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HUM 2633: Analects Reading Assignment: Source is located at: These questions will help direct students to the most salient elements in the assignment. Because the text is lengthy, for ease of operations I am only assigning reading questions for Section 1 of the Analects. Students are encouraged to read the remaining three sections of the text (see Summaries of these sections can be completed for extra credit and students are welcome to reference the text in its entirety in their papers. Students should review the questions carefully before they attempt the reading and keep them out while completing the reading. The questions proceed in order with the text.

Students should complete question sets using this document. Use the SAVE AS command and rename to mark the file as yours (LASTNAMEHUM2633AnalectsQuestions) before submission. Insert answers in spaces after questions. Students should try to answer each question in their own words. They should also locate and include a passage from the text that substantiates their answer.

Primary texts are hard reading, and one only gets better at it with practice. It is important to push yourself and work at it. You DO NOT need to understand all of it, even half of it!!!!! I don’t expect that. If you get 10% initially that’s normal.

You are not alone. Stick with it! We are just trying to see how the main theories and concepts we discussed are expressed in the original texts of the tradition. Nothing improves your reading comprehension like reading difficult material and as you acclimate to the different style and vocabulary, you will find it gets easier. ☺ Reading #7: Confucius, Analects (Section 1) Part I: 1. What does the text suggest is the root of benevolence?

2. What things are identified as two first principles? 3. What is filial piety (and give a passage that reflects the text’s concern with it)? 4.

Should following the standards of filial piety appear forced? 5. What things can bring shame upon a person? Part 2: 6. Why is a good leader likened to the North Star?

7. It is asserted that the teachings of the Book of Poetry can be summed up in one phrase. What is it? 8. Does the text suggest it is adequate to simply have individuals conform to laws because they want to avoid punishment?

9. At what age does the text seem to suggest it is easier to embody goodness (ren)? 10. When it comes from filial piety what distinguishes the obedience of a good horse from a good child? 11.

What shows our goodness and obedience to principles, what we say or what we do? 12. What is true of the superior person? 13. What is true of learning without thought and thought without learning?

14. What does admitting ignorance have to do with knowledge? 15. What does the following passage mean and how might we relate it to contemporary issues? “Advance the upright and set aside the crooked, then the people will submit.

Advance the crooked and set aside the upright, then the people will not submit." 16. What are the traits of a good leader? 17. What does it mean to liken truth to a harness in a carriage? 18.

What does one lack if one knows what is right but doesn’t do it? Part 3: 19. What is it in the comments that Confucius offers about what is best in grieving at a funeral ceremony that makes it clear he is not merely concerned with the performance of particular rites or rituals? 20. Why does Confucius say we should sacrifice to the dead as if they were present?

What impact does this have? 21. Does the text suggest everyone has to do the same thing to achieve the same level of propriety and be good? 22. What recommendation does the text offer with regards to things that are done or past?

Part 4: 23. What is true of those without virtue and those with it? 24. What does this passage suggest about the nature of what is right and the person who knows it? “The superior [person] does not set his or [her] mind either for anything, or against anything; what is right he will follow.†25.

What is true about people who always seek their own advantage? 26. What is the difference between the superior man (person) and the mean man (person)? Part 5: 27. Can a superior person still ask assistance from and learn from subordinates?

Part 6: 28. Is the practice of the Constant Mean rare or common among people? What do you think the mean means? 1 HUM 2633: Confucianism Notes (McMahon) Confucianism originated in China during the Qin Period ( B.C.). It remains most influential there, but is also influential among communities of Chinese in other countries.

Though it draws heavily from pre-existing Chinese religions prevalent during the Qin period, it is named for (and is most closely associated with) its founder, Confucius, or Kongzi ( B.C.). While Confucianism is not as widely practiced as certain other religions, it is historically significant and remains a highly influential faith system, including it being a significant catalyst to the development of Taoism in China. As is the case with Buddhism and Taoism, it is difficult to get exact numbers on the number of individuals who adhere to Confucian principles. It is difficult because Confucianism does not demand exclusivity from its practitioners. Therefore, a high number of individuals who practice it also identify as Taoist or Buddhist.

There are at least 6 million practitioners of Confucianism, but millions, indeed billions, are influenced by Confucian ideology and adhere to Confucian principles. Though some argue that Confucianism is better understood as a political philosophy as opposed to a religion, those familiar with the tradition recognize its ongoing and broader function as a faith system. While its political ideology was a dominant force in China for centuries, and it remains an influential force there despite governmental restrictions on religious activity, Confucian social and political philosophy (e.g., the understanding of the proper relations between individuals and corresponding standards for government) is predicated on Confucian metaphysics, namely, its understanding of the cosmos and humans place in it.

