HY9203 Chinese Philosophy

(4) Confucius-Humanism

PARK So Jeong
Wed, 5 Feb 2014
9:30am~12:30pm@S4-SR15

Overview
Laozi continued
Reflection on Language
Wuwei and Ziran

Confucius, the Analects

Ren, Benevolence
Li, Ritual

Debates Assignment and Procedure

Reflection on language in the Laozi

Ineffability of Dao
Language skepticism
Skeptical about language as a truth-carrier but
not about Dao

Opposites and the limits of language

Meta-ethical statement

Revisit Ch 1 of the Laozi

[ ] (Dao/Way/Great/Mystery/Something confused yet
perfect/Mother of Heaven and Earth to be named) is not
spoken of
Naming/the named cant always convey the
proper meaning
Naming [ ] and/or things

Nameless beginning of Heaven and earth

Named Mother of the myriad creatures
Interplay of opposites

Revisit Ch 2 of the Laozi

The reason why Wuwei, non-action and
no-word-teaching are required, is because
the limits of language
Wuwei does not simply mean doing nothing
but rather doing nothing absolute/fixed

Language hides the flipside of reality

Even beauty or good

Language as limited tool

Straightforward words seem paradoxical
Ch78
No fixed usage of any terms in the Laozi
Get the meaning of a word from the context
Observe what the remarks is aiming at

The gap between literal reading and

meaning of Laozis words
Non-action, no-desire, no-knowledge, and etc.
Stupidity/Brightness, Soft-supple/Strongmighty

The Origin of zrn

Unlike other terms such as Dao, De, Qi zrn
seems to be firstly coined in the Laozi.
Not exactly fit to nature:
1) zrn from zi (self) + ran (so, such)
2) tin (, heaven) or xng (, disposition) is
also rendered into nature

Old characters of zand rn

Nature, zrn
Zrn describes the way/course of Dao
which is distinguished from the
conventional way of human-being
The Way models itself on what is natural ch5
After their task is completed with the greatest
rulers shadowy presence, their people all say
this is just how we are (Our ziran) ch17

Nature, Self-so, Spontaneity, As it is

Different translations of zrn

Chapter 17

Nevertheless their people say that they simply

follow Nature. (Chan)
Their people all say, This is just how we are.
(Ivanhoe)

And the people declare: it happens to us selfso (Moeller)

the people say, Amazing: we did it, all by
ourselves! (Mitchell)
And the hundred clans all say: We are just
being natural. (LaFargue)

Non-action, wwi
Non-action should be pursued and achieved, th
at is to say, not mean just doing nothing
In the pursuit of the Way, one does less each day.
One does less and less until one does nothing
(wuwei). One does nothing yet nothing is left
undone. Ch 48

Wuwei is always engaged in a certain action

or a consequence of it.
Neither mere action nor literal not-action
but a guidance on each situation between the
opposites.

Confucius, A Great Teacher

The founder of the private academy and
Confucian school
The Analects (lny, , selected conversati
on) is not a systematic writing but a record of
dialogues between Confucius and his students.
Confucian philosophy offers a complex,
realistic picture of self-in-community Lai
p.32

Confucius turn to humanism

A person cannot flock together with the
birds and the beasts. If I do not seek to
follow this person or the other, who then
would I follow?
Confucius response to hermit scholars
comment on him, better to follow a scholar
who flees from the age itself the Analects 18.6

Confucius substituted Ritual ethics for Dao

metaphysics.

Benevolence, Rn (jen in WG)

Benevolence as moral emotion
Humaneness as person-making
Rn andrn (human) are homophonous

The origin of rn is a kind of virtue such as

manly quality. Rn gradually came to refer
to love, compassion, and benevolent
attitude and finally expanded into
humanity in general by Confucius.

[Above]
Rn in Bamboo slips
= body + mind/heart
[Below]
Rn in Han dynasty
1 two people
2 phonetic+semantic
3 corpse+two

Ritual, L
Through meticulous researches in Zhou ritual
system which had spiritual, educational and
governing function, Confucius reached the
concept of ritual propriety which can sustain a
society.
Ritual does not merely reside in behavioral
performance
When we say, the rites, the rites are we speaking
merely of jade and silk? When we say, music, music,
are we speaking merely of bells and drums? the
Analects 17.11

Benevolence and Ritual

Deep connection between rn and l .
Most comprehensive accounts of rn:
Restraining yourself and returning to the
rites(12.1);
When in public, comport yourself as if you
were receiving an important guest; in your
management of the people, behave as if you
were overseeing a great sacrifice. Do not impose
upon others what you yourself do not desire.

Debate Role and Assignment

1. Every student will form a team of two people.
2. Each team will play the role of Debater once and either
Judge or Monitor once.
3. Each Debate team should prepare a one-page hand-out
from reliable sources.
4. The Debate team should justify and defend its position
against the opposite team.
5. The Judge team in each session is to provide comments
and evaluations to two Debater teams at the end of the
session after careful observation of the debate.

6. The Monitor team in each session is in charge of

controlling time and moderating the debate process.
They can also make comments and suggestions within
the given time.

Debate Procedure and Assigned Time

1) Opening statement of debater-one of position A:
2) Opening statement of debater-one of position B:
3) Supportive argument of debater-two of position A:
4) Supportive argument of debater-two of position B:

3 mins
3 mins
3 mins
3 mins
(12mins.)
5) Questions from position A to B
1 min
6) Answers of position B
2 mins
7) Questions from position B to A
1 min
8) Answers of position A
2 mins
(+6mins. = 18mins.)
9) Free debates between the two teams
2 mins
10) Open discussion for whole class
5~10 mins
* At Monitor teams discretion
(+7~12mins. = 25~30mins.)
11) Judge teams evaluation of the debate
3 mins
12) Monitor teams comments and conclusion
2 mins
(+5mins = 30~35mins.)

Next Session
Wed, 12 Feb, 2014

Confucius continued
he Daodejing
Human and Nature

Mozi and Emergence of Philosophy

Cosmogony/cosmology in early China
Metaphysical

The 1st Debate: Laozi and Confucius on Virtue