For Ancient
Chinese, Philosophy is a way to live rightly. This is shown in the way Confucius and Confucius and Lao Tzu demonstrate
Philosophy as a way to live with virtue, and a way to live with Nature,
respectively.
Firstly, let us discuss the philosophy of
Confucius. Confucius demonstrates
Philosophy as a way to live with virtue to resolve the problem of disorder in
the world. The root of the disorder is caused by the lack of understanding of
the individual concerning his name, role and responsibilities in his home and
in society. Understanding such implies the necessity of
virtues. For Confucius, Philosophy helps
one to understand and actualize properly and rightly his name, role and
responsibilities so that he will learn and live virtues in order to become a true
noble man, a “chun tzu”.
Secondly, Lao Tzu considers philosophy as a way to
live with Nature to resolve the problem on the absence of natural harmony. This problem is caused by lack of
self-knowledge and practice of virtues.
For Lao Tzu, philosophy helps one understand Nature or the Tao as the
fundamental Way to live virtues in order to become a sage.
I.
CONFUCIUS : Philosophy Is A Way To Live With
Virtue
A.)
The Problem of Social Disorder (Philosophy: Being
Aware of Virtue)
Philosophy, as
demonstrated by Confucius in Ancient Chinese Philosophy is a way to be aware of
virtue. This is shown in the way he
perceives the philosophical problem.
This problem is the absence of social harmony or social disorder in the
world, which is rooted in the absence of the Tao or the Way.
In Fung Yu-Lan’s book entitled The Spirit of Chinese Philosophy,
describes the Tao as “the Great Way for man” 1
The “Great Way”
in this sense can be understood as a way of life which is anchored in living
with good values and with a higher sense of thinking. It is living with right conduct, an
enlightened mind, and a sense of responsibility. The absence of such “way” means the lack of
understanding of the individuals of such way of living. Social disorder happens, and the state is
thrown into chaos.
Disorder is said
to be rooted from the unwillingness of people in the state or society to truly live
up to their names, roles and responsibilities with right values or
virtues. It is because people do the
otherwise that caused them to act their names, roles and responsibilities
incorrectly. Incorrect names are
respective roles and responsibilities of an individual which are not fulfilled
in action and lifestyle in home and society. Awareness of virtue means that one
realizes the necessity to philosophize by deep reflection on the right way to
harmonious and right living. This entails good attitude, enlightened thinking,
and clear responsibility. That is why,
in order to resolve disorder in the society, Confucius proposes for the
rectification of names. As Fung Yu-Lan
stated in his book, A Short History of
Chinese Philosophy:
“In regard to
society, he held that in order to have a well-ordered one, the most important
thing is to carry out what he called the rectification of names. That is,
things in actual fact should be made to accord with the implication attached to
them by names.” 2
Fung’s statement
implies that the primary step in leading oneself back to the right way of
living is by doing rightly and living in actuality his name along with all
responsibilities attached to such name.
This means that one must act his role, whether it would be at home or in
the society. Social disorder happened
when the individuals living in the state are not faithful to their respective
roles. However, if one deeply reflects
about his life, he can get to see that he has roles to fulfill. These proper ways constitute both the means
of properly doing it and the right attitudes towards it. One cannot have such profound realization if
he does not take a step back and become aware of what should be done.
By philosophizing, an individual can have an
awareness of the realities in society, state or home. He will be aware of his priorities and how to
fulfill them in a proper manner. By
one’s deep understanding of the essence of his “name”, he gradually walks
towards learning the ways of the Tao.
Clarity of name and its purpose are important in being able to be aware
of virtue. This is because it organizes
one’s mind into a specific idea, which prevents one to incorrectly identify himself
with roles other than his own. Clarity
provides the essential foundation for the individual to cultivate harmony and
values within him. Clarity is essential in coming up with the solution for a
problem. This is because if one does not have a clear idea as to what is the
problem and what is the root of it, then, the search for an appropriate
solution is difficult.
Philosophy, as
demonstrated by Confucius, is a way to be aware of virtue. This is shown in the way he identifies the
philosophical problem of the absence of harmony in a state. The philosophical problem is rooted in the
absence of the Tao or basis for living a good life anchored in morals,
responsibility, and higher thinking.
This absence of the Tao is manifested by the people not living according
to their “names” or their responsibilities.
Such thinking and way of life creates disorder, and even breeds
misunderstanding and conflict among people.
Without philosophizing, an individual cannot grasp their roles in their
homes and in their state. Philosophizing
provides the individual with the deep understanding of their
responsibilities. By deep reflection, an
individual can see that there is a need to harmonize one’s action and lifestyle
with one’s names or responsibilities.
Only then that one can unite with his neighbors and others. Having one’s action in accordance with his
name and responsibility prevents misunderstanding among people. It prevents chaos, for each person knows what
to do and what not to do. Thus, it prevents him from assuming roles that are
not his.
B.) Assumptions
of a Solution (Philosophy: Cultivating Virtue)
Philosophizing
helps one to learn and cultivate virtue.
Through deep reflection, he will understand himself, others, the society,
and the state. He will understand the
significance of social relationships. It
guides him to right actions. In this
sense the individual is more inclined to mold himself into a person of virtue,
the essence of right action and right living. Philosophizing is a higher order
thinking activity which leads one to reflect, refine his thoughts, enlighten
his pursuits and deepen his values. It
leads him to wisdom of propriety and union with the Tao. In other words, philosophizing is an
activity directed towards molding the individual to live the values of harmony
first within himself, towards others and towards the world. These are the basic philosophical lessons
which Confucius wishes us to realize as we learn virtue and become a noble man.
In such a modern
society, we are overwhelmed by the many changes caused by technology and
science. Technology and science keeps
giving new inventions and discoveries that can make our lives better and more
comfortable. Laws upgrade alongside
crimes to ensure that justice is given to the persons who deserve it. Education is upgrading with the latest
technology to keep abreast with much modern and more effective teaching and
learning environment. Oftentimes, when
people are overwhelmed by these, they tend to forget to stop and reflect. Because of this tendency, one even goes to
the point of forgetting his role in home and society. From this, one will realize that disorder
happens when one does not act and live his life according to his name or
responsibility.
Roles and the responsibilities define one’s
name. However, having roles and
responsibilities does not mean that one is not free. Rather, it is the essence of one’s
freedom. Having roles and
responsibilities aid one to do things accordingly. This cultivates good values and right living. For example, one does not learn how to be a
good writer unless he develops the skill and practices it. By this, he conscientiously and religiously
learns and practices processes that will lead him to become best writer. He practices patience, determination,
discipline and love of one’s responsibilities.
This principle extends even in politics.
If a government official acts according to his role, then, people will
support and respect him. He is faithful
to his role and responsibility.
C.)
Confucian Virtues : ( Philosophy: Believing in Virtues)
Philosophy leads one to realize and believe in
virtues. Belief of virtues implies practice of them. Confucius believed in virtues like benevolence
or human-heartedness, filial piety, brotherly respect, wisdom and righteousness.
Benevolence or human-heartedness is what
gives the individual a good starting point in getting rid of his selfish
pursuits and wants that can impede him from being a good citizen and a good
family man. In being benevolent, one can
effectively do his duties in the society.
The individual who instilled the value of benevolence inside of him
effectively does his duties because all he thinks about are the welfare of
others. When one does not think about
profit in doing his responsibilities, he does not have any reservations as to
what is asked of him. In this way
misunderstanding can be avoided and other conflicts. His actions benefit others and the state.
