Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Traditional festivals - Introduction to The Analects of Confucius
Introduction to The Analects of Confucius
The Analects, as a collection of words and deeds of Confucius and his disciples, is very broad in content, mostly related to the problems of human social life, and has had a significant impact on the psychological quality and moral behavior of the Chinese nation. Until the modern New Culture Movement, it had been a must-read book for Chinese people for the first time in their lives for more than 2,000 years.
After the May Fourth Movement, the Analects of Confucius, as a symbol of feudal culture, was criticized and rejected, and although there was the study and emergence of Neo-Confucianism, Confucianism did not form a new climate in China against the background of the Chinese democratic revolution. The development of the times and the advancement of the society could not but make people choose the new ideology and culture again, which is the spread of Marxism in China and the birth and development of the new socialist culture.
However, the grim fact is that a new type of society, especially when it steps into the track of normal development, cannot but rethink its national spirit and traditional culture, which is an important link that no society can ignore in its own development process. In particular, the essence of national culture is more worthy of re-recognition and re-exploration. This makes me think of the ****ness and individuality of human beings, the ****ness and individuality of culture, and the dialectical negative nature of national culture. At the same time, also makes me feel Mao Zedong "ancient for modern use, foreign for Chinese" the value of the idea of where.
In fact, when we get rid of the metaphysical way of thinking, and really establish a materialistic and dialectical way of thinking, and use it to analyze the traditional Chinese culture, we will find the essence of it, and the Analects of Confucius is one of them. Undeniably, the Analects of Confucius has its own dregs or negative aspects, but it reflects the essence of social life more than two thousand years ago, philosophical quotations and aphorisms, and is a historical demonstration of the degree of civilization of the Chinese nation. Even today, in the midst of reform and opening up, economic take-off and cultural development, many ideas in the Analects of Confucius still have certain reference significance and contemporary value. In this regard, I would like to talk about my personal views on the value of the relevant ideas in the Analects.
One, the book of the Analects of Confucius "ghosts and gods" thought
Ghosts and gods thought is the manifestation of mankind's mysterious fear of natural phenomena, but also a kind of illusory human destiny of the fate of mankind. It is in the scientific development of today, contemporary people's thoughts of ghosts and gods also appear from time to time, and even the phenomenon of man-made gods have also occurred repeatedly. So, does the phenomenon of ghosts and gods exist? The scientific conclusion is negative. Then why do contemporary people still have the concept of ghosts and gods, and some people even believe in them? This is due to the complexity of social existence and human psychology as well as the defective nature of human qualities. However, as an ancient man more than two thousand years ago, in the era when the power of witches and ghosts was strong and the natural science was very undeveloped, what did Confucius think about ghosts and gods? Confucius "did not say: strange, forceful, chaotic, and divine" ("Shui Er"). He advocated "respecting ghosts and gods and keeping them away" ("Yongya"). This shows that Confucius took a very cautious attitude towards ghosts and gods. Confucius did not comment on the existence of ghosts and gods, nor did he oppose the belief in ghosts and gods by others, but took the attitude of respecting them and keeping them away. This was rare under the historical conditions at that time. At the same time, Confucius usually did not talk about weirdness, violence, rebellion, ghosts and gods, which he considered to be things that were not beneficial to people. Once, when Confucius was sick, Zi Lu asked to pray on behalf of his teacher. Confucius said, "Is there such a thing?" Zi Lu replied, "Yes. The text of the Eulogy says, 'Pray for you to the gods and goddesses of heaven and earth.'" Confucius said, "If so, I would have prayed long ago, but why do I still get sick?" On another occasion, when Ji Lu asked for advice on how to serve the gods and spirits, Confucius said, "I can't serve the living, so how can I serve the gods and spirits?" Although Confucius did not object to others' belief in ghosts and gods, he himself was skeptical of ghosts and gods, and although he could not prove whether ghosts and gods existed or not, he himself did not believe in ghosts and gods. This shows that Confucius already had the germ of atheistic thought, embodying the idea of plain materialism. This, as Confucius's worldview, had an important influence on his thought.
II. Thoughts on how to be a human being and its value
As a Confucian classic work covering many aspects of human life, the Analects of Confucius talks about being a human being in many of its chapters, which is of great significance to contemporary people.
