The Ideal Person According to Confucius
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The Ideal Person According to Confucius
REL 133
The Ideal Person According to Confucius
Confucianism is a philosophical belief system developed from the teachings of Confucius. It focuses on the importance of moral and educational development in individuals. The ideal person according to Confucius must have scholar and saint like qualities. Confucius believed that anyone is capable of being good, great, and refined. However, unlike Daoism, he believed these qualities were not achievable living in solitude. Confucius figured that a person would have to make contributions to others by fulfilling obligations to them if they were to become the ideal person. For a person to achieve personal excellence, more human interaction is important. Along with the interaction with others, there are five Confucian virtues to guide and teach someone how to interact with others. These virtues are Ren, Li, Shu, Xioa, and Wen, which will be discussed in this essay.
The first virtue Ren means to think of others. It can be translated in many ways, such as kindness, empathy, consideration, thoughtfulness, benevolence, and sympathy for others (Molloy, 2010). This virtue will help one suppress their selfish urges. However, it is difficult for some people to be kind, because they do not know how, because they were never taught, or they do not know how to be kind certain situations. Therefore, it is important for them to follow social conventions because it will teach them how to show Ren. According to Molloy (2010), “A motto that reflects the essence of ren is, “If you want to be kind, be polite” (p. 243).
The second virtue Li is a word that is “often translated as “propriety,” which means “doing what is appropriate” or “doing what is proper to the situation” (Molloy, 2010, p. 243). It refers to carrying out rites correctly and knowing and using proper words and actions for living socially. For each situation there is a proper way to talk, act, and to be. One would have to suppress...
REL 133
The Ideal Person According to Confucius
Confucianism is a philosophical belief system developed from the teachings of Confucius. It focuses on the importance of moral and educational development in individuals. The ideal person according to Confucius must have scholar and saint like qualities. Confucius believed that anyone is capable of being good, great, and refined. However, unlike Daoism, he believed these qualities were not achievable living in solitude. Confucius figured that a person would have to make contributions to others by fulfilling obligations to them if they were to become the ideal person. For a person to achieve personal excellence, more human interaction is important. Along with the interaction with others, there are five Confucian virtues to guide and teach someone how to interact with others. These virtues are Ren, Li, Shu, Xioa, and Wen, which will be discussed in this essay.
The first virtue Ren means to think of others. It can be translated in many ways, such as kindness, empathy, consideration, thoughtfulness, benevolence, and sympathy for others (Molloy, 2010). This virtue will help one suppress their selfish urges. However, it is difficult for some people to be kind, because they do not know how, because they were never taught, or they do not know how to be kind certain situations. Therefore, it is important for them to follow social conventions because it will teach them how to show Ren. According to Molloy (2010), “A motto that reflects the essence of ren is, “If you want to be kind, be polite” (p. 243).
The second virtue Li is a word that is “often translated as “propriety,” which means “doing what is appropriate” or “doing what is proper to the situation” (Molloy, 2010, p. 243). It refers to carrying out rites correctly and knowing and using proper words and actions for living socially. For each situation there is a proper way to talk, act, and to be. One would have to suppress...