When one does his duties in the state, he manifests
his concern and love for his family and fellowmen. This is because he chose not
to do something which can harm his relationships with his family and his
state. He unconditionally does his
obligations to his parents, his brothers, and his community. The greatest difficulty lies in the
involvement of the individual in the state.
It is not easy to become noble by learning and believing in virtues.
Confucius calls this as the “principle of the
measuring square”, which is said to consist of man’s conscientiousness and
altruism. This principle involves
oneself as the basis of regulating one’s own conduct. It is in this notion that one can apply the
famous Confucian quotation: “Do not do to others what you do not wish to
yourself.” Relating the principle to the saying, it only
gives the implication that the treatment of one to the other must be similar to
his treatment of himself. If one
dislikes being insulted, then he should not insult other people. Since one is part of a larger community, it
is his moral obligation to respect each individual in the community. Having compassion for others, and having
concern for them is what justifies one to be “human-hearted”. Giving the same respect which one gives to
himself to other people makes his actions moral and proper. Good begets good. What one sows, he reaps.
As one believes in benevolence, he also develops
propriety. This implies acting according to the circumstances or the
situation. When one is concerned about
the other, he makes his actions proper as a sign of respect for others. He humbles himself when he thinks about the
welfare of others.
The “Jen” or “benevolence” starts with “filial piety”
(Hsiao) and “brotherly respect” (T’i). This implies the recognition of family
as the basic unit of society where the rootedness of every individual is
founded. From the smaller unit, Jen is realized in others. Since human experiences are social
experiences, being concerned for others manifests a person’s conscientious
stance for social harmony. This social
harmony is possible only in altruism, a value that sets aside selfish desires
to pave way to the welfare of many.
The cardinal virtues (Jen or benevolence, Li or
propriety, Chih or wisdom, and Yi or righteousness) summed up the essential
elements of the ultimate purposes of an ideal human being, virtue, and social
harmony. It is in this sense that
Confucius considers Philosophy as a way for the cultivation of virtues.
The root of
the philosophical problem is the absence of social harmony. This problem is caused by one’s rejection of
the practice of virtues. This absence
pertains to two things, namely “absence” in the sense that the individual has
no clear understanding of the Way or the moral principle. The other “absence” pertains to an individual
being selfish, having no concern for others at all. These two things are resolved by learning to
philosophize and head towards the Tao.
The first notion of absence is resolved in the rectification of names
and the education of the noble man. The
second notion is the cultivation of one’s moral principles through social
integration.
In order to establish “social harmony”, there is a
need for a person to relate and interact with others. This does not only point into being with a
group of people in a specific occasion, it also points being “out of
oneself”. In other words, it means being
selfless. Disorder happens because of one’s
selfishness and concern for personal gains.
For example, doing a favor for another person for the sake of an
ulterior motive, or doing good deeds to look good when one plans to run for a
public office. Instead of manifesting
good values such as concern for others and benevolence, one pretends to be good
in order to advance his selfish motives. It becomes a means for benefits aimed
for oneself which only causes trouble or disorder.
The role of philosophizing, therefore, is to make the
individual realize specific values and cultivate them. Virtues are the ones
that can guide one’s actions. It can
guide one into properly fulfilling their obligations or responsibilities in
their social relationships. They guide one’s actions. As Fung Yu-Lan stated in his book entitled A Short History of Chinese Philosophy,
“Everyone in society has certain things which he ought to do, and which must be
done for their own sake because they are the morally right things to do.” 3
From Fung’s statement, one can say that deeply
reflecting upon things leads one to be concerned and be caring for the welfare
of others. Without others, one cannot
fully realize virtues. It is in this
sense that in developing the virtues of a noble man, one becomes a solution to
the problem of social disorder.
As one continues to cultivate and practice his
learned values, he begins to develop a certain kind of wisdom. As Fung Yu-Lan stated in his book entitled The Spirit of Chinese Philosophy, “Chih
(wisdom) lies in the understanding of human-heartedness and righteousness and
ritual conduct” 4
From Fung’s statement, one can say that wisdom
pertains to the deeper understanding of the learning and application of
virtue. This is because if such wisdom
is not realized, then no matter how much a person does similar good actions, it
would not be justified as being moral. It
will be reduced to an empty, mechanical routine which does not contribute to
man’s belief of virtues and teaching others about them.
Being aware of virtues and learning them in his life
require a belief in such virtues. When
one believes in the virtues that he learns, he develops his commitment and
devotion to apply it in given situations.
D.) Development of the Chun Tzu (Philosophy: Animating Virtue)
Each of us has our respective name, role and
responsibility. The task of one is to
realize them as the ultimate meaning of his life and the very essence of the
Tao. Realizing them is not an easy task.
It takes one to consistently search and find virtues in everything he
does. Then, he becomes a source of
harmony in his home and society. By
this, one gradually develops in him the “philosopher king” or “chun tzu”. It is
a great opportunity that philosophy helps us animate or practice learned
virtues to discover the right way to a fulfilled life. Confucius teaches us that the measure of a
life lived in the Tao is when one faithfully does his responsibilities
according to his name or role. When one
does this, he animates or gives life to the good values or virtues he has
learned and believed.
Philosophy, as demonstrated by Confucius, is a way to
believe in virtues by animating or practicing them in one’s life. This is shown in the way he characterizes the
ideal human being. The philosophical
problem of social disorder is said to be resolved by cultivating oneself in
becoming a solution, which is to be a noble man. This is done by manner of
education aligned to learning the moral principle or the Tao. This begins in the family, then to others,
and to the community. This means that
animating or practicing virtues involves a variety of processes realized in the
daily life of every individual.
Doing one’s duties and responsibilities is important
for an individual learning and practicing the Tao. This is because it is the measurement of how
deep one practices virtues. The
rectification of names is the primary step for the solution to the philosophical
problem of the absence of social harmony. From this step, one initiates himself
into the journey of cultivating virtues to become a “chun tzu” or “philosopher
king”.
Learning the Way
or the Tao always requires philosophizing and the goal for social harmony. Social harmony cannot be realized with people
who do not reflect in order to become moral and wise. To be moral and wise means that one must
engage in refining himself through deep reflection so that he will find the
paths towards the realization of virtues.
Only when one becomes virtuous that he becomes a noble man. Confucius
wants us to become “chun tzu”. He
believes that each has the opportunity to become virtuous. The ultimate purpose of philosophy is to lead
one to virtue. Only when one practices
virtue that he becomes a noble man, a “chun tzu”.
E.) Achieving Social Harmony (Philosophy: Governing With Virtue)
In order to
achieve social harmony, one must first start from himself. This is because if one wishes to be the
solution to the absence of social harmony, he needs to be educated through
philosophy. The problem of social
harmony is primarily caused by the lack of understanding of name, role, and
responsibilities by the individuals.
Because of this, people forget tradition, the Way, and the important
values to become a good citizen and a good family member. This education is not aimed solely at the
intellectual aspect but also at the moral aspect of a person. This education is more inclined to instilling
the principles of the Tao in life. This implies educating oneself to be a noble
man, which starts from understanding the crucial concepts in relation to
molding one’s intellectual and moral aspects.
In
philosophizing, one does not only deepen his understanding of things, but he
also deepens his relation with them.
