EASIA101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Cardinal Virtues, Junzi
13 Sep 2015
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Before confucius ren meant something like kindness, generosity or benevolence (particularly) from a social superior to one of lower status. In confucian teaching ren become a cardinal virtue and is probably the best translated as humaneness or humanity. For confucius to be human is to humane loving others being filial, respectful to parents and elders being reverent, loyal and strong being resolute, frugal, retient, trustworthy. Ritual propriety or li originally referred to the ritual of sacrifice to the gods or ancestors. Ritual behavior (li) is meaningless without humaneness (ren) You must be humane but express that humaneness in proper social behaviour (li) So it s not enough just to be a well intentioned and good hearted slob; must act with discipline and dignity. Underlying morality to his idea of ritual: life as a continuous ceremony of proper behavior. Junzi originally meant the son of a noble family. Pointed instead to a person who was noble in terms of moral character.
