Why reading of the analects of confucius?

That is, when we read the Analects, we should think about its thoughts from the current introspection and reaction. The author thinks that the Analects of Confucius deals with the same and unchanging core values, which is worth rediscovering by modern people. In order to understand the text of The Analects of Confucius, the author further discusses Confucius' ethical thought and Confucian political and social thought from the ideal of a gentleman in The Analects of Confucius. The following is my answer to this question based on my previous understanding of The Analects. In the 5th century BC, Confucius' disciples recorded Confucius' quotations, which were handed down from generation to generation by later scholars, who kept studying The Analects and gained something. We are still going to read The Analects of Confucius today. Because the Analects of Confucius is a book that has been tested and evaluated for thousands of years. Although The Analects of Confucius was regarded as a saint's classic in the past and became a must-read book for scholars in the imperial examination, these are not the reasons why we should read The Analects. I have been teaching the course "East Asian Humanistic Thought" at Columbia University for more than 60 years. Every time I ask my students to read The Analects of Confucius, their reaction is the same. No matter whether the students are natural science majors or humanities students, in this article, I will talk about why we should read The Analects of Confucius from the experience of how my students and I read the previous chapters. I pay special attention to all the reflections and reactions when a person reads The Analects. I don't think the Analects of Confucius should be considered different from any social class or education level. Because the Analects of Confucius talks about the eternal core values of human beings, rather than unfathomable philosophical concepts, it is suitable for general education courses in universities. I don't want to teach students how to understand the words of The Analects, but pay attention to students' rediscovery and experience of the words of The Analects. Classics themselves are the best teachers. Experience the classics for yourself. At the graduation ceremony of Columbia University in 2008, a student representative gave a speech. He quoted several chapters from the Analects of Confucius to illustrate his four-year study experience in college. This example can be used to explain why we should read The Analects. Students mentioned the Analects of Confucius: "Why not keep pace with the times?" Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant quarters? Ignorance and dissatisfaction are not gentlemen? "This passage can clearly explain the characteristics and historical background of The Analects. First of all, these words in The Analects are about the learning attitude that all intellectuals should have. The latter words refer to the virtues that a gentleman should possess. The gentleman here refers to the leadership at that time, that is, the nobility, but Confucius emphasized that a gentleman must go through the process of learning to become a leader and an admirable person. In other words, if a gentleman wants to be respected, it has nothing to do with his social status as a nobleman. Confucius redefined the concept of a gentleman, that is, a gentleman is not a member of the nobility, but a person with noble morality. Even if a gentleman is not a very successful person in politics, he is still a real leader in society. Under the historical background at that time, gentleman refers to the male aristocratic class. In later Chinese, the word "jun" can refer to both men and women. This is the evolution of another kind of writing. Every chapter of the Analects of Confucius says "Confucius", which refers to the master and is an authority figure. However, the word "zi" in The Analects of Confucius does not mean that a teacher only asks students to recite blindly. Please pay attention to the tone of what Confucius said above. Confucius did not directly state a fact in the local area. Confucius asked questions. Let the students prove an experience that Confucius said. This kind of teaching is to guide students to reflect on themselves and discover the knowledge or experience they already have, rather than asking students to obey authority. Confucius' words are not like prophetic announcements or revelations. Prophets in the Old Testament always ask God first, and then announce God's word to God's people. Confucius went straight to our hearts. Let us realize that heaven is actually in our hearts and around us. Confucius pays attention to the daily life experience of human beings, which is also the starting point of our research. Although Confucius' words are personal, that is, everyone is required to be a real gentleman. But he asked his students not only to express themselves, but also to learn from others. The so-called others, including their own teachers and distant friends. Or the sages and philosophers in history. This learning attitude enables you to benefit from the ancients and contemporary people. I mentioned above that the teachings of Confucius are different from those of Christian prophets, but this does not mean that there are no similarities between them. Both Confucius and Christian prophets are stating an ideal principle, which should be followed not only by monarchs