This is done when one reflects upon a particular mistake made at a
certain situation or event. One does not
simply think about the implications of the event, but also the implications of
such to one’s self. In deep reflection,
one is able to realize certain points that can aid him into molding his
character. It is in this way that one
develops himself into a noble man. Deep
reflection initiates one into learning.
In relation to educating oneself into becoming a noble man,
philosophizing initiates man into learning the Tao. The learning that is being
described here does not mean increasing one’s knowledge, but developing a moral
life. In this way, he can become a
solution to the problem of disharmony by taking the role of a ruler in a
state. He is the most appropriate ruler
in a state. As a noble man, he has the
responsibility to teach them virtues through his own examples.
Politicians for example, are very intelligent
in relation to the different laws of the state.
Even though they possess such intelligence, they still do crimes such as
corruption and murder. As Confucius
said, “There are men who may be able to stand firm, but may not be able to
weigh things in relation to the occasion.” 5
A higher level
of life, therefore, pertains to a life having undoubted knowledge of what is
proper, and acting in accordance to this knowledge. Having both could greatly aid one to maintain
order in whatever he does or thinks.
However, in order to achieve such life, one must have a guiding
principle to follow. This guiding
principle is what one calls the Tao. The
Tao is the proper way in things. It is the
moral principle. Having the guidance of
the moral principles strengthens a ruler in whatever situation. It makes him consistent in doing what is
proper and right. Such attitude of a
ruler extends to the point of strictly adhering to traditions and preserving
them.
The philosopher
king or “chun tzu” who becomes a ruler governs with virtue. By seeing the state as an extension of his
family, he sees it as something that implies social harmony. It is something that needs guidance and
education, similar to how parents see their children when they are in the state
of infancy. The noble man who governs
with virtue sees everyone as siblings who need guidance and aid like how
siblings look out for each other at home.
In this manner, he leads people to virtues by his examples. The people in turn, become motivated to do
the same in the community. Just like how parents influence their children
with good values, the children, in turn, manifest such values to others outside
of their home. Consequently, this
creates a domino effect to other people who see their good examples. This is what the noble man can do as he
governs with virtue. The state becomes a
family which the ruler has the responsibility to help his people become noble,
too.
In helping
people to cultivate values, the noble man also strengthens himself by his
constant dealings with his people. By
interacting with people, he can assess himself and the depth of knowledge he
has in terms of virtues. As Confucius
said in Analects 6:28:
“A man of
humanity, wishing to establish his own character, also establishes the
character of others, and wishing to be prominent himself, also helps others to
be prominent. To be able to judge others by what is near to ourselves may be
called the method of realizing humanity.” 6
These lines in
the Analects teach us to see the method of the noble man in achieving social
harmony in the state. By ruling with
propriety, he becomes like a parent to the state. He cultivates virtue and
educates his people with righteousness.
This education and cultivation, however, is a two-way process. It cultivates both the noble man and his
people. It cultivates the noble man for
it strengthens his values and enriches his knowledge of the good. It cultivates his people to realize the moral
principle or the Tao based on the values or virtues practiced by the ruler.
If a noble man
wishes to be the solution to the problem of disorder, he does not remain in his
household. He goes out and interacts
with other people. In order to fully
apply the solution of going back to the moral principle and living rightly, the
noble man needs to take the obligation of leading his people. This is the most righteous act for a noble
man, which Confucius states as “doing for nothing”. “Doing for nothing” here does not necessarily
imply doing an activity for the sake of passing time. As Fung Yu-Lan stated in his book entitled A Short History In Chinese Philosophy,
“One does what one ought to do, simply because it is morally right to do it,
and not for any consideration external to this moral compulsion.” 7
From Fung’s statement, one can say that the
noble man attempting to go into politics is not aiming for personal gains. He runs for office in order to become an
instrument of unity. One can see that
the noble man treats politics as an end and not as a means for personal
satisfaction. It is in this sense that
the noble man has an edge over the common rulers who only strive for power and
wealth through their positions. The
noble man, however, does not think of selfish pursuits. This makes his actions
moral, for he does it as a moral obligation.
In this way, he does his responsibilities sincerely and leads the people
to harmony.
Now in leading
the state, another edge that the noble man has is his method of
governance. It is regulation by virtue,
and not law. In home, even if one does
something bad, the family members do not correct his mistakes by giving him a
trial and a punishment similar to courts.
Rather, the family member who committed a mistake is counseled on the
proper way of doing things.
The noble man,
being cultivated in such household, extends this principle to the state in his
governance. He governs with virtue as he
implements laws. He treats the state as
a family that is needed to be taught and molded in virtues. Virtuous
rulers respect traditions and strengthen them by practice in governance.
Traditions are established to value family,
connection, and history. They also teach
one about the value of respect, commitment and devotion. They manifest continuity and consistency in
values being adhered to. They institutionalized
certain community values, beliefs, practices, principles, legacies and
norms. Thus, they teach certain ways of
living. As Fung Yu-Lan stated in his
book entitled A Short History of Chinese
Philosophy, “The rituals embody a certain standard of action set up to
represent righteousness and to represent the moral mean.” 8
Traditions are
expressed in different rituals. They are
ceremonies of values, beliefs and lifestyles.
Tradition makes every person, family, community, state and society
unique. It strengthens cohesiveness and
harmony among men. The aim of
philosophizing is to develop a noble man.
Whatever tradition he comes from, the noble man understands his name and
role and the responsibilities he must undertake in the process. He realizes his sociality as he lives
according to his name or role. Without
others, he will not be led to deep reflection.
Because of his interaction with others, he learns both the reality of
social disorder and the need for social harmony. That is why, it is very important that a
ruler understands his purpose in life.
Summary
and Conclusion: Confucius: Philosophy is
A Way To Live With Virtue
Confucius
teaches us that social disorder is a reality in the world. This social disorder is caused by one’s lack
of understanding about his name and the roles and responsibilities attached to
such name. In order to resolve this, one
has to go into philosophy through deep reflection. Deep reflection guides one to awareness and
realization of virtues. This awareness and
realization develops in him the inner conviction to cultivate virtues in
everything he will do. These virtues are benevolence, filial piety, brotherly
respect, wisdom, and righteousness. The ultimate purpose of life is to live the
Tao through living with virtues.
Awareness or
realization and cultivation of virtues are strengthened by one’s belief in
these virtues. Belief in virtues deepens
one’s practice of them. Because of such,
one animates these virtues and constantly practices them within and with others. Since one’s practice of virtue is truly
measured in how he manifests it in the community through social relationships,
he gradually aims to become a part of the solution of social disorder caused by
incorrect or improper actualization of names.
By constantly integrating philosophy through deep reflection, he becomes
wise, a noble man or a “chun tzu”.
As a noble man
or a “chun tzu”, he respects the tradition where he is rooted and the
traditions of society. Realizing the
wider arena of his social involvement and his aim to become a solution to
social disorder, he wishes to multiply his practice of virtue by influencing
others to do the same. The very
practical and proper way of influencing others to become virtuous is through
governance.
The “chun tzu”
is the most appropriate ruler who can model virtues to others through
governance. He has the widest influence
in society. That is why, he is called
the philosopher king. He is believed to
have practiced philosophy to become a person of virtues.
As a ruler, his
practice of virtues extends to his governance.
Rooted in family traditions, he considers the state as a bigger family
where he is responsible in developing virtues to his citizens by his own
examples. Laws and their implementation are aimed to develop virtuous citizens
so that social disorder will be resolved and social harmony will be realized
through his governance.