First, one must be upright and upright. According to Confucius, "People are born straight, and recklessness is fortunate and exempt." ("Yong also") in the view of Confucius, a person should be upright, only upright can be bright and open. However, in our life, people who are not upright can also survive, but that is only by fluke and avoid the disaster. According to the logical reasoning of the development of things, this kind of people who rely on fluke to avoid disaster sooner or later to fall down.
Secondly, to be a human being, we should emphasize "benevolence and virtue". This is one of the issues that Confucius emphasized the most on the issue of being a human being. In Confucius' view, benevolence and virtue are the fundamentals of being a human being, and are in the first place. Confucius said: "Disciples enter the filial piety, out of the younger brother, careful and trustworthy, universal love, but pro-kindness. If you have the ability to do so, you should learn the language." ("Learning and Learning") He also said, "If a man is not benevolent, what is a rite of passage? If people are not kind, what about music?" ("Eight rows of dancers") This shows that only on the basis of benevolence and virtue is it meaningful to do studies and learn rituals and music. Confucius also believed that only people with benevolence and virtue can treat others selflessly and be praised by people. Zi said, "Only the benevolent can be good and evil." ("Li Ren") "Duke Jing of Qi had a thousand horses, and on the day of his death, the people were praised for their lack of virtue. When Bo Yi and Shu Qi died of starvation under Shou Yang, the people came to the present day and called them." (Ji Shi) fully illustrates the value and power of benevolence and virtue.
So how can one be considered benevolent? Yan Yuan asked about benevolence, and Zi said, "To be benevolent is to be able to return to one's own self and return to one's own rites. If one day one restores one's self to one's manners, the whole world will return to benevolence." (Yan Yuan) In other words, the only way to be benevolent is to restrain oneself and make one's words and deeds conform to the rites. Once your words and deeds are in line with the rituals, the people of the world will praise you as a benevolent person. It can be seen that "benevolence" is not innate, but is the result of "cultivating oneself" and "restraining oneself" later in life. Of course, Confucius also put forward the external standard of benevolence, which is "rigidity, perseverance, woodiness, and inerrancy are close to benevolence" ("Zi Lu"). (Zi Lu) That is to say, people who are strong, resolute, simple, and modest in speech are close to benevolence. At the same time, he also put forward five criteria for practicing benevolence, namely: "respectfulness, generosity, trustworthiness, sensitivity, and beneficence" ("Yangguo"). That is to say, being respectful, generous, faithful, diligent and sensitive, and compassionate. He said that if you are respectful to others, you will not be insulted; if you are generous to others, you will be embraced; if you are truthful in your dealings, you will be trusted; if you are diligent and sensitive in your work, you will be successful; and if you are compassionate to others, you will be able to make good use of the people. Confucius said that those who can practice these five virtues can be regarded as benevolence.
Of course, in Confucius's view, it is not easy to fully realize ren. That is why he taught people to pursue benevolence, that is, "to learn from the literature, and to be courteous to the people, and to be able to carry on with one's life" (Yan Yuan), i.e., to study widely and to learn from others. (Yan Yuan), i.e., to study widely the cultural texts and to restrain one's behavior with the rites, so as not to deviate from the right way. At the same time, one should also emphasize learning from people of benevolence and virtue, and use people of benevolence and virtue to help cultivate benevolence and virtue. A person of benevolence and virtue should be a person who can stand up for himself and make others stand up for him, who can help others to achieve what he wishes to achieve, and who is able to extend himself to others in all things. That is to say, "If one wishes to stand up for oneself and stand up for others, and if one wishes to reach out and reach out to others, and if one can take the example of others, one can be said to be a party of benevolence." ("Yong also")
Third, to be a person should emphasize the overall development of cultivation. Zeng Zi said: "I have three times a day to save my own body: for people to seek and not loyal? To make friends with friends and not trust it? Transmission is not practiced?" ("Learning") that is: I have to reflect on myself again and again every day: do I do my best to help others? Have I kept my word in my dealings with my friends? Have I practiced what my teacher has taught me? This emphasizes the importance of cultivating one's own character. On this basis, Confucius emphasized the importance of all-round development. Zi said, "Aspire to the Way, act according to virtue, follow benevolence, and travel in the arts." ("Shuzhi") that is: ambition lies in the Tao, according to the virtue, by virtue of benevolence, activities in the six arts (rituals, music, archery, imperialism, calligraphy, mathematics), only then can we really be a man. So why did Confucius emphasize the need for all-round development as a human being? Here is a reflection of Confucius' understanding of the social nature of human beings, and the mutually constraining effects of personal cultivation, when he said, "Raise in poetry, establish in rites, and become in music." (Tai Bo) That is: poetry can uplift people's spirit, etiquette can strengthen people's sentiment, and music can promote the success of people's endeavors. Therefore, for personal cultivation, all-round development is extremely important.
