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CONFUCIAN DOCTRINES/BELIEFS
●BELIEF IN TIAN
“When you have offended against Heaven, there is nowhere you can turn to
in your prayers.” (Analects 3.13) This is one of the passages in the Analects which
shows Kung Fuzi’s idea of Tian or heaven. Although Confucius is well-known to be a
practical philosopher who was not much interested in the superhuman realm, he
believed in Tian or “heaven,” an all-encompassing god. Tian may also refer to that
which is beyond human control. He believed that Tian is analogous with moral
order but dependent upon human inter-vention to bring its will into action. For
him, the li or ritual propriety is the way through which the family, the state, and
the world may become parallel with Tian’s moral order. He believed that only by
performing the ancient rituals, which was done by earlier kings, could harmony
between heaven and earth be revived.
●RECTIFICATION OF NAMES
Confucius believed that to return to the ancient Dao, people must
play their assigned roles in society. This was later called the rectification
of names, or zhengming, The Five Relationships include: 1) ruler-subject;
2) father-son; 3) husband-wife; 4) elder and younger brother; and 5)
friend and friend. The responsibilities originating from these
relationships are shared and reciprocal. For example, a minister owes
loyalty to his ruler, and a child owes filial respect to the parent. In return,
rulers must care for their subjects, and parents must care for their
children. The Five Relationships emphasize the upright sense of
hierarchy. Among friends, for example, seniority of age requires a certain
deference. Zhengming helps bring social order for it advocates the idea
that every person has a particular role at a particular time in life, and
that by abiding to this particular role, one is able to fulfil one’s social
duties and responsibilities, thus creating social harmony.
● Human Nature as Originally Good or Evil
Confucius himself was silent on the concept of human nature, but there were
two philosophers who had different interpretations on the subject of human
nature based on the Analects. They were Mengzi and Xunzi (Hsun tzu). Their views
on human nature were opposed to one another. For Mencius, renxingor human
nature is naturally disposed toward ren, or virtue of the superior man. Mengzi
believed that all human beings are born with innate goodness which, on one hand,
can be cultivated through proper education and selfdiscipline (li); or be thrown
away through neglect and bad influence, on the other. However, it needs
cultivation through li (ritual propriety) as well as obedience to one’s qi (vital
energy). Human nature may be impeded through negligence or an unfavourable
environment naturally organized toward ren. On the other hand, Xunzi believed
that human nature is basically evil but can be improved through self-cultivation.
Like Mencius, Xunzi considers the li as the key to the cultivation of human nature.
● The Five Constants
The Five Constants, also known as the Five Classical Virtues, or Wuchang,
are the. five most important Confucian ethics mentioned in the Analects and the
Book of Mencius. These include the following: ren or benevolence; yi or
righteousness; li or propriety; zhi or knowledge/wisdom; and xin or fidelity.
●Filial Piety as an Important Virtue