Therefore, for
Confucius, Philosophy is a way to live with virtues. Living with virtues is to realize and live the
Way or the Tao. Each person has a name,
role and responsibilities in the family and community. He should aim to become wise through
philosophy. Deep reflection is the basic
act of philosophizing. Through this, he will learn and understand his name,
role, and responsibilities.
One’s name and
the responsibilities attached to it involved many challenges. If one believes in virtue or in the Tao, he
learns to philosophize and reflect on the messages of every challenge he meets
while fulfilling these responsibilities attached to his name or role. He never gives up or surrenders and becomes
hopeless. He searches for virtues and finds harmony within and with
others. If one sets aside philosophy,
he will not realize the way of the Tao and will never deeply appreciate and
rightly fulfill his name or role and his responsibilities.
Each person has
an opportunity to become a wise man, a noble man or a “chun tzu” or “philosopher
king”. However, it takes right attitudes to become one. There are always desires which can blind one
to what is proper. These right attitudes
require selflessness, righteousness, and human-heartedness. Becoming a “chun
tzu” does not require a huge or great achievement. Just doing what is proper and right in a
particular situation is an act of a “chun tzu”.
A “chun tzu” encourages
others to do the same and helps multiply in number those who share his
purpose. This is essentially learning
the Way or the Tao. When one learns the
Tao, he does the proper way, lives it according to his name or role and helps
others discover the same. Living the
Way or the Tao is not just personal but interpersonal. Through one’s interaction with others, he
realizes the right from the wrong or the proper from the improper. However, as one undertakes the arduous
process of learning the Tao, he must get rid of selfishness and learns to be
considerate to others. He learns how to
be more involved in the welfare of others without thinking of any personal
gain. This is because in learning what is proper, one humbles himself for the
sake of others and restricts his actions to what is proper and moral. In this way, he prevents chaos or disorder.
The noble man is
the essential solution to resolve the problem of social disorder. He becomes an instrument of social harmony.
He is a basic example of a moral person.
His constant practice of moral values manifests his deep understanding
of the essence of personal and social harmony.
To be able to live a good life is to be true and faithful to one’s
responsibilities. Such attitude implies
that one has truly educated himself with the Way or the Tao.
Being a wise or
noble man or a “chun tzu” or a philosopher king requires understanding of the
moral principle. For an individual to do
what is “ought” of him, it is only foremost that he understands what
“oughtness” is. This oughtness implies
one’s actualization of his understanding of his name or role. He does things
without transgressing traditions and skipping from responsibilities.
Through
philosophizing, there are many ways to become wise or noble. But the emphasis is that being wise or noble
is always based on doing the right things according to one’s name or role. This
is basic and the core of moral principles in the realization of the Tao. When one deeply reflects, he understands
both himself and others. As one reflects
on his life, he sees himself as part of a whole in communion with others.
This leads the
individual to restrict his actions in consideration of other people around
him. He becomes conscientious of
following the rules in a situation and tradition. It can be said therefore, that it is only in
deep reflection that one is able to see the importance of others in the
manifestation of one’s learning, cultivation and practice of virtues. This is because one cannot confirm his
actions, nor even confirm his values without his interaction with others. The practice of virtues in one’s self means a
realization of the importance of others.
This is the essence of social harmony.
The common
mistake of most people is not taking sufficient time to understand their names
and roles. As a result, they choose
things or decide on something which is totally irrelevant to their lives. Consequently, they caused so much disorder in
their family, state or society. They
become the scalawags, the delinquents, and the criminals. In a larger scale, they contribute to the
social disorder in the world.
Learning through philosophizing is a noble way
to realize, cultivate and practice virtues.
It is noble because it entails discipline, values and propriety. One begins to be more conscious about his
actions, which then can prevent him from causing trouble to others. Such can be done when one reflects on his
life. Moreover, learning must be
approached as something which can greatly contribute to one’s development as a
person. This development is
holistic. It does not only concern the
growth of the mind, but also of the heart in terms morality and social
responsibility. One must consider
learning as an opportunity to make one’s life better by realizing one’s
involvement in a greater scheme of things.
This implies treating every experience as a way to realize the Tao.
Confucius
demonstrates Philosophy as a way of making one conscious of the things that he
does in his life. When one deeply
reflects, he gets to learn and cultivate virtues. In the process of cultivating virtues, he
becomes aware of the effect of his actions and their meanings in
existence. He becomes aware of the
people around him, his social relationships, and his responsibilities. He knows where he is headed to.
But with deep
reflection, one considers it an opportunity to understand the value of
benevolence, human-heartedness, justice, and care for the welfare of
others. Every experience carries with
it good values. But one has to discover
them rightly.
Philosophy, therefore,
is a way to realize the right direction of one’s life through reflection. In deep reflection, the individual knows what
to do and how to live in harmony with others.
He realizes significant lessons and develops good values or virtues in
the process. Philosophizing makes the individual see the value of doing his
moral obligation to his family and to his state. He begins to see the essence in things, and
the point in doing moral acts.
In deep
reflection, one becomes righteous. This
righteousness comes from the realization of the individual of the essence of
his responsibilities and the virtues that he lived. When one is conscious about his
responsibilities and understands the best ways to fulfill them, then, he is
wise or noble.
If people
reflected more on their actions, then they can truly see the importance of
having the right values in life. Living
a life without virtues is living a life of disorder. The individual has no moral references to
guide him in his actions. Moral values
give direction to one’s learning.
Without good attitude, an individual cannot manifest the profoundness of
his mind. Without virtue, a person
cannot preserve his learning and cannot live harmoniously with other people.
The importance of virtue in one’s life does
not lie on its impression on others, or the rewards that one might get out of
being a person of virtue. It is in one’s
own enlightenment and higher way of living that the importance of virtue is
realized. When a person instills virtue
in his self, he is living the Tao. He
lives life with awareness of his actions and the sense of care and concern for
others. In this way, he is more guided
in everything he does. His life becomes
profound and harmonious because of his good character. It becomes contagious to others. This means that he becomes a good model to others.
Virtues,
therefore, are not simply learned. They
become real when practiced and lived. They are signs of a person’s
strengths. It represents the inner
refinement of the person in terms of wisdom.
Life is a noble task to
accomplish. It has a lot of
challenges. Most of these are difficult
ones. But all of these challenges are paths
towards virtues. In the end, when one
practices virtues, his own life will show their fruits.
Every
message of an experience or reality has hidden meanings and principles.
When one discovers the meanings of the message and its principles,
he becomes a man of knowledge. But when one applies the
meanings of the message and its principles in his life, he becomes a man of
wisdom, a noble man, a “chun tzu.” The steps provided by Confucius to
cultivate the self recognizes philosophy as something that is lived. It
emphasizes that reflection and action are significant in the process of
self-cultivation. Philosophy engages the individual to think deeply
about his life. It is this direct involvement in life which makes
the steps philosophical in nature. It is a gradual learning and
relearning. It is not simply done in a random fashion.
It is life and being transformed by experiences and
realities. Moreover, the steps justify the notion of
experience in the sense of action itself. Experiences are life’s
inputs that should sharpen one’s understanding of self, his relation with
others, his aim for happiness, and his practice of virtues.
Philosophy helps one to realize that the meaning of life is truly the
practice of knowledge and wisdom discovered from one’s daily experiences and
realities.
