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Xylina Session

Intro to Philosophy

AAB 220

Question 2

Confucianism: The Hole Thing

Eastern philosophy has always been slightly different from that of the Western worlds.

The two cultures share differences in terms of what should be prioritized. What is more

important, the group or the individual? Holism is the ideology that the whole is greater than the

sum of its parts. Directly contradicting the pluralistic view of atomism, holistic philosophy

includes the ideology that everything is interconnected; Confucius engendered this idea into his

philosophies of reality and explained through his teachings of the Tao or the way of the

universe, chung-yung or balance and moderation, te or the power to move things without

physical force, li --also known as manners, the example of a chun-tzu or a hsiao-jen (a

gentleman or a vulgar man), and the empathetic quality of jen.

The Tao is the way of the universe, often called the path. The Tao, metaphysical in its

form, is comparable to ideologies involving a supreme being. The main concept of Tao is that it

is a source of all things. It is also the moral law or code by which the basic harmony of the

universe is kept. Traditional western philosophy normally includes a more concrete influence,

which is not necessarily in symmetry to Confucius Tao. A usually all-loving-and-knowing God

or Creator is the central to western ideologies. The Tao by contrast acts similarly to a current,

harmoniously keeping life in balance and remaining relatively elusive. According to Confucius,

When one is willing to let his/herself accept the Taos influence will ensure them true harmony.
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The Way, or the Tao is human nature, it can assure us with peace if we do not lose it by

overindulging or falling victim to wu wei, or inactivity.

The Tao functions in a consistent style of balance. This functionality is carried out with

the assistance of two opposing energies: yin and yang. Existing parallel to each other and

seemingly codependent, the two forces are almost symbiotic. Yin serves as the negative energy,

often referred to as cold, dark, lifeless, weak, Earth. Yang is positive, light, Heaven. Both yin and

yang are quintessential to the operation of the Tao.

The second concept introduced in Confucius holist and humanist theory is chung-yung.

Meaning balance and/or moderation, chung-yung reiterates the teachings and influence of the

Tao. Chung-yung is also referred to as The Golden Mean. Chung-yung is a concept alluding to

equilibrium. Functioning similarly with the middle path in Buddhas philosophy, chung-yung is

a concept very intimately connected balance. Yin and yang both resemble the opposition needed

to create balance. Living a life as closely related with chung-yung as possible will assuredly

provide a way for one to find the Tao. Chung-yung is relatable with the concept in the western

ideology of Aristotle. In fact, the two concepts are practically identical. Aristotles ethics include

the example of a virtue being the golden mean. A step too far in would miss the virtue and

suddenly make it a vice of excess. When the aim goes in the opposite direction and instead of

overdoing it, it comes up deficient, then it becomes a vice of deficiency. Until the performance

or the effort can walk the perfect line of the golden mean, Tao cannot be found.

Te, though morally neutral, is used by Confucius to describe a virtue that allows one to

influence others without using physical force. Te is well explained by Soccio (1995) . . . te is
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morally neutral in the way that a knifes virtues --strength, flexibility, sharpness --are neutral.

The same knife can be used to save a life in surgery or to take a life in anger (p. 37).

A good example of te being used in a positive way would be when diplomats are sent to

other countries to negotiate through difficult situations instead of declaring war. Those diplomats

could easily be trained for battle, instead. However, they are chosen to be used in a non-forceful

way. This accomplishes humanism. By negotiating and building trust and relationships, and not

separating and differentiating people through war, the world slowly moves into a more holistic

ideology. This type of setting is what Confucius would approve of.

Another concept used by Confucius to assist his humanist vision is li. Simply put, li

means manners. This is a guide or code of ethic which keeps people from acting barbarically or

inhumanely. Without the practice of li, society would be disorganized, callous, corrupt, and

dysfunctional. Such happenings would move people away from harmony and thusly away from

the influence of the Tao. Without basic etiquette, everyone would be offensive. People would

resort to acting in a way that would cause discrepancies and would generate ill-feeling, thus

defeating Confucius idea for a holist world. Li takes care of the need to act according with our

inherited values. There would be no way to honor the principles taught by our ancestors if we do

not practice them through li. Confucius refers to li as practicing ceremonies that were set forth by

ancestors. A society following the way of the Tao, living according to chung-yun surely must act

like it. Li is the way people can prove that a society is holist/humanist. As explained in The

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, When persons and things are in their proper places - and

here tradition is the measure of propriety relations are smooth, operations are effortless, and the

good is sought and done voluntarily (Richey).