Third, on the shaping of the gentleman's personality
Many parts of the Analects talk about the gentleman, but the gentleman here is a broad concept, emphasizing the pursuit of a kind of personality and teaching people to be different from ordinary people. In order to realize this purpose, the Analects sets forth the standards of speech and conduct and the requirements of moral cultivation for a gentleman.
First, "A gentleman is not a weapon". Confucius believed that as a gentleman, he must possess a variety of talents, and should not just act like a utensil, but should "take righteousness as his quality, rituals as his behavior, sun as his output, and faith as his fulfillment" (Wei Linggong). (Wei Ling Gong) That is to say, a gentleman should take righteousness as the root of being a man, practicing it according to etiquette, expressing it with humility, and accomplishing it with loyalty, or else he cannot talk about being a gentleman.
The second is that a gentleman should emphasize self-cultivation. Confucius said, "Riches and nobility are the desires of men, and if they are not obtained by their way, they do not live in them. Poverty and lowly, is the evil of people, not with its way to get, not go. If a gentleman goes to benevolence, how can he become famous? If a gentleman does not violate benevolence between food and drink, he will do so, and he will do so when he is in a state of upheaval." (Li Ren) In Confucius' view, as a gentleman, one must emphasize the cultivation of benevolence and virtue, and cannot leave benevolence and virtue no matter under any conditions. At the same time, Zeng Zi believes that the gentleman must also pay attention to three aspects of the norms of benevolence and virtue cultivation: firstly, "moving appearance, far from violent and slow to carry on"; secondly, "the right color, close to the letter to carry on"; thirdly, "out of the rhetoric of the gas, far from the despicable times to carry on! " ("Tai Bo"). In other words, a gentleman should be serious about his appearance, correct his color, and pay attention to his words. Only in this way can people treat you with respect, trust and gentleness. At the same time, Confucius also believes that "the gentleman Tai but not proud" ("Zi Lu"); "the gentleman reserve but not compete, the group but not party" ("Wei Ling Gong"); "the gentleman is sick of incompetence, not sick of death is not known. " "The gentleman is sick of getting the world but not his name." "The gentleman seeks his own, the villain seeks others." ("Wei Ling Gong") that is, as a gentleman should be peaceful and not arrogant, dignified attitude and not quarrel with others, can be grouped together and not party camping; gentleman should pay attention to improve themselves, and make more contributions to the society during their lifetimes. Only in this way can one be called a gentleman in cultivation.
Thirdly, a gentleman should be strict with himself everywhere. According to Confucius, in addition to self-cultivation, a gentleman should also emphasize the importance of strict self-criticism with the standards of "Precaution, Fear, and Thought". Confucius said: "the gentleman has three precepts: when the young, the blood is not yet determined, quit in the color; and its strong, the blood is just, quit in the fight; and its old also, the blood is already weakened, quit in the gain." "A gentleman has three fears: fear of heaven's order, fear of adults, and fear of the words of sages." "A gentleman has nine thoughts: to see is to think clearly, to hear is to think intelligently, to look is to think warmly, to look is to think respectfully, to speak is to think faithfully, to act is to think respectfully, to doubt is to ask questions, to wrath is to think difficultly, and to see what is right is to think rightly." (Ji Shi) These thoughts put forward the requirements for a gentleman from different angles, and are summarized in three points: first, we should always pay attention to abstaining from personal desires; second, we should have a sense of reverence in dealing with things to prevent recklessness; and third, we should deal with them seriously and be strict with ourselves at all times.
