Confucius The Ideal Person
Confucius: The Ideal Person
Ijeoma Ukwuoma
REL/133
December 5, 2013
Joshua Scruggs
Confucius: The Ideal Person
According to Confucius, the ideal person must be educated and exhibit good moral character. This perfect person is the junzi which is translated as “superior person,” but can also be translated as “noble person.” Confucius believes the virtues that guide the junzi should be practiced from childhood so that these virtues and ways of relating to the world come naturally. Some of these virtues include faithfulness, modesty, compassion and diligence. Although educated, the junzi never uses his knowledge to insult or offend and holds himself accountable for his mistakes. This noble person is an example of someone who shows humanity at its best.
In addition to those, this ideal person should also respect and adhere to the Confucian Virtues and The Five Great Relationships. The Confucian Virtues are five: Ren, Li, Shu, Xiao, and Wen. Ren entails thinking of others, exhibiting sympathy, and acting selflessly. Li encompasses similar characteristics to Ren in that it focuses on doing what is appropriate and operating with integrity. Shu refers to what is known as the ‘Golden Rule’: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Xiao embraces the notion of devotion to the welfare of the family, including ancestors. Wen has to do with appreciation for education, culture, and connoisseurship. The Five Great Relationships to adhere to help to tie society in to the cultivation of the ideal person. Essentially, the idea of Confucianism is that an excellent or ideal person begets a harmonious society and vice versa. The guideline for this ideal is found within The Five Great Relationships, starting with the first relationship: Father-son, which is also extended to be parent-child. In this relationship, the father nurtures, or teaches the son how to care for the family, and in the event that the father succumbs to an untimely death, the son takes over as the head
Ijeoma Ukwuoma
REL/133
December 5, 2013
Joshua Scruggs
Confucius: The Ideal Person
According to Confucius, the ideal person must be educated and exhibit good moral character. This perfect person is the junzi which is translated as “superior person,” but can also be translated as “noble person.” Confucius believes the virtues that guide the junzi should be practiced from childhood so that these virtues and ways of relating to the world come naturally. Some of these virtues include faithfulness, modesty, compassion and diligence. Although educated, the junzi never uses his knowledge to insult or offend and holds himself accountable for his mistakes. This noble person is an example of someone who shows humanity at its best.
In addition to those, this ideal person should also respect and adhere to the Confucian Virtues and The Five Great Relationships. The Confucian Virtues are five: Ren, Li, Shu, Xiao, and Wen. Ren entails thinking of others, exhibiting sympathy, and acting selflessly. Li encompasses similar characteristics to Ren in that it focuses on doing what is appropriate and operating with integrity. Shu refers to what is known as the ‘Golden Rule’: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Xiao embraces the notion of devotion to the welfare of the family, including ancestors. Wen has to do with appreciation for education, culture, and connoisseurship. The Five Great Relationships to adhere to help to tie society in to the cultivation of the ideal person. Essentially, the idea of Confucianism is that an excellent or ideal person begets a harmonious society and vice versa. The guideline for this ideal is found within The Five Great Relationships, starting with the first relationship: Father-son, which is also extended to be parent-child. In this relationship, the father nurtures, or teaches the son how to care for the family, and in the event that the father succumbs to an untimely death, the son takes over as the head