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The chun-tzu is another concept in addition to li, adding to the humanistic and holist

ways of Confucius. A chun-tzu is describes as a cultured gentleman. According to Confucius,

chun-tzus are superior because of their moral standing, they are altruistic. A chun-tzu practices li,

they possess all the qualities of the kind of person you would take home to meet your parents.

Meaning the lords son, a chun-tzu is not the hypocritical, self-righteous type, instead their

pursuits are selfless.

J.D. Salinger penned an excellent example of the the kind of man a chun-tzu is in his

beloved book, The Catcher in the Rye. The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die

nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.

Confucius makes it clear that a chun-tzu would be the kind of person who would be noticed for

their nobility and etiquette. A truly noble individual, however would not think of themselves in

excess, they are conscientious, but not in a vain way --in a considerate way. Though they are

considered superior people, their lives are devoted to service and others.

This ideology is closely familiar to certain western ideology, particularly Christian

philosophy. The idea of the Son of God using His power to heal the sick, raise the dead, and

make the blind see is ultimately altruistic and resembles the idea of a chun-tzu.

Another concept Confucius included was that of the hsiao-jen. As the complete opposite

of a chun-tzu, a hsiao-jen is a vulgar, petty man or woman. This kind of person as described by

Confucius would be a small person, no doubt referring to their mindset and levels of openness

rather than their stature. Contrary to the humanist views of holism, a Hsiao-jen is self-centered

and categorizes people, thus separating them from one another and him/herself. A Hsiao-jen

makes life a competition, which opposes the practice of the theory of happiness obtained by
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following the Tao. A Hsiao-jen is someone who thinks of themselves first, is overly

self-conscious and insecure, they compete with the people they ask help from. Hsiao-jens disrupt

the holist philosophy and dont practice virtues that contribute to humanity. Bad qualities are

reflected in hsiao-jens.

To draw continuously from the Christian ideology example, the proper example for the

ultimate hsiao-jen in correspondence with Christ as the example of a chun-tzu would be Lucifer

or Satan. He is referred to continuously in Christian doctrine as petty and pathetic. If Christs

acts were involved with healing people and performing miracles, Satans were to drag others

down, discourage, lead astray from the path or golden mean with temptations of pleasure. As the

epitome of a hsiao-jen, his personal goals dont include finding chung-yung or the Tao, but

instead to destroy and take happiness away from others.

The last concept included in Confucius holist theory of reality is called jen.

Pronounced ren, it embodies the empathetic qualities which makes a person human. Jen is the

quality which a chun-tzu would have, proving them to be virtuous, approachable. When one

thinks of the qualities they would love to find in another person, that is jen. As described by

Soccio (1995), jen can mean someone who is truly himself or herself; a real-person (pg. 39).

All concepts aforementioned concerning Confucius humanistic philosophy, i.e. chung-yung, li,

te, etc. are epitomized in jen.

In conclusion, Confucius ideology of a holist world was manifest in his many humanistic

concepts, namely, the Tao, the practice of chung-yung, the use of te, the ceremonious li, the idea

of a noble chun-tzu as opposed to his counterpart, the hsiao-jen, and the encompassing ethicality

of jen. Western ideology or Eastern, holist or atomist, it sounds like all philosophers have always
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been trying to reach the same conclusion. . . We would all like a little balance. We all want to

find ourselves in the current. Dont we all want a little harmony?

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Works Cited

"Confucius(551479 B.C.E.)" by Jeff Richey, The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy,

ISSN 2161-0002, http://www.iep.utm.edu/, 19 Oct. 2016.

Soccio, Douglas J. Archetypes of Wisdom. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub., 1995. Print.