Fourth, a gentleman should emphasize righteousness and avoid profit, and pursue morality. According to Confucius, the difference between a gentleman and a villain also lies in having different attitudes and different pursuits in life. He believed that "the gentleman is a metaphor for righteousness, and the villain is a metaphor for profit." (Li Ren) "A gentleman seeks the way, not food." "A gentleman worries about the way, not about poverty." (Wei Ling Gong) "A gentleman carries virtue, a villain carries earth; a gentleman carries punishment, a villain carries favor." (Li Ren) In other words, as a gentleman, only by emphasizing and pursuing morality and righteousness can he be distinguished from the small man and truly embody the spirit of a gentleman. At the same time, Confucius also believed that a gentleman must be consistent in both word and deed, that is to say, "A gentleman wants to be prudent in word, but sensitive in deed." ("Li Ren") "First do what you say and then follow it." （
Fourth, on the attitude, method and purpose of learning
The ideas about learning in the Analects of Confucius have an important position in the history of education in ancient and modern times, and are worthy of reference for the present generation. These thoughts are summarized as follows:
First, about the attitude of learning. Confucius believed that the pursuit of learning lies first in the love of learning and joy of learning, which is the key. Confucius said, "It is better to know than to be good, and it is better to be good than to be happy." ("Yongya") that is, those who really love it, those who are happy for it can really learn it well. Confucius praised Yan Yuan for his optimistic spirit of learning, "A little food, a little drink, in the ugly alley, people can't bear to worry about it, but I don't change my joy." （Secondly, we should "learn by heart, and never tire of learning". ("Narrative") that is, learning to have a down-to-earth spirit, silently memorize the knowledge learned, and study hard without being satisfied. Thirdly, be dedicated, know the difficulties and advance. Confucius said, "A scholar who aspires to the Way and is ashamed of his bad clothes and bad food is not enough to be discussed with." (Liren) People who study should aspire to the pursuit of righteousness and truth, and they should be dedicated to their studies and not be burdened by worldly affairs. At the same time, he also believes that the pursuit of learning is a difficult process, we should dare to know the difficulties and progress, "the force is not enough, in the middle of the road and waste, today's female painting." (Yong Yi) in response to the pursuit of learning is a difficult process, we should dare to know the difficulties and progress. ("Yong also") against Ran Qiu in the study of the problem that their own ability is not enough thought, Confucius believes that the so-called ability is not enough people, is to stop in the middle of the road, you are now not enough ability to delimit themselves, in fact, is not to stick to the end of the cause. Here Confucius encourages Ran Qiu to advance through difficulties, for only in this way will he be able to achieve the Way. In fact, Confucius himself is a person who "forgets to eat when he is angry, forgets to worry when he is happy, and does not know that old age is approaching" ("Shuzhi"). Fourthly, we should be modest and not be ashamed to ask questions. Confucius said: "If three people walk together, there must be a teacher for me. Choose those who are good and follow them, and change those who are not good." ("Shuzhe") This shows that learning is not always teacher, as a person should always pay attention to others to learn, take people's strengths, make up for their own shortcomings. At the same time, Confucius advocated and praised the learning spirit of "keen and studious, not ashamed to ask questions", "Seeing the wise, thinking of qi zhim, seeing the unwise and internal self-reflection." (Li Ren) embodies the spirit of "learning from others". (Li Ren) reflects Confucius' rigorous attitude towards learning.
The second is about the method of learning. In his conversations with his disciples, Confucius mentioned learning methods in many places, the most famous of which is "Learning and practicing at the same time is not like saying." ("Learning") "Learning from the past and understanding the new, can be a teacher." （At the same time, Confucius also emphasized the combination of learning and thinking, and the courage to practice. He said, "Learning without thinking is confusing, thinking without learning is dangerous." ("For Politics") Just reading without thinking is confusing, and just thinking without reading is mentally exhausting. People are required to combine learning and accumulating with studying and thinking. In addition, Confucius also attaches great importance to the pursuit of excellence, "such as cutting like a dagger, such as cutting like grinding", against half-knowledge, shallow.
Third, on the content of learning. Confucius advocated that learning should be broad and extensive, not biased or single-minded. He proposed to use four things as the outline of his study, which are "literature, conduct, loyalty, and faith" ("Shuzhi"). These are "culture and knowledge, character cultivation, loyalty and faithfulness, and steadfastness in keeping one's word" (Shui Er). These four elements are important for oneself and others. Confucius in the importance of erudition at the same time, but also emphasize that learning to grasp the fundamental things, Confucius said: "give also, the woman to give for more learning and knowledge of the person with?" Said: "Ran, not with?" Said: "Not also, I give a consistent." Here Confucius in answer to Zigong's question, explaining his "learning more" is relative, on the basis of learning more, I am a reason to run through their own doctrine, this reason is the root of learning, learning to grasp the root. Here Confucius indirectly illustrates the relationship between erudition and refinement, which is worth learning from.
