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The relationship of religion to ethics
The relationship of religion to ethics
The relationship of religion to ethics
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A large amount of ancient texts contain themes relating to violence, power, and war, while others, such as The Bhagavad Gita and Confucius’ Analects, focus on individual and collective development through a series of selfless acts. The two texts provide an in-depth system of duties and learning created to provide direction for the betterment of the self, as well as society as a whole. The Bhagavad Gita places a greater focus on the duties of individuals that must be fulfilled to achieve an enlightened state with the divine forces. Contradictory consequences are presented for those who choose to act in an egotistical manner and deny their duties. Confucius’ Analects, on the other hand, places its main focus on collective development and responsibility …show more content…
Following the Way in the pursuit of goodness leads people to the status of “gentleman.” However, this status can only be achieved from a lifelong pursuit, which if accomplished by many, will eventually lead to innate goodness within the entire society. Confucius reveals the amount of learning and time required for achieving such status of “gentleman” in book two, chapter four, where he states, “At fifteen, I set my mind upon learning. At thirty, I took my stand. At forty, I had no doubts. At fifty, I knew the will of Heaven. At sixty, my ear was attuned. At seventy, I follow all the desires of my heart without breaking any rule” (Analects, in NAWL, eds. Martin Puchner, et al., 3rd edition, vol. A, 1335). Confucius presents the achievement of the “gentleman” status in a superior, yet moderate manner. He does not motivate by promising personal gain or achievement; he instead teaches to always place what is right and morally correct as top priority. It was believed by Confucius that moderation led
From the beginning of humankind, people have constantly had to deal with inner battles. Many of these issues cease to exist as time goes on, while new ones arise to take their place. There is one issue, however, that has remained consistent throughout time – morality. For centuries, humans have fought against the outside world and themselves to keep their morals properly aligned. The issue of morality is so dominant that it is still plays a vital role in today’s society. This can be seen in wars, law systems, codes of conduct, and religious texts. An example of a religious text where this can be seen is in pages 185 - 188 of the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna, also referred to as “The Blessed One”, guides Arjuna through his inner struggles between
Firmly rooted in years of education, Confucius spent considerable time developing his set of values and principles. In his article entitled “Confucius and the Effortless Life of Virtue”, author Hagop Sarkissian adds to this by saying, “Confucius set his mind on a course of study or cultivation at the age of fifteen, and pursued such studies for a span of fifty-five years, and was thereby able to cultivate a state of being such that he could follow his immediate inclinations in all of life’s predicaments without transgressing social norms” (Sarkissian 1). Confucius’ extensive studies only added to the philosophy represented in the Analects. This includes the passage in which he writes, “At fifteen, I set my mind upon learning, At thirty, I took my stand. At forty, I had no doubts, At fifty, I knew the will of Heaven.
Deemed by students a "Divine Sage," Confucius (Kong Fuzi) (ca. 551-479 B.c.a) was founder of ~ humanistic school of philosophy that accessible Zhou China a societal and political culture consequent from idealized values of the history (al. 2012) As a therapy for the political chaos of his age, the well-known teacher deserted the depraved aristocratic code and accessible in its lay an ethical system which largely focused on personality moral conduct, politeness, sacrament and kindness. In conflict that the basics of good government and the well-being of society rested on person ethical behavior, Confucius urged the monarch and his other assistants, the junzi (gentlemen), to give moral examples for the public at large.
Proper Order in Confucianism and as taught primarily by Mencius, the Chinese philosopher, is the conceptual theory that instructs how people can reach their highest potential of moral and material well being embodied in Mencius' conception of human nature. The theory of proper order is the primary and philosophical means to that end. Although proper order may seem in many ways philosophically abstract, Mencius' teachings of proper order in history have had lasting and tangible effects on modern East Asian politics and its relationship between the state and society, and even on a narrower level of the individual and community. In fact, the theory of proper order starts first at the individual level and from there flourishes to create a positive rippling effect throughout all of society. This profound theory and its ideals is credited with developing a social society in East Asia which acknowledges the great potential of each of its citizens, but still aspires to consider the effects of individual actions on the common good and not to just ignore the interests of society as a whole. This has helped guide East Asia through its long and colorful history and has helped to shape it into the political and economic powerhouse that it is today. But where exactly did such a significant theory which has helped to define an entire society come from? What exactly is proper order, how can we create it, and why is it needed to achieve Mencius' human nature? Most of these questions can be answered in explaining the fundamental virtue that all humans have according to Mencius, our humaneness defined in human nature.
One cannot help but think about how these principles can be utilized in one’s personal dealings. Loyalty, decency, and lifting up of your fellows are wonderful ideals to strive for in friendships, marriage, and in the rearing of children. It is difficult to think of any place in our lives that these ideals would NOT be applicable.
Shows how Confucius teaches individuals of both high and low birth to strive for success in their lifetime.
Being able to be around another person who is doing virtuous acts rather than doing virtuous acts by one’s self, gives the good man more realization that he is in fact an excellent person.