or rulers, but also by anyone with status and responsibility in society. This can be said to include all the people in society. Confucius said that the way of learning is a way of self-cultivation, that is, the virtue of self-cultivation to become a gentleman, and how to show one's ideals. The way of self-cultivation mentioned in The Analects of Confucius is the organic growth of self and a characteristic of Confucianism. Therefore, The Analects advocates that people's learning experience should be directly based on family. And filial piety and kindness. This kind of learning experience can cultivate a person's virtue of respecting life, whether in self-love or love for others. Therefore, the second chapter of The Analects of Confucius (Learning) says: I am also filial to my younger brother, but I am prone to make mistakes; Those who are not good at making mistakes, but good at making trouble, have nothing. A gentleman's business is based on morality. A filial brother is also the foundation of benevolence! Here we can see the questioning tone of Confucius. He wants everyone to learn from their own life experiences first. Confucius also advocated that people should associate with others and learn from each other. This kind of life experience is the so-called Tao, which a gentleman should follow. The so-called Tao here refers to benevolence, which is the highest virtue that a gentleman should possess. On the one hand, this virtue is the highest expression of human nature. On the other hand, it is also to help others complete their own virtues. In addition, self-presentation is a process of self-growth. For example, filial piety is like a seed of a plant, we can plant it and make it a tree, and this growth process is also a kind nature. From this perspective, filial piety can be said to be the "gene" and the basic structure of Confucianism. The flower or fruit developed by this "gene" can be said to be a virtue of benevolence. Filial piety is generally regarded as the most representative virtue of Confucianism. This erroneous view is not only put forward by modern westerners. Critics of early Confucianism, such as Mozi, criticized Confucianism for caring only about family ethics. Legalists in the pre-Qin period also criticized Confucianism on this point, arguing that Confucian ethics of filial piety led to social neglect of the public sphere. Mozi is an example. In addition, when Buddhism was introduced into China, the anti-Buddhism force mainly came from the Confucian filial piety culture. Before we discuss this question further, we should refer to the words about filial piety in the Analects of Confucius. Meng asked about filial piety. Confucius said, "Parents only worry about their illness. "Confucius' indirect answer (to the sixth government) is a bit difficult to understand. Most commentators say that Confucius believes that children should take good care of their health and maintain noble morality. This is filial piety. This is indeed the characteristic of Confucianism. This emphasis on the importance of physical health is in great conflict and contrast with the Buddhist concept of "no self". However, it should also be noted that filial piety is the response of children to their parents' love. Filial piety is the truth of Confucian forgiveness. Therefore, filial piety is not absolute, but it still needs the unconditional obedience of children. Filial piety is a kind of filial piety. It presupposes that parents should first take good care of their children and give them affection. There are many presuppositions in Confucian discourse. From this perspective, Confucius not only emphasized that moral behavior should be voluntary, but also based on people's natural feelings. This is the meaning of Confucius' principle that forgiveness is relative. Therefore, it is natural for people to repay their kindness. This is the foundation of Confucian concept of benevolence. From the above words in The Analects of Confucius, we can see that the expression of natural emotions produced by people in family life has become the basis of ethics. In other words, family relations are more important than the responsibilities that individuals should bear in the country. If people in the family can't trust each other, the country can't exist at all Mutual trust in society is also impossible. Early Confucianism advocated that the importance of kinship was higher than the individual's responsibility to the country. Later, Mencius further explained that human conscience is human nature, and claimed that the relationship between father and son is based on the affection between father and son, not on the filial duty of children to their parents. Mencius also believed that the affection between father and son should be cultivated by benevolence and righteousness. The discussion on the form of dialogue in The Analects of Confucius enables readers to participate in this dialogue. All classics written in the form of dialogue have this power. Therefore, readers will think about their daily life when they are brought in by the dialogue. Therefore, in the process of learning, a person must handle his emotions well and understand the meaning of good and evil. Although the Analects of Confucius emphasized the importance of learning from the beginning, the academic inheritance of Confucianism has developed in East Asian countries. They are all famous for their rational academic achievements, but in The Analects of