Fourth, on the purpose of learning. Confucius believed that learning must have a clear purpose, but the focus is on "learning to use". Zi said: "Recite the Poetry 300, taught to the government, not reach; make in the four directions, can not specialize in the right; although more, but also Xi thought?" ("Zi Lu") that is to say, familiar with the "Poetry" 300, to give him a political task, but can not do; sent him to foreign countries, and can not be independent of the main response; in this way, although a lot of books, and what is the use of it? He also said: "Virtue is not cultivated, learning is not taught, hearing righteousness can not migrate, not good can not change, is my worry." (《述而》), that is to say, character not to cultivate, learning not to lecture, hear righteousness can not do, there is a mistake can not be corrected, that is, the theory and practice can not be combined, this is what we worry. From this, we can see that the purpose of reading is not to memorize books, but to apply them, to practice them, and to use them flexibly by "learning by example". This idea is also expressed in the thinking of Confucius' student, Zixia. Zixia said, "To serve is to learn, and to learn is to serve." ("Zi Lu") That is to say, one should study when one has spare capacity when being an official, and one can be an official when one has spare capacity after studying. This idea essentially also reflects the relationship between learning and use, in order to be a good official must learn, the purpose of learning should be to be a better official, reflecting the relationship between learning and application, but also reflects the purpose of Confucius to run a private school, that is, through the education and training of moral and talented talents, so that they can directly mount the political arena or as a teacher to cultivate political talent, of course in the view of Confucius, learning also lies in the pursuit of morality and truth, and the purpose of learning. "Scholars aspire to the Tao", "the morning of the Tao, the evening of death can be carried out" ("Li Ren")
Fifth, the book of the Analects of Confucius in the idea of education
Confucius, as China's ancient and renowned educator, engaged in a lifetime of educational work, taught many talented As a famous educator in ancient China, Confucius was engaged in education all his life, and taught many talented students, and gained rich experience in education practice, which is summarized in the book "The Analects of Confucius".
First, on the guiding ideology of education. Confucius advocated the idea that there should be "education for all" (Wei Ling Gong), that is, there should be no distinction between the noble and the lowly, the wise and the foolish, and that there should be equal opportunities for the educated. This idea broke down the hierarchical boundaries of education, expanded the target of education, and made education available to the general public, which was undoubtedly of great progressive significance at that time.
The second is the basic method of education. Confucius advocated "teaching according to ability" and said, "Above the middleman, you can talk to the top; below the middleman, you can't talk to the top." That is to say, for those who are above the middle level of intelligence, you can talk to them about profound truths; for those who are below the middle level of intelligence, you can't talk to them about profound truths. In order to carry out this idea, Confucius paid much attention to the observation and understanding of his students, such as "by also fruit", "give also up to", "seek also art" ("Yong also"), on the basis of which different educational methods were adopted, for example, Ran Ran's "The Ran", "The Ran", "The Ran", and "The Ran". different educational methods, for example, Ran Qiu is timid in his errands, so he should be encouraged; Zi Lu is too bold and self-righteous, so he should be deliberately suppressed. That is to say, "Seek also retreats, so advance; by also concurrently people, so retreat." ("Advanced") Confucius also attaches importance to the induction of inspiration education, does not require students to read to death, but rather in the touch of similarity and understanding, that is, the so-called: "tell the past to know the coming" ("Learning and"). Tzu-hsia talked about the poem, "smiling wryly, beautifully looking forward to, so as to be gorgeous", and thus realized that "rites" should be based on loyalty, trust, benevolence and righteousness, and therefore Confucius praised him, "The one who started to give is also Shang! He was praised by Confucius, who said, "The Shang who started Yu is also a Shang! （The one who can inspire me is Zixia! Now I can talk with you about the Book of Poetry. After listening to his teacher's lectures, Yan Yuan "was also able to develop" (Weizheng), and Zigong also said that he "knew ten by hearing one" (Gongyechang), so Confucius especially praised Yan Yuan's intelligence and good learning. This is the inevitable result of inspirational education. Confucius especially emphasized that "if you don't want to speak but don't want to speak but don't want to speak, and if you don't counteract with three corners, then you won't be able to repeat it" ("Shui Er Er"). ("Narrative and") that is: I will not inspire him until he has thought hard and cannot think straight, and I will not enlighten him until he wants to speak but does not understand. I will not enlighten him until he wants to speak but cannot understand. I will not teach him any more if he is not able to derive three truths by analogy from the example of one truth. Confucius also emphasized that in the implementation of inspiration and guidance on the basis of attention must be paid to the gradual progress, that is: "I am good to induce people, Bo I to the text, about me to the rituals, want to stop, both exhaust my talent, such as there is a stand Zhuoer. Though I wish to follow him, I will not be able to do so!" ("Zihan") This kind of students to study hard, "can not stop" situation, it is to follow the good seduction inspired by the picture of education, in the history of education in China has an important position.