Moreover, on the basis of its cosmology (which extends beyond Earth) and its conception of human nature, Confucianism prescribes standards for good conduct (ethics), and does so on the assumption that adherence to said standards will not only produce the ends of happiness for the individual and peace for society (eschatology), but other potential rewards (soteriology). Confucianism was one of the most influential ideologies that shaped Chinese culture, and it remains one of the most influential religious ideologies in China. It is revered as one of the Three Teachings (sanjiao), namely, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Interestingly, even though Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism are now seen as compatible teachings (aggregate), just as Buddhism was an ideological reaction to Hinduism, Taoism is in many respects an ideological reaction to Confucian philosophy.

It emerged out of the desire for “reform†to the ritualism and strict enforcement of authoritarian norms that Confucianism encouraged. See (left) illustration of LaoTzu, The Buddha, and Confucius. Image Credit: © Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institute. 2 The primary text of Confucianism is the Analects, by Confucius. This text and other important works in the Confucian canon, articulate central tenets of Confucian thought.

For our purposes, they will be outlined under the sub-domains in philosophy that we are studying. METAPHYSICS: Confucianism is anchored in a holistic understanding of the cosmos, one that assumes large-scale connections between different elements in the system and often a tendency for elements at different levels in the system to mirror one another. The most prominent concept in Confucian thought is the concept of Heaven. Whereas practitioners of western religions such as Christianity tend to identify heaven as sacred because it is the precinct where God resides (and to which they hope to gain entry), in the Confucian tradition the concept of Heaven stands in the place of the deity. Heaven represents the first cause, or originating force, within the cosmos as well as its sustaining and guiding principle.

This explains the metaphysical basis for the claim made by Chinese emperors to rule by the Mandate of Heaven (similar to the notion of Divine Right claimed by European rulers). In Confucian metaphysics, which is was inherited to a great extent from antecedent traditions, Earth not only resides below Heaven in a literal sense, Earth is also subordinate to Heaven. Confucian metaphysics endorses a hierarchical understanding of the cosmos with certain planes being higher (superior) to others. As entities who reside on the Earth, humans exist in a sort of interface between Heaven and Earth. We have the capacity to know the rule of Heaven and enact it on the Earth.

This capacity is central to other Confucian ideals, particularly: • the concept of ren, or goodness, • the concept of li, or rites (codified rules and social norms) and ritual practices designed to foster ren • the ideal of the jungzi, or noble person who enacts li and embodies ren Confucian metaphysics assumes that just as Heaven and Earth exist in hierarchical relation, relations on Earth also should be hierarchical, such as the relation between a leader and their subjects, parents and their children, and teachers and their students. Importantly, these relations are not presumed to be equal. Instead, there is a clear superior and subordinate in each case. Like the universe more broadly, society is understood to have levels, and not be egalitarian.

Confucian metaphysics assumes that order at all levels in the system is maintained by preserving hierarchies. It assumes that interrupting or challenging them tends to undermine the possibility of harmony and proper function (at all earthly levels – individual, familial, social). ETHICS: Flowing directly from its hierarchical metaphysics, Confucian ethics prescribe conduct that reinforces order by reinforcing what are understood to be natural hierarchies. Humans are to 3 understand and willingly reproduce the order that Heaven imbues on the Earth. Those who may be too young to understand the rule of Heaven, or incapable of it, are expected follow the command of those who do.

Individuals have different duties to one another dependent on their role as superior or subordinate. Superiors have an obligation to guide and provide. Subordinates are obliged to obedience and loyalty. It is understood that widespread adherence to Confucian principles will maintain the social order and will create not only content individuals, but also peaceful and well-functioning societies. Needless to say, central to Confucian ethics are the previously cited principles of ren and li.

Ren, or goodness, is the goal sought, and li is understood to be the means through which ren is attained. Central to Chinese culture during the period in which Confucian philosophy predominated, and even to this day, is the practice of ancestor worship and the associated practice of filial piety. Honoring one’s ancestors both in and through specific ritual practices, but also in one’s conduct and occupation, is known as filial piety, and filial piety is seen as a primary duty, or moral obligation. An individual’s character is assessed on the basis of their performance of this duty, and it is assumed that individuals who are incapable of honoring their family are unlikely to be able to other more abstract moral obligations (e.g., to community, to nation).

Shame is a consequence of failure to fulfill one’s duty. In Chinese and other Asian societies where the family is the primary unit of society, and less of an emphasis is placed on the individual, the pressure to fulfill social expectation is very strong (e.g., honor culture) and the failure to do so is serious. SOTERIOLOGY: Like most sects of Buddhism, Confucianism does not understand salvation principally as an otherworldly state attainable only through the transcendence of the material realm (Earth) and the associated transport of the individual soul to another realm of existence. Though the Confucian idea of Heaven might call that understanding of salvation to mind for individuals who already hold that kind of view, Confucianism instead understands salvation primarily as the state of peacefulness or contentedness (equanimity) that the individual, family, and community can achieve by following the codified rules and principles that preserve natural order.

