Confucius

Confucius' Ethics/Aesthetics

1.The tradition of li (ritual order) and yue (music)

1.1. Goodness and beauty are the same thing.
        1.1.1. Evidences of etymology
        “Huge sheep are beauty.” (li)
            1.1.2. Practical criteria of beauty or goodness
         “Tasty food is the thing, which we can consider as “beauty/goodness.”
        “Wonderful music is the thing, which we can call it “beauty/goodness”(yue)
1.2. Beauty, goodness are harmony
        e.g. yin-yang, a couple,
1.3. Harmony is the order of the world
        1.3.1. Fine music represents harmony
        1.3.2. The order in a family represents harmony
        1.3.3. Harmony is a subjective feeling, so that      emotion has to be involved in judge what is good; what is beautiful.
1.4. It is impossible to talk about beautiful/good things without involving subjective feelings and emotions.

2. Confucius’ ethics/aesthetics

2.1. li is not only an ethical order but also an aesthetic order.

2.2. Yue is not only a way to show the beauty of the order but a way to show subjective emotion.
2.2.1. In aesthetics/ethics, the subjective emothion cannot be avoided.

2.3. The foundation of “li” and “yue” is Goodness-- “ren/jen”(Benevolence )
        2.3.1. Confucius‘ way to define “ren/jen” is by giving examples or according to the different cases.
        2.3.2.“Jen” itself is the proccess of seeking for beauty.
        2.3.3. The goal of life is the beauty (neight go to the Heaven, nor achieve Nirvana).
        2.3.4. The goal of life can only be reached in the ritual practice.

2.4. The content of “ren/jen”--family oriented ethics/aesthetics
        2.4.1. The nature of humanity is the emotion of honor parents.
                2.4.1.1. The family is naturally the earliest and strongest bond human beings form
                2.4.1.2. The family is the source of our social obligations. Obligations to others flow out from it.
                If one has not first fulfilled moral obligations in the more intimate and warmly affectionate, biologically and                   naturalistically grounded unity of the family, he cannot fulfill obligations in the wider relations of man to man in the                  community.
                If a person cannot fulfill his obligations to his family, how can he treat others morally?
        2.4.2. Filial piety -Hsiao- is the consciousness of morality and humanity.
                2.4.2.1. Filial piety is the kind of loving & caring emotion only human has.
        2.4.3. Benevolence is the primary virtue, which is general concern for the well-being of others--”cohumanity.”
                2.4.3.1. As a general virtue, jen means humanity
                2.4.3.2. As a particular virtue, jen means love.

2.5. Life and the beauty of virtues (de)
        2.5.1. The aesthetic understanding of Time.
                2.5.1.1.Life is like a great flowing river.
                2.5.1.2. Life completes in the beautiful changing music.
                2.5.1.3. The beauty of life is of becoming into a virtue being in Time.
        2.5.2. Virtues and moral standards
                2.5.2.1.Virtue represents a constant valid moral standard in Time.
                2.5.2.2. The cultivation of certain human virtues is necessary for the world to achieve good order.
                2.5.2.3 Virtues must be cultivated by every member of society.
      2.5.3. The quality of man
                2.5.3.1. Practice Jen and de in actual human relationship
                2.5.3.2. The highest standard for being a human being is the beauty of “Male Strength (Spiritual and Physical).”
      2.5.4. Self-cultivation
                2.5.4.1. The moral life is the life lived cultivating oneself and in participation of fulfilling one’s destiny as a human                  being.
                2.5.4.2. This belief generates a deep concern with every facet of personal behavior.
                2.5.4.3. .Every action one performs potentially holds great significance.

2.6. Gentlemen and Small Man (moral terms)
        2.6.1. Confucius’ own spiritual history
                2.6.1.1. Confucius’ vision of how human beings should live.
                2.6.1.2. One should always cultivate oneself and try to become a perfect person.
                2.6.1.3. A person is a maker of meaning.
                2.6.1.3.1. Person-making is a process of inter-personal communication and transaction in social environment.
                The beautiful personality is the only thing which can go beyond Time and Space.
        2.6.2. The difference between “Gentleman” and “Small Man”
                2.6.2.1. Gentleman’s standard is moral principle.
                2.6.2.2. Small Man (or inferior man)’s standard is profit.

2.7. Golden Rule and the the way of practicing Ren/Jen
2.7.1. Chung-yung--the central harmony