Third, on the basic content of education. Confucius engaged in education for a long time, the content of education is very broad, but the teaching materials he used are mostly along the six arts used in aristocratic schools of the Zhou Dynasty, namely, poetry, books, etiquette, music, Yi, Spring and Autumn. "The elegant words of the son were the Poetry, the Book, and the Execution of Rites." ("Shuzi") "Rise in Poetry, Establish in Rites, and Become in Music." (Tai Bo) "If you don't learn poetry, you can't speak," and "If you don't learn ritual, you can't stand." (Ji Shi) From this, we can see that Confucius taught his students poetry, calligraphy, ritual and music as his common teaching materials. As for "Yi" and "Spring and Autumn Annals", they were only studied and taught in the later years of Confucius' life, which is why Confucius said, "Fifty years ago, I studied Yi" ("Shuzhi"). It is also possible that because the Yi and the Spring and Autumn Annals were relatively sophisticated subjects, only a few highly talented students could learn them, so it was said that "those who were proficient in the six arts had seventy-two of them" ("Confucius' Family"). So what did Confucius value most in these teachings? As can be seen from many ideas in the Analects, Poetry and Rites were the main courses of Confucius' teaching. Zi said, "If you don't learn Poetry, you can't speak." ("Ji Shi") "Recite the Poetry 300 times, and teach it to the government." ("Zi Lu") "Poetry 300, in a nutshell, says 'Si Wu Yi'." ("for the government") also said: "summer ceremony, I can say, qi is not enough levy also; Yin ceremony, I can say, song is not enough levy also. Literature is not enough so also. Enough, then I can levy it." ("Eight Rowers") "The gains and losses of Yin due to the Xia ritual can be known; the gains and losses of Zhou due to the Yin ritual can be known." （These ideas show that Confucius not only attached importance to the education of Poetry and Rites, but also emphasized the summarization of these contents and research, which played an important role in promoting the enrichment and improvement of the contents of education in ancient China.
Fourth, about the cultivation goal of education. In the view of Confucius, the purpose of education is not only to purify people's souls with benevolence, righteousness and propriety and to harmonize people's social behaviors, but also to cultivate "gentlemen" and "gentlemen" with benevolence and righteousness, so as to serve the society at that time, which is his famous saying. This is his famous idea of "Learning and Excellence" ("Zi Zhang"). Because of this, when Jikangzi asked his disciples Zhongyu, Zigong, and Ranqiu if they could "engage in politics," Confucius promised to do so (Yongya). As a matter of fact, among the seventy-two favorite students of Confucius, there were quite a few who were involved in politics, and Confucius himself was not against participating in politics. This shows that Confucius's educational ideas and training goals were unified with the social needs of the time, reflecting the social value of education. Of course, Confucius's educational thought inevitably embodies class attributes, but as a man of society, many of the ideas advocated by Confucius under the historical conditions of the time, itself has the components in line with the human *** nature, is an indispensable part of the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation, should be dialectically analyzed and discarded.
Sixth, on the idea of government and its value
The Analects of Confucius on the idea of government is a concrete embodiment of the idea of "learning by doing", in this regard, the Analects of Confucius on the standard of government has also been specified.
First, the object of government. Confucius believed that as long as a person understands etiquette, has the way and integrity, and possesses a certain degree of political talent, he can do politics. Ji Kangzi asked, "Can Zhongyu be made to engage in politics?" Confucius said, "What is the point of being a politician if you are a fruitful one?" He asked, "Is it possible to make a political career out of Zhanyu?" Confucius said, "What is the use of giving in politics?" Asked: "Seek also can make from politics also with?" He said, "What is the art of seeking in politics?" In other words, as long as people have certain qualities to participate in politics, such as decisiveness, reasoning, multi-arts can participate in politics.