Confucius, literary activities are not engaged until moral cultivation is completed. In fact, it is a very important task to promote literature with literature, which was put forward in the Analects of Confucius a long time ago. At the beginning of The Analects, it is said that people should learn by interacting with others. However, when it comes to how a gentleman bases himself on the world, it advocates that a gentleman should adhere to the principles of his life. Whether others agree with him or not, this is certainly not extreme individualism. However, this maverick style can also be said to be an individualistic thought and a deliberate behavior of a person. In the discourse of benevolence in The Analects of Confucius, the importance of self-reflection is pointed out. Therefore, in self-reflection and deliberation, individuals will not obey or blindly follow authority. The word loyalty can be said to be "loyalty" and "heart", which means a balanced mentality. It can also be said that a person's mentality is balanced from interaction with others. Therefore, the meaning of loyalty is loyalty to oneself on the one hand, and loyalty to others at the same time, in other words, not blindly following others. Therefore, the concept of loyalty and forgiveness is coherent. The concept of belief is credibility, which means that a person is faithful to his words and deeds; Ezra pound, a famous American poet, translated The Analects into English in a very free way. He specifically mentioned that the word "letter" is a combination of "person" and "words", so he extended that "letter" is the person standing next to what he said. The word "loyalty" can also be said to be "sincerity" and "heart". Isn't it far after death? "(Taber VII) He must be loyal to himself. In other words, a gentleman must be completely loyal to himself and give advice to others without reservation if he wants to win the trust of others, whether he is in a leading position or in a position of staff. So a gentleman should have the courage to be loyal to the monarch. Monarchs generally don't want to hear the truth. Especially for the lack of the monarch himself. Confucian spirit requires ministers to have the moral courage to be loyal to the monarch. This is the true loyalty of the minister. Therefore, ministers must be loyal. Even at the expense of his own life. Therefore, real literati often lose their lives in the hands of tyrants. In fact, being loyal to your own principles is not just a gentleman's personal integrity. Confucius believes that the foundation of benevolent governance is based on noble personal morality. The following are some paragraphs about benevolent politics in the Analects of Confucius: Zi Gong asked about politics. Confucius said, "Plenty of food and grass make people believe. Zi Gong said, "This is necessary." . "He said," go to the army. Zi Gong said, "If you have to go, which one will come first?" "As the saying goes," Go to dinner. Since ancient times, everyone has died, and people can't stand without faith. "(Yan Yuan VII) People's mutual trust and people's trust in government officials are the most important elements of the government. Trust is also the foundation of good governance. Confucius said: "The Tao should be governed by politics, and the people should be punished, and the people should avoid it, shameless;" Virtue is the virtue of Tao, courtesy is the gift of qi, and shame and dignity. " (Politics III) Confucius believes that punishment is not the highest guiding principle of politics, and only when moral influence is unsuccessful can punishment be used to correct the people. Judging from the words in The Analects of Confucius, Confucius believes that people's voluntary and spontaneous behavior is the premise of the formation of human society. If every member of the family cultivates the fields voluntarily, we can expect that everyone in society will engage in social affairs out of self-esteem (that is, shame). In addition, social affairs will be better if social leaders also have moral behavior and respect for others. We must note that it is not enough to govern the country with morality and self-esteem. Courtesy is essential to governing the country. Etiquette and customs can establish a code of conduct, and people can learn naturally through education. Internalize these etiquette and behavior norms, instead of forcing people to abide by these rules of life. Etiquette is the criterion for people to communicate with others in their lives. Because of courtesy, people know how to deal with advance and retreat, and because of this, the relationship between people and political action can be harmonious and complete. This is the so-called Confucian concept of neutralization. Even if some people don't understand that Confucianism emphasizes individual autonomy in socialization, they also see that neutralization is the most distinctive thought of Confucianism. In the 7th century, the first article of the Emperor Kotoku Charter was neutrality. Article 2 of the Charter states that neutrality must be achieved through social knowledge. In the last century, after China broke away from the class struggle during the Cultural Revolution, he began to carry forward the Confucian idea of neutralization in order to build socialism in China. Advocating neutrality is the most important value in China society. There are many words about etiquette in The Analects of Confucius, especially about etiquette and social norms