Hinduism focuses on liberation from the realm of samsara, the cycle of rebirth and death, while Confucianism focuses on the Dao, the correct way to act for society, and ren, or benevolence. Both religions have religious texts that reflect these ideals, the Bhagavad-Gita belonging to Hinduism, and the Analects belonging to Confucianism. While these two texts originate from two distinct religions, the two have some similarities and differences. Both the Bhagavad-Gita and the Analects address the proper way for one to act; however, they differ when it comes to heaven and the main concern of each text. The main concern of the Bhagavad-Gita is a personal journey, achieving moksa through devotion to Brahman, and the main concern of the Analects is a communal journey, maintaining social propriety through the five relationships.
For those individuals that choose to look into the philosophy of Confucius, Confucianism recognizes that the quest for virtue is ordinary and providential. However, in this quest of moral aptness Confucius tried to offer other people the fervent self love that he had greatly embodied. To actually make oneself as perfect as possible was the central concern of life. Al...
Arjuna gives up now, he will be full of shame, and a man who has given up
In the author’s book dealing with virtue he makes an astute observation regarding the need for restraint in speech equally joined with a lack of restraint in action. Confucius relates his good judgment in the following statement: “The men of old were reserved in speech out of shame lest they should come short in deed.” (Confucius p. 20) Confucius’s declaration seems to stem from possible past experiences with too much talk and too little action. His declarations lead one to believe that the more traditional and conservative ways tend to pilot one to the ideal standard of life. He reemphasized his point when he said, “The wise man desires to be slow to speak but quick to act.” (Confucius, p. 20)
The truth contained in this passage is immensely apparent to me. I was (un)fortunate enough to have lived in a dormitory last year while away attending my first year of undergraduate school. It became all too obvious to me that in order to maintain my ideals and morality while peacefully coexisting with the barbarians or other freshmen in my dorm, I would have to exercise many of the virtues of the Chun-Tzu, such as honesty, humility, and respect. Likewise, those less inclined to do so were usually the individuals who hadn’t an original thought in them, and all the while reeking havoc and drumming up controversy around us. Here, personal experience proves the wisdom of Confucius.
The Bhagavad-Gita teaches many things, and amongst these, morality and moral law are developed for the Hindu religion. What Krishna, the primary Hindu god, declares in this somewhat epic poem to be the "basis of good in this world" (stanza 3, pg. 620 of text) is for people to take action. Action, as he goes on to state, is within the very nature of our beings to do. Krishna even states that "without action you even fail to sustain your own body" (stanza 8, pg. 620 of text). Thus, Krishna feels that action is very important and key. To take this concept as a relation to ethics, Krishna tells Arjuna, the warrior he is talking to in this poem, that "Action imprisons the world unless it is done as sacrifice; freed from attachment, Arjuna, perform action as sacrifice!" (stanza 9, pg. 620 of text). Thus, Krishna is prescribing that, in order for an action to be considered good, the good that he already declared to be the basis of all good in the world, one must detach himself from the action being performed and perform the action sacrificially. The detachment aspect is incredibly important to Krishna, for he proclaims that in "performing action with detachment, one achieves supreme good" (stanza 19, pg 620 of text). By doing this, Krishna believes that the world is preserved, for other people will follow the warrior's actions and imitate them in their own lives. A leader, such as a warrior or king, "sets the standard for the world to follow" (stanza 21, pg. 621 of text), as Krishna says and thus must take whatever action is necessary for the world to not be destroyed, to set examples of goodness and right in his own actions. By separating himself from these actions, thus becoming detached, he can achieve this. Another main reason that Krishna feels detachment is necessary is this: "You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty." (Bhagavad-Gita 2.47). Thus, so long as one does not profit from his own actions, the action itself is good. And, this is Krishna's prescription for leading a life of morality and duty is the moral law to follow in order to achieve this.
Appropriate application of this information leads human beings to treat others as they would like themselves to be treated (Nivison and David 41). Confucius said a human being takes as much trouble to find out what is correct as a lesser human being takes to find out what will pay. A man pursues knowledge as an end and a means, while the common person sees knowledge simply as a means towards security and wealth (Nivison and David 77). The above illustration would be meaningless and pointless if human nature was not correct and if these illustrations were not leaning toward goodness. For Confucius, the uppermost political supreme was the customary theocracy which requisite that the most righteous be the leader because good features were understood to be similar to human nature.
Confucius’ social philosophy is greatly directed towards the concept of ren. Ren symbolizes the characteristics of goodness and altruism, and is defined as being “compassionate”. However, displaying concern for others involves disparaging onself. Confucius declared that ‘a clever tongue and fine appearance are rarely signs of Goodness” (1.3) and believed one should avoid clever speech and a flattering manner, characteristics which would ultimately produce a false impression and lead to self-praising. On the contrary, those who have practiced ren are “slow to speak, but quick to act” (4.24) which differentiates ones who acquire genuine virtue from ones who acquire misleading virtue. To Confucius, such virtue is practiced through the Golden Rule: “What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others.” Confucius believed that human nature is essentially good, and that negative experiences may suppress the good nature of people, but goodwill will ultimately bring about its attainment. Ren initiates from the family through filial piety. Confucius considers loyalty to parents and older siblings as a form of promoting the interests of others before one’s own and stresses that only those who have learned self-discipline can achieve such selflessness. If we can be compassionate to our family, we can do the same to the people around us in our society. We can depict the meaning of ren to portray the importance of the principle in the ‘...