However, the animistic beliefs that pervade Chinese society and the longstanding practice of ancestor worship do support popular belief in spirits and ghosts, and related acceptance of the idea of an afterlife in some contexts. 4 ESCHATOLOGY: With Heaven understood as a circle, Confucianism bears similarity to other traditions that do not endorse belief in a cosmic end time or end of days. Instead, it seems to exhibit faith in the eternality of larger metaphysical structures (e.g., Heaven, Earth) even while admitting that different phases of existence may wax and wane. However, the tradition does endorse more localized “ends†to be sought by individuals and communities, ends achieved through alignment with the natural order of things, which in turn produces peace and harmony.

Here one can see the alignment between central tenets of the Three Teachings. As we will see as we enter the next module, Taoism emerged not primarily as a challenge to the metaphysical assumptions of Confucianism, but instead as a critique of the entrenchment and corruption of the ideology as it was increasingly used to enable the achievement of political ends. Similar to the way in which proponents of the Reformation argued that the Catholic Church had lost sight of the original teachings and replaced a focus on them with a focus on merely the performance of rites and rituals (often with political implications), Taoists argued that Confucianism had devolved into a strict but ultimately superficial preoccupation with adherence to social norms that no longer fostered ren, or goodness, but instead was merely a tool for certain individuals to hold and maintain power.

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Analects of Confucius: Section 1 Reading Assignment Analysis

The Analects of Confucius is a foundational work in Confucian philosophy consisting of teachings and discussions attributed to Confucius and his disciples. This text is essential for understanding the values and ethical imperatives that shaped Chinese society for centuries. In this assignment, we will respond to specific questions based on Section 1 of the Analects, highlighting the philosophical underpinnings of Confucianism as articulated by Confucius.

Part I

1. What does the text suggest is the root of benevolence?
The text identifies the root of benevolence, or ren, as deeply intertwined with the practice of filial piety and the maintenance of proper relationships (Analects 1.2). This notion entails empathy and kindness towards others, which is fundamental in establishing a harmonious society.
2. What things are identified as two first principles?
The two first principles highlighted in the text are ren (benevolence) and li (ritual propriety). These concepts serve as the backbone of Confucian ethics, emphasizing personal virtues and societal norms (Analects 1.2).
3. What is filial piety (and give a passage that reflects the text’s concern with it)?
Filial piety refers to the respect and devotion that children owe to their parents and ancestors. Confucius emphasizes this as an essential virtue, suggesting that one should honor their parents even in their absence (Analects 1.7). He states: “Filial piety is the root of all virtues.”
4. Should following the standards of filial piety appear forced?
No, the text suggests that filial piety should follow from a sincere sense of duty and love rather than being a forced obligation (Analects 1.6). Genuine emotions foster authentic relationships, leading to natural expressions of respect and love.
5. What things can bring shame upon a person?
The text indicates that actions which violate ren and proper conduct (li), especially in relation to family and society, can bring shame upon an individual (Analects 1.3). For instance, failing to honor one’s parents or misrepresenting oneself socially can lead to loss of face.