in daily life. In this article, I only discuss the following general aspects of etiquette. The following article will discuss the image of Confucius in The Analects of Confucius and his interest and mission in life. If we want to understand Confucius' theory, we must understand how Confucius views his historical position. In fact, the image of Confucius saints in The Analects is more touching than Confucius' words. Although Confucius dared not pretend to be a saint, all his disciples thought Confucius was a saint. Later Confucianism regarded the sage image of Confucius in The Analects of Confucius as the highest standard of ideal personality. But the later Confucianists probably wouldn't say that they are trying to imitate Confucius' modesty. We deny that we are saints. First of all, we should notice that Confucius said that he was "not full of words". But he uses dialogue to teach students, which also shows that he does not consider himself an authority, but learns with an open mind. For the time being, whether the Biography of Confucius is also an innovation issue. But later Confucianism thought that Confucius was innovating. We must pay attention to the fact that the biography of Confucius is not only about preserving the tradition of the past. Confucius satirized the present with the ancient. Once, when Confucius traveled around the world, he asked his students to ask a farmer for directions. When the farmer knew who Confucius was, he said that Confucius had traveled all over the world, but he couldn't find anyone willing to accept his thoughts. The farmer is quite skeptical about Confucius' mission, and he also thinks that it is impossible to govern the world well. So he said, "instead of learning from others, how can we learn from others?" (Wei) When the students told Confucius about it, Confucius sighed and said, "Birds and beasts can't be in the same group. If I am not a believer in Sri Lanka, who can be with me? "There are roads in the world, and the hills are not easy to change." (Wei Ziliu) Confucius emphasized that gentlemen should participate in public affairs, but Confucius also insisted on not serving the monarch who he thought was not ideal. Someone once asked Confucius why he didn't go into politics. Confucius said, "Confucius said,' Filial piety is only for brothers, but for politics.' Is it also for politics? "Confucius's answer is a bit circuitous and difficult to understand. But we can consider the words about filial piety in the Analects of Confucius. Confucius believes that filial piety is the foundation of all social values and public morality. Moreover, being an official is not just what an official should do. Anyone who publicizes public morality in society is an act of being an official. We can say that if a person wants to be an official, he must have noble virtues first, and then he can carry forward public morality. Don't worry about what you know, but seek to know. " (Li Ren XIV) The Analects of Confucius begins by saying that a gentleman "doesn't know and doesn't care". The life of a gentleman can be explained by Confucius' self-report: Confucius said: "I am determined to learn five out of ten, stand at thirty, not be confused at forty, know my destiny at fifty, listen to my ears at sixty, and follow my wishes at seventy, without overstepping the bounds." We can further elaborate on the life of Confucius. Confucius learned from the beginning of his life, from past traditions and from others. He didn't mature until his thirties and forties. This is also the growth process of ordinary people. But we are a little surprised that Confucius obeyed his destiny at the age of 50. The concept of fate is not a rare one. In ancient times, destiny refers to the concept used by kings to rationalize their sovereignty. For Confucius, if a gentleman does not rule the country by virtue, his rule will lose its rationality. From this point of view, the concept of destiny is based on the people's trust in the monarch. Confucius had no chance to govern the country. Perhaps in his life, Confucius once thought that he had the ability and responsibility to bring his knowledge into play and bring benefits to the people. Perhaps it is unnecessary for Confucius to have such an experience at the age of 50. But what is more worthy of our attention is that Confucius took the mandate of heaven as his own responsibility. This is not just a political concept. Only kings have so-called destiny. Confucius believes that destiny is the responsibility and mission entrusted to him by God. Above, we talked about that in the Analects of Confucius, Confucius realized that he had a close relationship with heaven. This is a religious relationship, that is, the relationship between heaven and the people he created. Heaven speaks directly to Confucius, and Confucius must listen. Because he is a heaven and man, Confucianism is not a so-called "religion", but Confucius' words and deeds show his respect for heaven, and Confucius' respect for all life also shows his respect for heaven. Confucius answered the disciple's question about the gentleman, and Confucius said, "Cultivate one's morality with respect." (constitutional question 45) in addition, Confucius said, "I don't know my life, I don't think of a gentleman." (Yao Yuesan) Later Neo-Confucianism. The concept of respect has always been the main idea. We can't think that respect is just a social moral concept. When God gives Confucius a sense of