PHIL 104

San Jose State University

Instructor: Bo Mou

(ASAN 104/RELS 104)

HANDOUT 5
Topic 3:
3.2

Classical Confucianism and Its Challenges

Confucius on Ren (Jen) and Moral Cultivation

Confucius on jun-zi ( morally noble/superior person)

Confucius' primary common concern is 'what we ought to be' rather than 'what we ought to do'.

Behind Confucius' pursuit of the ideal moral character lies the unspoken presupposition that the
ultimate concern a person should have and also the primary worthwhile thing a person should do is to
strive to become a jun-zi/morally superior person--gentlemen with the ideal moral character.

Ones morality or moral cultivation has to be pursued for its own sake and for its intrinsic value, with
complete indifference to ones secular success or failure and to ones rewards after death or in this life;
it is more important than ones biological life. (Cf., 4.8; 14:38; 18:7)

Confucius on ren/jen ( humanity)

The concept of ren occupies the central position in Confucius' philosophy. 'Ren' has been rendered into
English in various ways such as: benevolence, man to manness, perfect virtue, human heartedness, and, as
in our textbook, humanity. It has been regarded as the defining virtue of a junzi/gentlemen and the
ultimate commitment in Confucius' thought. However, Confucius never intends to offer a formal
definition of ren; instead, he gives only various answers to questions about ren in different circumstances
for students with different temperaments and with varying degrees of understanding.
In the following, some key statements are selected from the Analects so as to uncover the basic layers of
meaning of ren.
(1) "Fan Chi asked about humanity. Confucius said, 'It is to love your fellow men.' " (12:22; also see
12.5)
The simplest statement that Confucius makes about ren is that ren is to love men. In this sense, ren as
interpersonal love seems to be the equivalent of benevolence--(love toward others resulting in) the desire
or inclination to do good to others. But to love without a principle mean also to spoil. Therefore,
Confucius points out:
(2) "Confucius said, 'Only the man of humanity knows how to love people and hate people.' " (4:3)
Although no men are intrinsically worthy of hating, in order to really love men, we have to hate their
evildoings so that they may be forced to become educated as better men. In this way, ren is a much more
profound kind of love than that of a devoted mother who lavishes all her fondness upon her children. True
love in ren involves wisdom and sound judgment as shown in the following statement.
(3) "Fan Chi asked about humanity. Confucius said, 'Be respectful in private life, be serious in handling
affairs, and be loyal in dealing with others. Even if you are living amidst barbarians, these principles
may never be forsaken.' " (13:19)

