A Synopsis of the Ethics of Confucianism

A Synopsis of the Ethics of Confucianism

In contrast to Western philosophy, Chinese thought views man as but a single, though vital part of the complexity of nature. The Chinese have aspired to attain harmony with nature as a source of spiritual satisfaction. Life is not a transitory phenomenon, but real, viewed and appreciated for its beauty and order. They, i.e. beauty and order, are esthetic entities and are to be cherished and savored in life. Man and nature are in a reciprocal relationship, thus affecting each other. Just as the forces of nature can bring bliss but also disaster, so can man upset the delicate balance by his misdeeds. Heaven (the supernatural world), Earth and man constitute a single and indivisible unity. No boundaries between the three exist. Man must do his part, by conforming to natural law. When he does so, society enjoys peace and tranquility. When he transgresses, Heaven and nature are disturbed, the intricate relationships break down, and consequently calamities follow. The preceding is characteristic of an attitude in which Confucian ethics is embedded. The source of desire for harmony lies in prehistoric times, and gave rise to cosmology and philosophy.

The Fourth Century B.C. saw the introduction of new ideas, which encompass two principles representing the two modes of primeval energy: the yang and the ying. The former is the positive and masculine, the latter is the negative and feminine. (This is a very simplistic characterization, on which I can elaborate if desired.) While such concepts are not unique in themselves, in oriental thinking however they complement one another. (In contrast to the dualism such as light and dark or good and evil, in Zoroastrianism for example, in which the...

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...ned great vigor in the seventeenth century, continuing into the nineteenth century, and pervading much of the philosophical temper of the time, From then on, Confucian thinking in Japan went into decline. Its cosmology, could no be sustained in the light of modern science, and its moral precepts were taken to be obstacles to the development of a society that was intended to challenge. Nonetheless, as pointed out by Reischauer, ethical values of Confucian philosophy have survived in modern Japan, and provide accepted standards of conduct in interpersonal relationships, and determine the citizen's sense of loyalty to government and Emperor. In that sense, Reischauer's summation of the relevance of Confucian thinking for the modern Japanese, appears to be incisive: "Almost no one considers himself a Confucianist today, but in a sense almost all Japanese are" (p. 204)