To be a solution to the problem
of social disorder is to accept the challenges of any responsibility. To be a solution is to never fear doing one’s
obligation. It is in facing head-on such
burden that one can fully justify his learned values and the morality of his
actions. In this way, even though one
fails in leading the world back into the proper way of life, his consistent
actions makes him victorious over all the rejection and the harshness against
his way of living. In this manner, one
can live a happy life, for he is free from any anxiety of failure or success. This is what it means to be wise and noble,
as Confucius said in the Analects: “The wise are free from doubts; the virtuous
from anxiety; the brave from fear.” 9
To aim for a noble life is a
noble choice. Our weaknesses usually lure us to do what is not proper. The practice of good values and virtues is
tested in every situation we encounter in life.
It is like a battle where one has to have sufficient weapons in order to
fight and win. While one aims to become wise,
he must prepare for many possibilities that will test him. But for one who is certain that he lives his
life in virtues, he remains unshaken by all sorts of possibilities. Philosophy helps one to understand and
actualize properly and rightly his name, role, and responsibilities so that he
will become a wise man. Through it, one
investigates, discovers, and finds wisdom in all things. He refines his thoughts and directs his
actions to what is proper and moral.
Deep reflection, therefore, can fundamentally guide an individual to the
Tao. It prepares every man to face the
many possibilities of life. Through the practice of virtue, he remains moral
and virtuous. He lives his life without
being disturbed by challenges.
After
all, it is the practice of virtues learned from daily experiences, and
realities of life that measures a true
noble man. This is what Confucius wishes to convey. It
is this treasure that philosophy
wishes each one to find. As Confucius stated in Analects 15:28, “It is
man that can make the Way great, and not the Way that can make man great.” 10
By
this line, therefore, Confucius wishes us to understand the value of the
Tao. To become a “chun tzu” is a matter
of right choice. Right choice is founded on deep reflection. Deep reflection
leads one to discover and develop virtues.
When one develops virtues, he practices them in his life, and in his
family, state or society. In this way,
he avoids social disorder and advocates social harmony.
Thus,
Confucius is right when he said that man makes the Way great when he does what
is proper or moral. It is by man’s moral
actions that the Tao becomes great. The practice of virtue is what makes one’s life
rightly lived. Becoming noble or a “chun
tzu” or a philosopher king is not being great but being right.
II.
LAO
TZU: Philosophy Is A Way To Live With Nature
Lao Tzu demonstrated Philosophy as a way to live in
accordance with Nature. He shows this in
the way he resolves the problem of the absence of natural harmony in the
world. Nature reveals the essential
pattern by which one has to connect his life in order to know more himself and
find the truth of a simple and happy life by letting Nature roll out its course
without interference. Through
Philosophy, Lao Tzu wishes each individual to realize that Nature is not the
enemy which one needs to subdue. Rather,
Nature must be treated as a teacher that can form him into a sage.
A.)
Absence of Natural Harmony (Philosophy: Being
Aware of Nature)
For
Lao Tzu, every event that happens in an individual or change in the universe is
part of the natural movement of Nature. This change includes pleasant,
unpleasant, and other contrasting elements present in the movement of
Nature. Understanding this movement of Nature and its course needs
philosophy. By deeply reflecting on one’s life, he can realize a
great deal of things. It can make him understand the essence of “natural
laws” operating in his life and in the world.
However, the lack of understanding Nature through philosophy brings out
the problem of absence of natural harmony within the person and with the world.
This
absence of natural harmony essentially originates from one’s lack of
self-knowledge. Lao Tzu teaches us that
the basic understanding of Nature and its course is first realized within
us. One has to know who he is and what
he has. Being aware of Nature is being aware first of
one’s self. Further, understanding
Nature through its “natural laws” means letting everything flow the way it
is.
With
this, one can appreciate both the positive and negative sides of an
event. In appreciating these contrasting elements he sees himself in that
scheme. It is in this realization of himself that he realizes his
humanity. By realizing his humanity, he sees new and necessary things.
He can do this because he is fully aware of his natural
capabilities. Being aware of Nature, implies that one has a grasp as to
what extent he can do something with contentment. Through philosophy, he
becomes aware of Nature and relates his life and his goals with it.
B.)
Assumption of a Solution ( Philosophy: Learning
Nature)
The
solution to the absence of natural harmony is to learn Nature and understand
its laws. This solution is living according to the Tao. The phrase “living according to the Tao”
means understanding Nature, the reality of the opposites, the Tao as the law of
Nature, the origin and the way of Nature. The reluctance of individuals to
recognize these essential concepts of Tao is the root of the absence of natural
harmony. In the individual, there are circumstances and experiences which
led him to a variety of realizations. Realizations must not be taken at
face value. Instead, one must probe deeper into the explicit and implicit meanings
of that realization. The presence of opposites in all things is natural.
It propels one’s realizations of him being significantly confronted with
the basic and necessary as explicitly recognizable in things of life. The
first step of knowing them is through their physical presence realized through
the senses. But beyond their physicality or explicit presence, there is
something deeper and implicit. Thus, each thing in life has two
sides: positive and negative, external and internal, and explicit and
implicit.
Applying
this in terms of being able to realize and learn the natural laws governing the
universe, one must not stop on that point of realization. Rather, he must
use this as a starting point to come up with something deeper. He must
use such realization as a starting point for a solution. To be able to do
this requires deeper reflection. Deeper reflection is a process where one
refines his knowledge of things by understanding their places in the natural
scheme of the universe. He removes assumptions and prejudices and let
things flow naturally. It is in this refinement of understanding that one
can be able to have a clearer view as to how he would proceed from the
realization he made.
Reflection
is the initial step to proceed deeply to the heart of all things. Here,
the so-called critical thinking is realized through comparing and contrasting
and analyzing and synthesizing. This is the same principle when one tries
to deepen their understanding about the natural laws. Just
remaining on the external aspect of things denies a person of an opportunity to
discover new out of what is there. In deeply reflecting about one’s
experiences on something, he can discover new things. He can discover the
“nature” or essence of concepts and realities. By deep reflection one can
be able to extract the basic essences which can lead him into
enlightenment. In this case, one gets to realize a particular way
of movement, the way of the Tao. One can be able to see the Tao as the
origin and the natural way.
It
is also the same with an encounter with a person. In the first
meeting, one does not immediately conclude on the person’s quality. He
takes time to know the person in the second and third meetings or in some more
meetings. Reflection on the meetings is done consistently. There are
positive and negative things being discovered which give one an essential
understanding on the nature of the person. Eventually, he learns to value
the person and transcend one’s tendency to become assuming and biased. By
this, one sees the natural order of existence through his realization of the
importance of every person he meets in life. He then creates harmony
between himself and others. He becomes an instrument of unity, a value
that reflects the Tao.
C.) Taoist Virtues (Philosophy: Believing in Virtues)
The characteristics of the sage reflect
the so-called Taoist virtues. Belief in
virtues lead one to consistently practice them. The Taoist virtues are humility, simplicity,
and contentment. All of these point to
Nature or the Tao. All these are the
characteristics of a sage. Becoming a
sage is a realization of the Tao. The
task or responsibility of one is to practice them in his life so he will become
a sage.
The difficult part in one’s life
is the practice of these characteristics.
But this difficulty, when not addressed properly, becomes a
philosophical problem. When one does not
do something much better for his life out of what he is and what he has, he is
blind of reflection and critical thinking.