responsibility and asks him to serve the people, we can understand Confucius' hesitant mentality and the challenges he faces. Perhaps for this reason, Confucius didn't "resign himself to fate" until he was 50 years old. I think the process of Confucius listening to his destiny is the same as that of his decision to be an official or not. He not only considers personal factors, but also big principles. Confucius believes that being an official in the government is not the only way to practice his duties. Education is also a very important job, because education can promote mutual trust between people. Finally at the age of 70, Confucius got his wish. From the time when Confucius 15 was "determined to learn" to this time, even though Confucius had never been an official in his life. Confucius was satisfied that he had become a scholar and educator. Although Confucius didn't accomplish his ideal of being a politician in his early years, he could still accomplish the mission entrusted to him by God. Confucius had a sense of mission as a benevolent all his life, so he struggled to practice his ideals all his life. Although Tao is not practical in the world, he also feels some comfort and satisfaction for his efforts. Of course, "follow one's inclinations" is not a state of sudden infiltration, but an understanding accumulated through years of study and practice. In addition, this state is not obtained because one faces sin or pain. For example, the experience of St. Augustine, or described in Dostoevsky's novels. Among many outlooks on life, Confucius' outlook on life can be said to be optimistic and even idealistic. When we read The Analects of Confucius, we watched Confucius' words and deeds from beginning to end. When we finish reading the Analects of Confucius, we should be able to see that Confucius' words and deeds are the words and deeds that a real gentleman should have. In other words, when we finish reading The Analects, we will find that Confucius has achieved the goal he set for himself all his life. What I said above is just one reason why we should read The Analects. There are many reasons for reading The Analects. Although it is very important for us to directly understand the text of The Analects, the text we read is the result of long-term proofreading by Confucian scholars in the past. In order to understand how the Analects of Confucius was handed down in history, or how scholars in past dynasties interpreted the Analects, we must respect the views of historical interpreters. One way is to meet a few people who have great influence in history. See how they understand the Analects. 1 1 century to19th century, education in East Asian countries is based on the educational model of Neo-Confucianism. In this pre-modern period, Zhu (1 130 ~ 1200) formulated The Analects of Confucius. The Analects of Confucius is a Confucian classic of the four books. In this educational process, the first book that students read is university. University was originally a chapter in the Book of Rites written by Ceng Zi, a disciple of Confucius. The "University" in the four books has a preface and annotations made by Zhu. Zhu thinks that universities are. The way for scholars to read The Analects of Confucius is what Zhu said. Although the Analects of Confucius is a Confucian classic, it has now become the product of the new Confucian tradition. This is not the original intention of our so-called classics. The Analects of Confucius in Zhu's Four Books embodies the thoughts of Neo-Confucianism. In order to refute Buddhism, a lot of metaphysical thoughts are injected into the four books. However, Zhu explained that the purpose of the four books is to cultivate one's morality and govern the country. No matter how the later Neo-Confucianism is interpreted from the perspective of Taoism or Neo-Confucianism, self-cultivation and family management are still the keynote of the four books. I would like to mention here by the way that Ernest Fanor Losa is an American art critic. When he read four books, he recommended this book to Pound. We often accept the recommendation of others to read good books, but what we read is not necessarily the most primitive classics. From17th century to19th century, scholars began to criticize Confucian classics used in Neo-Confucianism. These scholars point out that there are many differences between the versions of the four books and the classics before the Song Dynasty. Now many scholars want to reconstruct the original appearance of The Analects. General core courses teach humanistic spirit, which can't explain the complicated history of edition science well. If we read the modern version of The Analects, the version we read is different from the Analects taught by the traditional education in East Asia in the past. * William Theodore de Bary can be said to be one of the most famous sinologists in the west today. He was born in 19 19 and is 9 1 year old this year. He is still teaching East Asian Confucianism at Columbia University. It can be said that he has been committed to promoting East Asian Confucianism for 50 or 60 years. William Theodore de Bary finished this article in the summer of 2008, during his recuperation after eye surgery. This article can be said to be a painful work during his illness, and it can also be said to be his heartfelt motto. -Postscript of Translator (William Theodore de Bary: Department of East Asian Language and Culture, Columbia University, USA)