The second is about the basic requirements and standards of politics. Those in politics must be diligent and loyal. Confucius said, "Dwell without weariness, and act with loyalty." ("Yan Yuan") "first of labor", "no weariness" ("Zi Lu"). In other words, he should not be lax and slack in his position, he should be faithful in carrying out governmental orders, he should take the lead and be diligent, and he should not be lax in his work. Those who are in politics must be gentle, respectful and frugal. Chen Ziqiu asked Zigong, "When the Husband arrives in this state, he must hear of its government, and ask for it? or with it?" Zi Gong said, "The Husband is gentle, good, respectful, thrifty, and yielding in order to obtain it." ("Learning and Learning") That is to say, when Confucius came to a country he would surely know about the politics of the place, that is, because the gentleman had the five virtues of gentleness, goodness, respect, thrift, and modesty. And these five virtues also indirectly justify participation in the politics of a country. Once, when Confucius was talking about Zi Chan, the virtuous prime minister of Zheng, he said, "There are four ways of a gentleman: his conduct is upright and respectful, his service to his superiors is honorable, his support of the people is beneficial, and his making of the people is righteous." It was due to this solemnity, respect, favor, moral righteousness and virtue of Zi Chan that he was able to be in the position of a wise prime minister of the state of Zheng.
Thirdly, one must be consistent in word and deed, and be dignified in demeanor. Confucius said: "Words are faithful and trustworthy, deeds are honorable, even though the state of barbaric and morocco, it is carried out. Words are not loyal and faithful, line is not solemn, although the state, line is not? The standing is to see its participation in the front also, in the carriage is to see its leaning on the balance also, the husband then line." ("Wei Ling Gong") That is to say, in order to make one's ideas and propositions acceptable to others, one must be sincere in one's mind and dignified in one's behavior, so that your propositions can be carried out.
Fourth, be far-sighted and progressive. When Zixia became the governor of Ju father, he asked Confucius for advice on how to manage the government. Confucius said, "There is no desire for speed, and there is no desire to see small gains. If you want to be quick, you can't get there, and if you see small gains, you can't achieve great things." (Zi Lu) That is to say, he asked people not to be quick in handling government affairs, and not to be greedy for immediate benefits; instead of being quick, they would not be able to achieve the desired purpose, and if they were greedy for small benefits, they would not be able to accomplish great things. Instead, they should be far-sighted and move forward in a sequential manner. In addition, Confucius also believes that in dealing with political affairs should be cautious, to go into the actual, listen to more see, understand the real situation, so as to avoid making mistakes. That is, the so-called "more hear que doubt, careful words the rest, then fewer; more see que dangerous, careful behavior the rest, then fewer regret. If you are careful in what you say, you will have no regrets; if you are careful in what you do, you will have no regrets." （
Seventh, on the reasoning of the state and the state
Confucius, as a great thinker in ancient China, his reasoning about the rule of the state also has an important place in the Analects of Confucius. It is summarized in the following aspects:
One of them is that the fundamental principle of governance lies in the "human relationships and norms". When Duke Jing of Qi asked Confucius how to rule the country, Confucius said, "The ruler is the king, the minister is the minister, the father is the father, and the son is the son" (Yan Yuan). (Yan Yuan) That is to say, in order to govern a country well, the monarch must behave like a monarch, the minister like a minister, the father like a father, and the son like a son. Although this idea reflects Confucius' patriarchal ethical concepts, under the historical conditions of feudal society, this ethical program did play an important role in governing the country. As a matter of fact, in a class society, no matter what era one is in, one needs to be in one's place and perform one's duties. Otherwise, the country will be uncharted, the government will be ungoverned, and the society will be in chaos. So why did Confucius emphasize the rule of the state by "the principles of human relationships"? Confucius replied to Zi Lu's question, Zi Lu asked Confucius: "Wei is waiting for Zi to govern, Zi will be Xi first?" Zi said, "I must also correct my name!" "If one's name is not correct, then one's words will not be spoken, and if one's words are not spoken, then one's deeds will not be accomplished." Of course Confucius also believed that the emphasis on the role of ethical programs could not be divorced from propriety. Zi said, "Can you make a state by courtesy and concession? If you can't make a country out of comity, what about comity?" (Li Ren), that is, if the state is governed in the spirit of comity and concession, there will be no problems in the state, and the rites of human ethics can only be guaranteed. Here, courtesy becomes the spiritual bond that maintains the human order.