These two are instruments of philosophizing and the ways towards the
realization of virtues. Without philosophy, one’s life becomes chaotic
and out of order. So when one
philosophizes, he recognizes realities, reflects on these realities, finds his
place in such realities and unites himself to where he should be. In doing these philosophical basics, one can
develop the right attitudes to keep his equilibrium. The Tao lets one realize that there is always
new in usual things, people, activities, roles and choices one deals with every
day. That out of them, one can draw out the necessary from the unnecessary
things. The necessary things are the
manifestations of Nature, the ways of the Tao.
It is through reflection and critical thinking that one can discard the
unnecessary things.
Humility helps one accept things
without contradicting them. Simplicity
helps him to discover who he is.
Selflessness allows him to realize the importance of others in his goal
for natural harmony. Contentment is
realization of one’s self-knowledge aligned to the natural course of things in
life and in the world. These virtues make up the entirety of a
sage. He believes and lives them
constantly. Virtues tames desires which
caused social disorder. They are the
manifestations of the Way, Tao or Nature.
The sage patterns his life to this.
D.)
Development of A Taoist Sage (
Philosophy: Embodying Nature)
Upon
philosophizing, one begins to embody Nature. This is because in deep
reflection, one instills Nature’s characteristics in his own being. This
then makes him live in harmony with it. In deeply reflecting about something,
he begins to see its relation to himself, and thus makes him willing to learn
from life. Philosophizing does not only make one see the greater scheme
of things. It can also make one realize his ultimate purpose in life. It helps him find the right values of
living. It helps him find himself and discover the essential lessons of
Nature or the Tao in the ordinary events in life.
If the sage is the manifestation
of the solution, then it is only foremost when one gets to know how such state
will be attained. It is only in such a
way that a solution may be possible. This development of the sage is done by
knowing the Tao as unlearning and following the Tao as “non-action”, which are
said to hold the characteristics of Nature itself.
Embodying Nature can only be done
when one empties himself of his presupposed knowledge. Having knowledge is not a bad thing in
itself. What makes it bad is the
tendency of the person possessing it to become filled with unnecessary
desires. As Fung Yu-Lan stated in his
book, A Short History of Chinese
Philosophy, “Knowledge itself is an object of desire. It also enables people to know more about the
objects of desire and serve as a means to gain these objects.” 11
Fung’s
statement implies that having too much “knowledge” about the things and the
ways in acquiring it makes individuals discontented. Indeed, when one knows too much about
something, he becomes proud and conceited.
He can even go the point of abusing himself and others just to give way
to his pride and conceit. These pride
and conceit are endless. With these,
one is never satisfied with what he has.
He wants more. Thus, this leads one
to a life of disorder and chaos.
A
sage models virtues in his life. He
knows the Tao as unlearning and following the Tao as non-action. He lives only what is necessary and finds
contentment in it. He is free from pride
and conceit. He knows who he is and his
capacities. He lives within these
capacities.
E.) Achieving Natural Harmony (Philosophy: Governing With Nature)
Natural harmony is the ultimate purpose of the Tao. This is also the principle of a sage. Through
philosophy, he realizes this purpose. The sage embodies the Taoist virtues; thus, he
is a worthy ruler of a state. He knows
himself well and does not go beyond himself.
He does what is necessary and governs in virtues. In matters of laws, he only implement
necessary laws for harmony within him and with others. He unlearns and does no
action against what is necessary. Only a
sage can live with Nature or the Tao. As
a ruler, he becomes a source of natural harmony in the state. He is called the Sage Emperor.
In order become a true Sage Emperor, one does not simply need to
cultivate it to himself alone. He must
lead others back to the Tao as well.
Only then that one can truly prove that he lived his life according to
Nature. For Lao Tzu, the learning of
Nature does not end in the individual cultivating the values of Nature in his
character. Rather, he must help others
and take the responsibility of leading them back to Nature.
The solution to the philosophical
problem cannot be realized in the society if those who are wise will not become
rulers. The state should be ruled by
Sage Emperor. He is the right ruler who
can cultivate among the people the values of humility, simplicity and
contentment. It is in this light that the Taoist Sage as the Sage Emperor of
the state contributes to the solution of disharmony in society.
The Sage Emperor governs without
restrictions. He believes in the
capacities of his people and lets them do what they can. He does not interfere
in their affairs but only leads them to obey and do what are necessary. This is
deemed to be the first duty of the Sage Emperor. As Fung Yu-Lan stated in his book entitled A
Short History of Chinese Philosophy, “The duty of the sage ruler is not to do
things, but rather to undo or not to do at all.” 12
Fung’s statement about “undoing”
and “not doing” does not imply that a ruler is irresponsible and lazy. “Undoing” and “not doing” in this sense
rather means letting people become more responsible in actions without applying
force on them. “Undoing” means leading the people towards Nature when they shun
away from it and “not doing” means leading them to what they are.
The government of the Sage
Emperor is government of non-interference.
This is the specified solution in which Lao Tzu shows in order for the
Sage Emperor to help his people go back to the Tao. It is in this sense that he becomes the
foundation of establishing natural harmony in the state. He does what is just and needed of a
situation. He does not impose but respect what his people can do. He does not interfere but aids the people to
obey necessary laws without excesses.
He avoids the extremes and lets the people realize the necessity of
contentment by living their lives within their means.
Summary And Conclusion: Lao Tzu:
Philosophy Is A Way To Live With Nature
The core of Lao Tzu’s teachings
focused on man’s ultimate purpose in life, that is, to live with Nature or the
Tao and become a sage. In order to
realize this, one has to know himself by philosophizing. Philosophizing comes in various forms.
Through deep reflection, his self-knowledge will help him understand the ways
of Nature through the daily realities of life.
In the process of understanding himself, he encounters realities that
would reveal to him the natural course of things. He learns from these and discover
virtues. From discovery of virtues, he
comes to understand them through others.
He gives prime value to practice of virtues like humility, simplicity,
selflessness, and contentment. He
believes in them and spreads the practice of these to others.
Being formed by virtues, he
becomes a true model to others. His
practice of virtue will not be complete without influencing others to do the
same. As the absence of harmony is
caused by lack of virtues, he becomes a solution to the said problem. To realize this, he should lead or rule a
state. He is the so-called Sage Emperor.
He governs a state with virtue. This means that he governs with non-
interference and non-action. By
non-interference and non-action, he rules without forcing people to obey but letting
them participate in governance with a sense of welfare for others. He avoids extremes and excesses in
implementing laws. He does and
implements only what is necessary. In
these ways, disorder is avoided and harmony is realized.
The Tao is the origin of all
virtues. It is Nature itself. Every person has an opportunity to become a
sage through philosophizing. The
ultimate purpose of philosophy or philosophizing is to prepare every person to
discover, know and understand the widely open and deeply empty essence of
Nature. Whether a student, a ruler or anyone, the ultimate purpose of one is to
learn and practice virtues. Since each
person has the capacity to understand Nature, the way of the Tao. He has all the opportunities to become a
sage or a wise one. In this way, he is
one with Nature. Despite that Nature
presents all the opposites, a wise man knows which to take. He finds the
balance of these opposites by being faithful to what he is and what he has.
This is living in harmony with Nature or the Tao.
For Lao Tzu, Philosophy is an instrument for one to understand more
profoundly natural laws present in the universe. The essence of which is a
person taking a stance to unite himself to nature by simply being in union with
himself and with the world and everything in it. It is
a guide for him to be reflective, critical, humble, sincere and contented as he
realizes his life through his relations with others and the world.