Here Confucius goes further and gives concrete advice about how to realize ren in life. There two
important points worth noting. First, it is a surprise to find that the first item Confucius lists--"Be
respectful in private life'--does not even concern one's attitude toward others but rather one's attitude
toward oneself. Ren in this sense cannot be interpreted as merely interpersonal love or benevolence. It is a
kind of reverence for one's own life in a moral sense as well as a concern for others' lives. Its meaning is
more profound than mere benevolence or even altruism. Rather, it is the root of them; it is what results in
interpersonal love as well as Second, the principles involved in ren must be practiced even when one lives
amid barbarians; they are universal principles not to be renounced simply because one happens to live in a
different environment.
(4) "Yan Yuan asked about humanity. Confucius said, 'To master oneself and return to propriety is
humanity. If a man (the ruler) can for one day master himself and return to propriety (li), all under
heaven will return to humanity. To practice humanity depends on oneself. Does it depend on others?'
Yan Yuan said, 'May I ask for the detailed items?' Confucius said, 'Do not look at what is contrary to
propriety, do not listen to what is contrary to propriety, do not speak what is contrary to propriety, and
do not make any movement which is contrary to propriety.' Yan Yuan said, 'Although I am not
intelligent, may I put your saying into practice.' " (12:1)
There are several important points here. First, ren in its full scale is not something innately pre-furnished
in human heart-and-mind, although Confucius does think every one has such potentiality of becoming a
man of humanity (cf., 6:17, 17:2); it is the result of cultivating or 'mastering/overcoming oneself'. Second,
when one cultivates one's inward moral character, those outward rules of propriety are not irrelevant but
constitute an external starting-point or criterion, although ren as initial moral sensibility (in varied
degrees) within constitutes the internal starting-point.
(5) "Zi Gong said, "If a ruler extensively confers benefit on the people and can bring salvation to all, what
do you think of him? Would you call a man of humanity?' Confucius said, 'Why only a man of
humanity? He is without any doubt a sage. Even (sage-emperors) Yao and Shun fell short of it. A man
of humanity, wishing to establish his own character, also establishes the character of others, and
wishing to be prominent himself, also helps others to be prominent. To be able to judge others by
what is near to ourselves may be called the method of realizing humanity.' " (6:28)
Here Confucius gives his view of the ultimate commitment of a human being. A person of ren wishes to
establish his/her own character as well as that of other people. The spirit of this statement is similar to that
of the Golden Rule. It seems that Confucius' version of the Golden Rule has some more detailed
implications than the mere principle of reversibility as follows: Do (not) unto others as you would (not)
want them to do unto you. Think about the questions in 'Questions to Think About'.
In sum, the principle of ren allows for divergent manifestations. Once one has captured the spirit of ren,
one should be able to find out what one must do in a given situation. Because each concrete situation is
different from another, perhaps one needs to customize one's characterization of ren to certain concrete
situations. It seems that Confucius does think so: if he does not make any attempt to define ren, it is not
because he does not have a coherent and systematic understanding of ren but because the complete
meaning of ren is itself beyond definition.
Confucius on li ( the rules of propriety, rites)
Although ren is the most fundamental virtue, the basis of humanity, and the ultimate guide to human
action, Confucius recognizes that more concrete, particular and immediate guides to action are needed in
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everyday life. Those concrete guides Confucius found in the rules of propriety (li) which cover various
socially established rules governing social, moral, and religious practices (ranging from rituals, customary
codes, ceremony regulations to moral rules).
Confucius thinks that practicing li is one important or even indispensable way to cultivate and realize the
potential of humanity. (i) The virtue potential needs to be revealed, strengthened, and cultivated through
human actual actions which per se need those ready-made, socially established concrete guides to
regulate. (ii) Li has its social and public character and emphasizes the openness of the participants to each
other; this kind of open, shared participation in life with other persons would evokes and fosters the
development of ren.
As far as the regulative relation between ren and li is concerned, ren is the ground of adequate li; what
makes li an adequate standard of conduct is the fact that it is in accord with ren; customs, rituals,
regulations and rules should be eventually regulated by ren (cf., 3:3, 5:18)
Confucius on yi ( righteousness)
Yi is another important virtue through which ren is cultivated. Confucius stresses yi as necessary for
developing ren.
Unlike li as external rituals and rules of propriety, yi is internal virtue, a moral disposition to do what is
right and an ability to recognize what is right; yi functions like a kind of moral sense or intuition regarding
action. Like Kants conception of good will and duty, what is according to yi unconditional and absolute;
some actions must be performed only because they are right, and not because of what they produce. On
the other hand, unlike Kant, yi is not something that has nothing to do with inclination, disposition or
intuition.
As far as the relation between yi and li is concerned, cultivating yi is carried out through observing li.
The superior person regards righteousness (yi) as the substance of everything. He/she practices it
according to the principle of propriety (li). He/she brings it forth in modesty. And he/she carries it to its
conclusion in faithfulness (15.17). One way of cultivating ren is through caltivating yi by means of
practicing adequate li. There are other ways to cultivate ren: e.g., through practicing shu.
Confucius on governing by virtue ()
Governing should be eventually based upon virtue, rather than law and rule; the well-being of a society
ultimately depends on the cultivation of ren in the rulers as well as the other members of the society (cf.,
12.17).
The ancients who wished to preserve the fresh or clear character of the people of the world would first set
about ordering their national life. Those who wished to order their national life would first set about
regulating their family life. Those who wished to regulate their family life would set about cultivating
their personal life. Those who wished to cultivate their personal lives would first set about setting their
hearts right. Those who wished to set their hearts right would first set about making their wills
sincere....when the will is sincere, then the heart is set right; when the heart is set right, then the personal
life is cultivated; when the personal life is cultivated, then the family life is regulated; when the family life
is regulated, then the national life is orderly, and when the national life is orderly, then there is peace in
this world. (from the Great Learning <Da-Xue >)

Unlike the modern conception of government as law-oriented political statecraft, the Confucian
conception of government is that of a harmonious moral community. When all relations among people are
based on virtue, and actions are motivated by yi and carried out in accord with li, society will be
harmonious, orderly and peaceful and the people happy.
Questions to Think About
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(1) What is Confuciuss primary concern? What is the human beings ultimate concern, according to Confucius?
(2) What is the connection between Confuciuss two central conceptions of jun-zi and ren?
(3) How does Confucius characterize ren? Try to identify some features of Confuciuss characterization of ren.
(4) What are the relations among Confuciuss two important conceptions of ren and li?
(5) What the distinctions and connections between ren and yi and between yi and li?
(6) Try to compare Confuciuss notion of governing by virtue with some contemporary western notion of
governing.
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