Secondly, the prerequisite for ruling a country is that a gentleman should be strict with himself. Confucius said: "Gou Zheng its body, in the politics of what? Can not correct its body, such as correct people how?" That is to say, to govern the country well, the monarch must correct his own self, strict in their own requirements. If he is correct, there will be no difficulty in managing the state. If he is not correct, and does whatever he wants, he cannot correct others, and his state cannot be governed. Confucius also used Shun as an example to illustrate the importance of a ruler's self-discipline. Confucius said, "Who is the one who rules without doing anything, is it Shun? What did he do? He was just facing the south." In Confucius' view, the only person who could really make the world peaceful in a calm and quiet manner was probably Shun, right? So what did he do? He just sat solemnly and uprightly in the court. Shun's solemn and upright behavior here is the key to the realization of peace in the world.
Of course, Confucius also believed that in addition to the dignified behavior of the ruler, he should also pay attention to the relationship between talent, wisdom, etiquette, benevolence and morality, which are the conditions of governance that cannot be neglected. Confucius said: "Knowledge and, benevolence can not keep the, although gained, will be lost. If you know what you want to know, and if you are not able to keep it, you will lose it. If you know what you want to know, and if you are not able to keep it, you will lose it. If you know what you want to do, but can't keep it, but don't do it with courtesy, then the people won't respect you." (Wei Ling Gong) (Wei Ling Gong) That is to say, if one gains a position by cleverness but fails to keep it with benevolence and virtue, one will surely lose it, even though one has gained it. If one gains a position by cleverness and can maintain it with benevolence, and if one does not govern the people with seriousness, then the people will not respect him. If one gains a position by cleverness, can protect it with benevolence and virtue, and can govern the people with seriousness, but does not use propriety and righteousness to educate the people, then he is not considered perfect. It can be seen that the requirements for the monarch to govern the country well should be all-round and multi-faceted. In addition, Confucius also summarized the reasoning of all generations of wise monarchs in governing the country, focusing on generosity, honesty, diligence, and fairness. That is to say, "What is important: the people, food, mourning, and sacrifices. If you are generous, you will win the people; if you are trustworthy, the people will be appointed; if you are sensitive, you will be successful; and if you are fair, you will speak." ("Yao said")
Third, the basic method of governing the state, "selecting talents, enriching the country, educating people, and legislating. Confucius believes that the monarch manages the state affairs, should always look at the big picture, and emphasize the selection of excellent talents. Confucius said, "First, have a division, pardon minor faults, and select the wise and talented." (Zi Lu) At the same time, he emphasized the importance of enriching the country and educating the people. Once, Confucius went to the state of Wei, Ran You drove for him, Confucius said: the population of Wei is really large ah! Ran You said, "If it's populous, why don't you add to it?" He said, "Rich." He said, "If you are rich, why don't you add to it?" Said: "Teach." Here Confucius emphasized that in Wei such a large population of the country, in order to govern it well, first of all, let them get rich, and then make them re-education, improve their quality. In addition, Confucius also paid special attention to the role of the legal system in the governance of the state. Once Yan Yuan asked his teacher how to govern the country, Confucius said: "the time of the summer, ride the chariot of Yin, dress Zhou's coronet, music, "Shao", "Dance", put Zheng sound, far from the sycophants. Zheng sound obscene, the sycophants are perilous." Drawing on the ancient virtues of Xia, Shang and Zhou, take the essence and discard the dregs. Here Confucius not only emphasized the important role of the legal system in the governance of the country, but also his thinking method of using the past for the present is worth learning from today's people.
Fourth, the basic principle of governing the country is to be trustworthy and to love the people. Confucius believed that to govern a country well, the monarch must pay attention to character and morality, be creditable and love the people, which is the basic principle of ruling a country. Zi said, "To govern a country of a thousand rides, honor and trust, save and love the people, and keep the people in time." ("Learning and Learning") That is, to govern a country with a thousand military vehicles, one has to take political affairs seriously and
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