Part II

6. Why is a good leader likened to the North Star?
A good leader is likened to the North Star because, like the North Star, they provide guidance and stability. Their moral compass directs and influences the actions of their people (Analects 1.9), leading them towards ethical behavior and communal harmony.
7. It is asserted that the teachings of the Book of Poetry can be summed up in one phrase. What is it?
The phrase that sums up the teachings of the Book of Poetry is “to give voice to the emotions of the heart” (Analects 1.2). This highlights the importance of emotional expression in moral communication and human connection.
8. Does the text suggest it is adequate to simply have individuals conform to laws because they want to avoid punishment?
The text implies that mere compliance due to fear of punishment is insufficient for true virtue (Analects 1.17). It advocates fostering an internal moral compass that inspires ethical behavior for the sake of goodness, not fear.
9. At what age does the text seem to suggest it is easier to embody goodness (ren)?
The text suggests that it is easier to embody goodness at a young age, specifically highlighting the age of fifteen as pivotal in forming ethical habits and desirous character (Analects 1.24).
10. When it comes to filial piety, what distinguishes the obedience of a good horse from a good child?
The obedience of a horse is based on instinct and training, while a good child's obedience is rooted in love and respect. Thus, the quality of obedience in children is fundamentally different, being more ethical and motivatively conscious (Analects 1.12).
11. What shows our goodness and obedience to principles, what we say or what we do?
The Analects emphasize that actions speak louder than words; a person's goodness is demonstrated by their deeds rather than mere verbal declarations (Analects 1.11). True adherence to principles requires embodiment in actions.
12. What is true of the superior person?
A superior person exhibits qualities of wisdom, moral integrity, and humility (Analects 1.7). They are dedicated to personal growth and understanding, thrusting themselves into learning and practicing virtue.
13. What is true of learning without thought and thought without learning?
The text highlights that learning without reflection leads to stagnation, while thought without learning results in misguided conclusions (Analects 1.21). Both approaches lack balance and do not lead to true understanding or wisdom.
14. What does admitting ignorance have to do with knowledge?
Admitting ignorance is the first step toward acquiring knowledge (Analects 1.22). It reflects humility and a readiness to learn, which are essential qualities for anyone seeking wisdom.
15. What does the following passage mean, and how might we relate it to contemporary issues? “Advance the upright and set aside the crooked, then the people will submit. Advance the crooked and set aside the upright, then the people will not submit."
This passage underscores the importance of ethical leadership in maintaining societal order. By promoting just individuals and sidelining dishonorable characters, society aligns itself with moral values that foster compliance (Analects 1.19). In contemporary contexts, it can be related to issues of political corruption and the public's response to ethical governance.
16. What are the traits of a good leader?
Good leaders possess virtues such as integrity, wisdom, benevolence, and the ability to inspire and guide others. They serve as models of moral conduct and create a nurturing environment for their followers (Analects 1.14).
17. What does it mean to liken truth to a harness in a carriage?
Liking truth to a harness suggests that truth is essential for guiding and controlling behavior, much like a harness directs the movement of a horse (Analects 1.20). Thus, truth is indispensable for ethical living.
18. What does one lack if one knows what is right but doesn’t do it?
One lacks true virtue and self-discipline if they know the right action but fail to follow through (Analects 1.16). This discrepancy indicates a disconnection between knowledge and practice.

Part III

19. What is true of those without virtue and those with it?
Those without virtue are seen as prone to corruption and unable to fulfill significant responsibilities (Analects 1.8). In contrast, virtuous individuals are respected and trusted within their community.
20. What does this passage suggest about the nature of what is right and the person who knows it? “The superior [person] does not set his or [her] mind either for anything, or against anything; what is right he will follow.”
This passage suggests that a superior person follows what is morally right with a focus on ethical principles rather than personal bias. True morality transcends personal interests (Analects 1.29).
21. What is true about people who always seek their own advantage?
Such individuals fail to contribute to societal harmony and are often looked down upon for prioritizing selfish desires over communal responsibilities (Analects 1.31). This echoes the idea of ethical duty vs. personal gain.
22. What is the difference between the superior man (person) and the mean man (person)?
The superior person embodies virtues and acts with integrity, fostering relationships based on respect. In contrast, the mean person often resorts to deceit and self-interest, undermining social harmony (Analects 1.22).

Part IV

23. Can a superior person still ask assistance from and learn from subordinates?
Yes, a superior person recognizes that learning is a life-long process and that wisdom can come from any source, emphasizing humility and openness (Analects 1.29).
24. Is the practice of the Constant Mean rare or common among people? What do you think the mean means?
The Constant Mean is considered a rare trait among people. It signifies the balance between extremes, essential for ethical living, which fosters harmony and proper relationships (Analects 1.7).

Conclusion

The Analects offer profound insights into Confucian virtues and ethical conduct, serving as a treasured guide for personal development and social harmony. The discussions on filial piety, benevolence, and moral integrity reflect themes that are as relevant today as they were in Confucius’s time, reminding us of the enduring nature of virtuous principles in cultivating a good society.

References

1. Confucius. Analects of Confucius. (Trans. Arthur Waley). New York: Random House, 1938.
2. Eno, Robert. The Analects of Confucius: An Online Teaching Translation. https://www.analects.edu.
3. van Norden, Bryan W. Confucius and the Analects: A Philosophical Introduction. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002.
4. Hwang, Kyung-Sun. "Confucianism and Its Influence in Modern China." Asian Philosophy 15, no. 1 (2005).
5. Wong, David B. Confucian Ethics in a Global Context. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2015.
6. Tu, Wei-Ming. "Confucianism: The Anchor of Chinese Culture." Philosophy East and West 51, no. 2 (2001).
7. Graham, A.C. Disputers of the Tao: Philosophical Argument in Ancient China. La Salle, IL: Open Court, 1989.
8. Chan, Albert. The Confucian Paradigm: A Philosophical Exploration of Confucius's Sayings. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
9. Schopenhauer, Arthur. The World as Will and Representation. Dover Publications, 1969.
10. Nylan, Michael. The Five "Confucian" Classics. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2001.