch you.”
( 且夫得者時也，失者順也，安時而處順，哀
樂不能入也。 )
- Chapter 6 21
Question of • Dialogue between “Endeavour” (effort of
Fairness
men) and “Destiny”:
Against Fatalism
Endeavour: “Whether a man lives long or
Mohist argument
dies young, succeeds or fails…all this is
Xunzi’s argument
within the reach of my endeavour…”

Daoist Concept Destiny: “…If all this is within the reach of

of Destiny
your endeavour, why did you give long life
Zhuangzi’s
to one and early death to the other, why
assertion
did you permit the sage to fail and villains
Liezi’s assertion
to succeed…impoverish good men and
enrich a bad one?” (Recall: The question
of fairness)
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 Endeavour: “…But is it you who directs that
Question of
Fairness things should be so?”

Against Fatalism Destiny: “When we say that a thing is

destined, how can there be anyone who
Mohist argument directs it?...Long life and short, failure and
success…come about of themselves. What
Xunzi’s argument
can I know about it?...”

Daoist Concept
of Destiny
In short, neither endeavour nor
“destiny” (determined by a supreme
Zhuangzi’s being), but destiny.
assertion

Liezi’s assertion

• Recall the idea of Fatalism:

– Events are fixed (BY WHOM?) in advance so that
human-beings are powerless to change them. 23
Question of
• Distinction between worth and luck:
Fairness

Beigongzi: “I belong to the same generation as

Against Fatalism
you, but it is you whom others help to success;
to the same clan, but it is you whom they
Mohist argument
respect; we look the same, but it is you whom
Xunzi’s argument they love…”

Daoist Concept
Ximenzi: “…But whatever we undertake, you fail
of Destiny and I succeed. Does this perhaps show that there
is more in me than in you? Yet you have the face
Zhuangzi’s
assertion
to say that in every way you are the same as
me.”
Liezi’s assertion

Beigongzi could find no answer, and went home

lost in thought…
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Question of
Fairness Master Dongguo: “When you
(Ximenzi) say that one man has
Against Fatalism more in him than another…you
Mohist argument mean only that they are not
equally gifted…Beigongzi has more
Xunzi’s argument
worth than luck, you have more
Daoist Concept luck than worth. Your success is
not due to wisdom, nor is his
of Destiny

Zhuangzi’s
assertion
failure due to foolishness…Neither
of you perceives the principle that
things must be as they are.”
Liezi’s assertion

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 • Liezi’s reflection on destiny:
Question of
Fairness “For the man who trusts destiny, there is
no difference between long life and
Against Fatalism short; for one who trusts the principles
by which things happen, nothing to
Mohist argument approve or reject…”
Xunzi’s argument
“Hence it is said: ‘Death and life depend
Daoist Concept
on destiny, riches and poverty depend on
of Destiny the times.’…He who resents poverty and
distress does not know the times. To
Zhuangzi’s
assertion meet death unafraid, to live in distress
without caring, is to know destiny and
Liezi’s assertion
accept what time brings.”

- Chapter 6 of Liezi
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 Personal Tian

Mohism
(The will of heaven)

Effort of men Destiny

Zhuangzi & Liezi

Xunzi
(Men can make use of Tian)

Impersonal Tian

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