Every person is a purpose in himself. Every being in the world has an important
contribution to the natural order of things.
This is what philosophizing should do to every person. That in the natural state of things, no one
and nothing is without purpose. Through
philosophizing, man should realize his worth.
Nature is his origin and, therefore, he has a duty to realize it, search
its wisdom and live its emptiness and openness rightly. With these, he avoids injuring himself and
others. He deeply develops contentment,
peace, sense of others and devotion to Nature.
Since Tao implies openness and
emptiness as reflective of the characteristics of the natural state of things,
it is necessary for one to prepare himself to plunge into this. It is only in humility that he can fashion
his life along with the way of the Tao.
Emptiness here does not mean complete void, like how Western philosophy
sees it. In the philosophy of Lao Tzu,
emptiness is actually the natural state of things. It is “empty” of any unnecessary factor that
can make a “natural” thing “unnatural”.
This means that the natural way is devoid of any assumption and biases. It just flows without disturbance. The duty of one is to obey it without
resistance. This implies that one lives according to it.
Openness, on the other hand,
pertains to impartiality in the philosophy of Lao Tzu. Being open means that everything is in
it. This characteristic is true of
Nature. The only thing expected of an
individual is to experience it, reflect on it, find the truth in it and become
a sage. All insights and the elements
of becoming a sage are in it. But one
has to discover, analyze, reflect, criticize, appreciate and synthesize all
insights, lessons, realizations that come along with the openness and emptiness
of nature. It is only in these that he
is united with Nature.
These profound realizations and
insights from deep reflection point to an even bigger picture of the law of
Nature. Nature or Tao is the origin of
everything. It is only in recognizing
Nature that one can fashion himself with values. As Fung Yu-Lan stated in his book, A Short History of Chinese Philosophy,
“According to Lao Tzu, Tao is that by which all things come to be. In this process of coming to be, each
individual thing obtains something from the universal Tao, and this something
is called Te (virtue).” 13
Fung’s statement tries to say
that it is only when one recognizes Nature that he can realize the “natural”
values inherent within him. These
“natural” values are values that are not imposed, but rather are values which
no forceful effort is required to accomplish it. It is the state of an object which is free
from any imposed rule or influence.
When one recognizes Nature and its laws, he
becomes a man of virtue. He becomes
virtuous because in his constant reflections about the ways of Nature, he
learns to temper his actions and his desires.
He learns to be himself, learns contentment, and maintains unity with
all beings in the world. In this way, he
does not contribute to the problem of disunity or disharmony or disorder in the
world. He becomes a solution
himself. In this way he is led to his
natural character, that is, himself being united with what he is and what he
should be.
Lao Tzu considers the need to philosophize as
a means for one to reflect, analyze, compare, contrast, transcend, transform
and translate into one’s life the lessons of Nature. In philosophizing, one can see the greater
scheme of things. The individual is
enlightened through growing from various realities encountered in everyday life.
He fashions his life with Nature. He avoids
chaos. This is because the individual
does not impose some kind of artificial remedy or an imposed action. In fashioning one’s life in conformity with Nature,
he preserves his life by freely moving along with what is.
The real challenge of philosophizing is to
maintain equilibrium by living with Nature.
The task of one is to make a
synthesis out of the disadvantages and advantages of the disorder to come up
with new insights or solution. Understanding
Nature implies philosophical approaches.
This is because understanding is an important component for the search
for truth. Philosophical approaches
always necessitate one’s going out of oneself and realize himself in a wider
horizon. Life is a search for truth and
the truth is one which leads to happiness and fulfillment. Truth lies in one’s continuous right
relationship with Nature and everything in it.
In this way, one establishes his equilibrium and sustains it
properly.
What Lao Tzu wishes us to
understand is the significance of Philosophy as a way that will lead one to
understand the principles present in all things. These principles include those
that are related to permanence and change, good and bad, positive and negative,
earthly and heavenly, existence and eternity, simplicity and complexity,
freedom and choice, triumphs and failures, happiness and sadness and so
on.
This means that Lao Tzu’s
consideration of the significance of philosophy in man’s goal of happiness and
fulfillment allows opportunities for him to be deeply engrossed in the natural
flow of things without any attempt to go against it or disobey its
process. In all the contradictions of
life and in whatever realities one encounters, there is purpose in them. And this purpose is something that is
beneficial to one’s search for truth and happiness. Truth and happiness can only be realized and
understood when one becomes united with Nature and others.
Philosophy helps one realize that
everything happens with a purpose. That
is why, one has to conform to what is there.
This is because it just reveals some purposes that man needs to
understand and live with faithfully. At
the end, philosophy reveals in man the very purpose of his life, which is,
unity with Nature or the Tao and with all the things and realities in it. It frees one from the slavery of selfishness
and disobedience to Nature. Thus, it
solves the problem of chaos and disunity among men and other beings.
Therefore, Lao Tzu teaches us
that Nature is open and wide. It is
empty but filled with everything. The
task of philosophy and the one who is philosophizing is to truly understand
Nature and become wise. Despite the presence of so many unnecessary things in
the world, one remains in the way of the Tao by choosing the necessary, living
with the necessary, and practicing what is necessary. Whether a student, a leader, a ruler or
anybody, when one lives in virtue, he lives with Nature. In this way, chaos, disorder or disharmony
among men and other beings in the world is avoided. This problem is conquered by true
philosophizing anchored in Lao Tzu’s letting things be.
Therefore, Lao Tzu’s teaches us
to simply follow Nature and faithfully abide in the principles governing
it. With philosophizing, each of us has
a chance to discover ourselves and the ultimate purpose of our lives through
Nature. Then, we develop virtues and
become a sage. When we realize all of
these, we become part of the solution to the problem of disorder in the world. We become source of natural harmony.
This
is actually the ultimate purpose which every person has to realize in his life.
Only through philosophizing that one finds Nature in all realities that
he comes along with. Living the values of Nature is uniting to Nature
itself. Lao Tzu teaches us to just
simply do what we can and accept those which we cannot. Happiness
is simple with natural things. Natural things are the foundations of
virtues. Each one has an opportunity to
become a sage through practice of virtues.
III.
CONFUCIUS
AND LAO TZU: Philosophy Is A Way to Live Rightly.
Confucius and
Lao Tzu consider that the ultimate purpose of philosophy is for one to practice
virtue. Virtue develops one to become
noble (Confucius) or become a sage (Lao Tzu).
Both believe that a person who practices virtue is a solution to social
disorder and an instrument for social harmony.
He is the best ruler in a state. For
Confucius, this is the realization of the Tao, and for Lao Tzu, living with
Nature. Such harmony is associated with one’s harmony with the world he is
living in. It involves anything one
encounters with the world, his environment, community, and family. Being in harmony with these things yields a
good life to the individual and prosperity to the state.
Confucius
emphasizes that the essence of a noble man is realized when he helps others
become noble, too. He stresses on the
values of altruism, benevolence, filial piety, respect, conscientiousness,
wisdom and righteousness. Lao Tzu
emphasizes that the essence of a sage is realized when he lets Nature be, by
avoiding extremes and excesses. He
stresses on the values of simplicity, humility and contentment. He emphasized that uniting with Nature
implies that one will do only what is necessary.
Confucius and
Lao Tzu placed a high premium on Philosophy as the way to become a noble man or
a sage. Becoming one is actually an
individual “oughtness”. This “ought to
be” involves both the education of the mind and the heart through deep
reflection. Deep reflection is a way to
liberate one from doubts and confusions.
