SYNTHESIS PAPER II

The ancient Chinese philosophy, as associated with Confucius, centers on self-cultivation.  It is primarily concerned with the more concrete realities of this world which revolved around moral principles.  These moral principles are essentially founded in the Tao.  Outside of the Tao lies individual material pursuit, social disintegration, abuse of nature, political unrest and disrespect of family and tradition. 

With these things outside the Tao representing the philosophical problem of social disorder and incorrect names, Confucius assumes that in order to promote harmony, you must first establish harmony within yourself using the Tao as a point of reference.   It is in this sense that Philosophy, in the Confucian context, centers on self-cultivation through the Tao.  This notion is represented by the assumptions which Confucius lays down as solutions to the said philosophical problem.

The first assumption is the concept of self-cultivation via Tao as the socio-moral way.

Philosophy in the ancient Confucian context emphasizes that man’s capacity for self-cultivation is inherently a gift to him to be realized only through the Tao.  In whatever capacity or function, whether personal or social, whether one is a citizen or government leader or official, it is everyone’s lifetime task and commitment.  It is also the very essence of man.  Self-cultivation unites men with himself, with others, with nature and with the universe.  It makes one live an ethical life.   It is the realization of one’s name or of one’s essence.  The ones who are seeking for self-cultivation find their essence and live it.  They are the wealth of a country or nation.

The first assumption gives the notion that, in order to solve the problem concerning social disorder and incorrect names, one must use the Tao as a point of reference for self-cultivation.   This is because the Tao gives the guidelines on how to fashion one’s life with respect to harmony with the others and the universe.  This in turn promotes harmony.   The very act of fashioning one’s self with respect to harmony is self-cultivation.  In being guided by the Tao, the individual now realizes his essence and thus becomes a more effective citizen or person in a society. 

Secondly, we go to the next assumption, which gives the concept of self-cultivation via Tao to Tradition.

        In one’s efforts for self-cultivation, he finds himself connected with tradition.  Tradition helps him understand himself, his family and the society he is in. He looks back to the past practices of his ancestors and realized wisdom in the process. Tradition is the connection between the ancestors and the present generations.  The past reveals wisdom that is practiced by those in the present.  The practice of tradition signifies respect and continuity.  Respect and continuity are principles of the Tao.

This second assumption represents the idea of the Confucian context of self-cultivation via Tao as the reference by applying it in the sense of tradition.  Self-cultivation is emphasized in the aspect of the individual acquiring wisdom from the past, which can greatly help in altering his ways which are inclined in the moral principles.  The action of the individual of exhausting the wisdom he learned from the past so that the mistake of the old cannot be redone, is an act of self-cultivation itself.  This self-cultivation, on the other hand, still shows the Tao as the reference.   This is seen from the concept of respect and continuity.  This is because of the reason that respect and continuity depict the essential element of Tao, and that is harmony.   Practicing the tradition represents the connection between the past and the present.  Connection can only be done when the two individuals or groups involved are attuned with each other.   In this sense, one can say that harmony is present. The Tao still remains as a point of reference because of the respect and continuity that is inherent in the action of practicing the tradition.

Thirdly, we go to the assumption which gives the concept of self-cultivation via Tao to basic goodness and intelligence.

As one understands himself deeper through the traditions he practices, he discovers the basic properties of his values.  These are goodness and intelligence.   The Confucian philosophy stresses the notion of not being too emotional or too logical in weighing the situation at hand.   The Confucian context urges one to strike a balance between goodness and intelligence.  It is in this sense that one can properly address the situation without disrupting harmony or being less of a noble man.

This third assumption represents the idea of the Confucian context of self-cultivation via Tao as the reference by application. This application is the deepening of the realization that was discovered as the individual connects himself with his tradition.

Self-cultivation is evident in here by the action of the individual in applying harmony in a more technical sense, that is, in the sense of critical thinking and decision-making.  Thinking rashly through emotions or through pure logic gives devastating results.  It can either narrow a person’s perspective because of his personal bias or dehumanize him because of his robotic way of thinking.  These two possibilities represent disharmony.  This is because they do not confer with the moral principles of fairness and sympathy.   But if one suspends his judgments, and balances the goodness and intellect in him, then surely harmony can be promoted.  This is because he is able to see both sides of the situation, and because of this he was able to see the appropriate action inclined to moral principles.   This results to harmony of both individuals involved in the situation.   The very decision to let go of personal takes on a situation is a sign of self-cultivation.  It is a sign of an individual, in his own volition, to follow the Way.  The concept of Tao as a reference point is still inherent in this application.  The very fact of harmony as the basis for a right course of action in resolving an issue already justifies the Tao as a reference point.

Finally, we go to the last assumption which gives the concept of self-cultivation via Tao to development of the “chun tzu”

After one had already discovered his basic properties of goodness and intelligence, he then proceeds into a higher form of development, and that is being a “chun tzu” or a “gentleman”.   This is a higher form of development for it is where the realizations of the Tao, the discoveries from tradition and basic goodness and intelligence will show its prominence.  Being enlightened and being able to surmount previous weaknesses presuppose that one gained a step sooner than the rest who have not yet cultivated themselves.   This transcendence, however, entails responsibility.  This responsibility is the promotion of harmony.

The fourth and last assumption represents the idea of the Confucian context of self-cultivation via Tao by applying it in the sense of “chun tzu” or the “gentleman”.  The concept of the “gentleman” is essential in the Confucian philosophy.  This is because the “chun tzu” is the synthesis of all that had conspired in the path of the Tao.   The “chun tzu” is important for it is he who will make harmony possible through his actions.  Self-cultivation is emphasized in this aspect by the very fact of responsibility on the side of the “chun tzu”.  This is because the very acceptance of the responsibility in initiating harmony is a sign of self-cultivation.  It is self-cultivation in a sense that the individual learns the sense of initiative by utilizing what he had learned for the greater good of all.  The result of this utilization is the justification of Tao as the reference point.  This is because of the fact that harmony is used as the basis and the objective of the responsibility.  

In conclusion, Philosophy, in the Confucian context, centers on self-cultivation through the Tao.  This is justified with the four assumptions that Confucius presented in order to resolve the philosophical problems of social disorder and incorrect names.  These assumptions are applications of self-cultivation via Tao in the sense of the socio-moral way, the sense of tradition, the sense of basic intelligence and goodness, and the sense of “chun tzu”.   All of these assumptions justify the premise of the Confucian philosophy.  This is because of the emphasis on the individual in exhausting himself in terms of improving his own character.  It is this notion which justifies the term “self-cultivation” in the premise. The justification of the Tao is also emphasized in the assumptions.  This is evident in the constant emphasis of harmony, which is the essential concept of Tao, on every aspect of the application of self-cultivation.  

These assumptions are said to be solutions by Confucius, for they resolve the problem of social disorder and incorrect names by its emphasis and application of the concept of individual effort in self-cultivation and initiative in promoting harmony respectively.  They resolve the philosophical problem, for the assumptions cancel out the negative results of disharmony and miscommunication by its concept of benevolence, which promotes harmony.