Confuciast Ideals
Confucius is often considered to be one of history’s most intelligent and influential philosophers due to his insight into what it means to be a moral individual. In his analects, Confucius develops his view on the “gentleman”, the ideal man. He discusses how the gentleman must act, think, and be not only in front of others, but in solitude as well. By preaching kindness, genuineness, thought, simplicity, and love, Confucius instilled in others many morals which I would raise my own children with over 2000 years later. The 6th century BCE in China faced many political struggles with the collapse of the Chou Dynasty. There were two contrasting views on how to fix the political system: the Realist answer which revolved around harsh punishment and the Mohist answer which was centered on love. Confucius offered up an additional method of reform, being a balance of benevolence and dignity. His goal was to raise the good in people, hoping that by promoting a more moral nation of citizens, the fighting would lessen. Jen, chun tzu, li, te, and wen are the five conceptual branches that Confucius based his analects on. Confucius was tremendously concerned with the distraught Chinese political system, making government and rule (Confucius’ “te”) a key concept of his analects. Many of his analects including number 2.20: “ 'Rule over them with dignity and they will be reverent; treat them with kindness and they will do their best; raise the good and instruct those who are backward and they will be imbued with enthusiasm’” are pertinent to politics. He outlines what makes a good ruler in order to promote a healthier government, hoping people will respond better to rule which is neither too harsh nor too lenient. As previously stated, however, what Confucius stressed more in his analects than politics was the citizens impacted by them. Confucius believed that by raising the good in people, they would become a more harmonious society. He defines, in his analects,