It elevates him to a well-directed, more refined and higher order way of
thinking. The realization of one’s
“oughtness” results to individual happiness and social harmony.
In order to
achieve these goals, they specify the solution of developing a kind of man
which is different from the others. For
both philosophers, harmony can be made possible when one manifests its
possibility. This is the sage or the noble man.
It is only when one achieves enlightenment and develops virtue that he
can truly be in harmony with the world, either by being in accordance with a
moral principle or a natural way of things. As Fung Yu-Lan stated in his book A Short History of Chinese Philosophy:
“What is the
highest form of achievement of which a man as man is capable? According to
Chinese Philosophers, it is nothing less than being a sage, and the highest
achievement of a sage is the identification of the individual with the
universe.” 14
Both Confucius
and Lao Tzu teach us to discover our own “oughtness” through philosophy. This “oughtness”
implies the inner goodness in man which will be realized only through the practice
of virtues. These virtues are to be found in the Tao or Nature, the origin of
things. One should aim to become noble
or virtuous or a sage. This is every
man’s essence. This is realized by
living the Way or the Tao or by living in harmony with Nature.
Therefore,
Chinese philosophy as demonstrated by Confucius and Lao Tzu, aims to teach us
how to live our lives rightly. The ultimate purpose of life is virtue which
every person has to realize through the realities in daily living. Each one can become virtuous. By becoming one, he realizes the Tao and
lives it.
IV.)
SYNTHESIS
In my life as a philosophy student and a
private person, I find the teachings of Confucius and Lao Tzu
very striking and worth reflecting. Honestly,
both philosophers struck me most and touched my depth. The common major point
in their teachings is the premiere place of philosophy as a way to discover,
know, understand, and reflect on realities and challenges that lead one to the
Tao or Nature. The Tao or Nature
signifies the origin and foundation of all things. This Tao or Nature is essentially manifested
in virtues.
I admit that
in the beginning I could not grasp this major point. But when I encountered some ordinary situations
in my life as a student, I realized that their teachings speak to me through
those situations. First, I became
impatient and discouraged many times when I cannot do my assignments and other
tasks correctly. I felt bad and tend to
be lazy. I exerted efforts but such were
not enough. I have been adjusting also
from being away from home and parents.
I believed in righteousness but I felt I like to be lax about it. But I cannot afford also to break rules or
policies. I became confused and felt
empty. Then, as I was writing an entry
for a blog, this virtue that Confucius
and Lao Tzu taught through philosophy struck my thought and I felt ashamed to
admit that I was so weak and unwise. I
realized that I was so proud to believe that I know many things yet I understand
least of them. I did not actually
understand goodness until I encountered the simple goodness showed to me by a
lady guard who reminded me not to cover my ID with my receipt when passing
through a metal detector. She spoke
softly yet full of concern. She
symbolized virtue. She made me realized
that there is an opportunity to discover virtue even in ordinary
situation. I learned to respect and
appreciate her more. I do not consider
her as a lady guard at the university but a person who does her job with
concern for others. By that, I realized
my attitudes towards my studies. I was
easily discouraged by failures in grades and other tasks despite that I exerted
extra efforts. From that experience
with the lady guard, I realized that each of us can become good or righteous
through our role or function if we are devoted to such role or function. I learned to be more patient in my studies.
Second, I
encountered some tempting situations of dishonesty about rating and
grades. But I chose to have lower rating
or grades and I felt inner peace. I
believed that honesty begets honesty. I
believed in the teachings of Lao Tzu and Confucius on virtues. I experienced unexpected rewards because of
what I have done. I cannot describe the
happiness I felt because of that.
Third, I learned
to let go of unnecessary things. Lao Tzu
teaches us to let things be. Similarly,
Confucius teaches us to learn
benevolence. I learned to free myself
from “tall desires.” It was not easy but
I did it. I let go of some pains in the
past. By doing it, I showed benevolence
to myself. As a result, I learned how to
go about with pressures. I felt my life
lighter and more inspiring.
Fourth, Lao
Tzu’s teaching on contentment for what one is or self-knowledge. From
this, I learned to accept what I am and believe it as a gift to me. I learned to appreciate what I am and what I
have. So in situation where I do not
perform excellently, I still feel good and happy. This is also not overdoing or going to
extremes. I have to love what I am and
discover many good things from it. I
know that I am not tall. When I see tall
ladies and guys, I just smiled and feel good about myself.
Fifth,
Confucius teaches us that our ultimate purpose in life is virtue, the very
essence of Tao. I realized that each
person has inherent goodness within. So
it is not good to judge others. Each one
has a capacity to realize virtue in life.
I learned to co-exist with some people I do not like. Again, it is difficult but it is possible.
Finally,
with all the weaknesses I have, I realized that virtue will not be discovered
without discovering and understanding my weaknesses. I know that living rightly through virtues is
a lifetime task. These learning in
Chinese Philosophy really inspired me to continue searching for what is right
and believe that each situation and person I encounter everyday will lead me to
philosophy. With philosophy, I aim to discover the Tao or
Nature and live my life in accordance with its principles. In the future, I may not become great. I just wish my life to be right.
Sources:
1. Fung Yu-Lan, “Confucius (551-479 B.C.) and Mencius (372-289 B.C.)”,
(Boston: Beacon Press, 1962), In The
Spirit of Chinese Philosophy, 20.
2. Fung Yu-Lan, “Confucius, The First Teacher”, (New York: The Free
Press, 1948), In A Short History of
Chinese Philosophy, 41.
3. Fung Yu-Lan, “Confucius (551-479 B.C.) and Mencius (372-289 B.C.)”,
(Boston: Beacon Press, 1962), In The
Spirit of Chinese Philosophy, 18.
4. Fung Yu-Lan, “The
Spirit of Chinese Philosophy”, (New York: The Free Press, 1948), In A Short History of Chinese
Philosophy, 2.
5. Fung Yu-Lan, “Confucius (551-479 B.C.) and Mencius (372-289 B.C.)”,
(Boston: Beacon Press, 1962), In The
Spirit of Chinese Philosophy, 22.
6. Fung Yu-Lan, “Confucius, The First Teacher” (United States: Princeton University Press, 1963),
In A Short History of Chinese Philosophy,
45.
7. Wing Tsit Chan, “The Humanism of
Confucius”, (United
States: Princeton University Press, 1963), In A
Source Book In Chinese Philosophy, 31.
8. Fung Yu-Lan, “Confucius (551-479 B.C.) and Mencius (372-289 B.C.)”,
(Boston: Beacon Press, 1962), In The
Spirit of Chinese Philosophy, 21.
9. Ibid.
10. Wing Tsit Chan, “The Humanism of Confucius”, (United States: Princeton
University Press, 1963), In A Source Book In
Chinese Philosophy, 44.
11. Fung Yu-Lan, “Lao
Tzu”, (New York: The Free Press, 1948), In A
Short History of Chinese Philosophy, 102.
12. Fung Yu-Lan, “Lao Tzu”, (New York: The Free
Press, 1948), In A Short
History of Chinese Philosophy, 99.
13. Fung Yu-Lan, “Lao Tzu”, (New York: The
Free Press, 1948.), In A Short
History of Chinese Philosophy, 101.
14. Fung Yu-Lan, “The
Spirit of Chinese Philosophy”, (New York: The Free Press, 1948), In A Short History of Chinese
Philosophy, 6.
