The Ancient Chinese philosophy has been
one of the significant contributions of China in Asian civilization. According to
Rhoads Murphey, in A History of Asia,
one of the prominent philosophies which made its mark was Confucian philosophy,
which was “evident in the Han Dynasty until the Former Han Dynasty” 1.
Based from Murphey’s information, it can
be said that Chinese emperors, since the Han dynasty had high respects in the
Confucian teaching on the importance of education, moral and social
responsibility. It aided in the re-creation of a method in governance that was
different from the authoritative and inhuman political system used by the
previous dynasties before them (e.g. the Qin Dynasty).
This abolishment of the authoritative
and elitist ways of governance paved the way to order, peace, and intellectual
growth that made harmony evident, even though it was of a limited time. Considering
all these achievements that were rooted from the application of the Confucian
thought, it is observable that there is an underlying theme being emphasized in
this philosophy that the Chinese rulers and people believed in and applied in
their way of living.
This notion only poses the question:
What is philosophy as demonstrated by the Ancient Chinese Philosophy, by
Confucius? This will be resolved by looking into how its founder, Confucius, perceived
the solutions for the problems of disunity and miscommunication with his
unique, philosophical teachings.
The Confucian school of thought revolves
around the concept of morality. Confucius held a perspective that living a
moral life and doing one’s responsibility are the critical ingredients in
attaining harmony in the personal, social, or political aspect of life. He equates the characteristics of being
responsible and having a good conduct to that of a “noble man” which can be a
starting point for the attainment of unity and good governance in the society. Without
living morally or being responsible, negative results will happen. Social
disorder happens. Confucius believes that social disorder is rooted from the absence
of the Way. The absence of the Way is depicted by two major problems: the
absence of social harmony, and the incorrect use of names.
The first major problem is the absence
of social harmony, or “disorder”. The Confucian sense of “disorder” is depicted
by two attitudes which are indicated in verse 3:24 and 18:6 in the Analects. These
are taking things for granted and being apathetic. These worsen the problem both
in the individual and in the social sense. Confucius considers these as the main
philosophical problems. In the
individual sense, if people do not care at all, remain passive or “asleep” for
the rest of their lives, then they cannot see what is the real problem in the “disorder”
that is happening in the world, in the society and even within the individuals themselves. If the people cannot see the problem, then no
solution can be made. A Latin phrase would say “Ex nihilo nihil fit” which
means “Out of nothing, nothing comes.”
Since the people have “nothing” to solve, then it is only natural for
them to do “nothing.” These make order
and harmony difficult to attain.
Moreover, being apathetic towards nature
of humans and towards the world does not resolve anything. Since the people
cannot pinpoint the real problem that causes destruction, death, etc., it made
the problems look unsolvable. Since the problems looked unsolvable, people
simply accepted it as it is. Say, in the case of the farmers in Analects 18:3.
The states in that time were chaotic, making people strive for survival by
migration and other means just to escape the dangers of being caught in a war. The overwhelming destruction of wars are
alarming. The farmers, feeling the loss of hope because of the ravages of war, decided to accept the situation as it is.
With these negative attitudes and
situations present in this time, Confucius had a different way of thinking. Confucius
believed that although the problem may seem unsolvable, one should look for
means to solve it. Being apathetic and
passive cannot help in solving the problem; it only worsens the case. Seeing
this notion in terms of Taoism, the apathy and the passiveness can be related
to man’s retreat to nature (Taoism), as depicted by the farmers who chose to
stay in their fields instead of working out a solution. Confucius does not
agree with this. He emphasizes that the problem at hand is not natural or
caused by nature, but caused by attitudes of humans. Therefore, human
intervention is necessary in solving problems. This is a direct emphasis against Taoism.
Confucius considers two causes of the problem
concerning social disorder as the absence of the Way in the society. This is
because if the people in the society had acted the way they should, in terms of
morals and social responsibility, then there is no reason for disunity. If
people took the initiative of being aware, then they can see the real cause of
the problems that plague the society and begin to think of a solution. If
people stopped being apathetic, then a solution can be established and
translated into action. The Way, in the
Confucian sense, is said to be a guide for how a person is expected to act and
live his life. It is inclined into the ethical sense of life in relation to
one’s self, to others, and to society. If the Way is present, then harmony or
unity is evident. The absence of the Way will result to disharmony or disunity.
The second major problem deals on the rectification
of names. Considering the verses provided by the
Analects, the “rectification of names” simply meant that one must be faithful
to the correct meanings of the terms and the words that one uses. Wing Tsit
Chan, in A Source Book For Chinese
Philosophy provides the explanation of the rectification of names in the Confucian
sense. He states, “ a ‘name’ is only deemed correct when its actuality,
function, rank, and duties are clearly defined and translated into action” 2.
The statement above means that the wrong usage of names
could result to confusion, which in turn could bring disunity and disharmony in
a State. This result is said to be manifestation
of the absence of the Way because it does not embody the unity or harmony of
things that the principle of the universe embodies. Confucius emphasized the
primacy in addressing the situation of the rectification of names because the
incorrect use of names can lead to the absence of the Way.
Concerning the validity of Confucius’
argument, let us take into consideration the time and the setting wherein the
Analects refer to.
D.
Howard Smith, in The Teachings of Confucius,
provides an answer for this argument. He
stated that, "Confucius lived at a time wherein usurpation of authority, family
quarrels, and slave revolts were adamant” 3.
Given
this information by Smith, one can observe that at that time, in order to
resolve this case, Confucius decided to make a solution. This solution he
found is the moral way of living, the fulfillment of one’s duty to his family,
to others, and to society.
The argument of Confucius can
be simply stated as: 'The incorrect use
of names brings forth disunity and disharmony. This only shows the absence of the
Way. If one does otherwise, say, use the names correctly, then it will give the
opposite effect. Therefore, the rectification of names is only foremost.'
Analyzing further, the reasoning given by
Confucius is logical when one observes the argument. The incorrect use of names is a manifestation
of the absence of the Way because it results to disunity. Misunderstanding and distorted meanings render not only individual
functions useless, but also social functions. This can result to bigger
problems that can affect the efficiency and stability of the State.
Philosophy is demonstrated in ancient
Chinese Philosophy by Confucius as the actualization of the guide that is
called the “Way” to attain harmony with the universe. This is verified by
considering how Confucius perceives the philosophical problem and the
disadvantages of not resolving it. The "Way" is the practice of Philosophy as
demonstrated in the context of Confucius: moral principle through the ethical
premise that harmony and unity cannot be initiated unless it is lived or
practiced in one’s life.
Sources:
1. Rhoads Murphey, "The Civilization of Ancient China ", (Singapore: Pearson
Education Limited, 2014), in A History of Asia, 67.
2. Wing Tsit Chan, "On The Rectification Of Names", (United States:
Princeton University Press, 1963) in A
Source Book In Chinese Philosophy.
3. D.
Howard Smith, “The Teaching of Confucius”, in Selected Readings in Oriental Philosophy, 40.
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