Confucius' Political Mind
Confucius’ political mind -------Education and feeding
Confucius, who is also honored as Master Kong, is considered to be a master, a sage by people in China and even around the world nowadays. Yet, back to the years when he was alive, he was no famous man. Confucius was born in the state Lu. And by the sixth century of the Zhou dynasty, the state and other states around was in rapid decline with warfare fighting for territories (tradition 41). As a scholar at the time, Confucius travel around the states, hoping to be employed by one of the rulers to share his theories of governing a country (the way). He was never able to realize these ideals, yet he became a teacher who tries to prepare men for public office, making them capable to take part in government. (Analects 6) Giving this background, it can be deduced that the original purpose of Confucius’ being a teacher is to realize his ideal government; by cultivating his students and by trying to give political advice to the government. Therefore, Confucius’ political thinking is very much worth us studying. We start from the analysis of the following saying, and then go on to discuss the two essential factor of conducting a government in Confucius’ perspective: education and feeding. “ Zi Gong asked about government. The master said: if there is enough food and if there are enough weapons, the people will put their trust in it. Zigong said: suppose you definitely had no alternative but to give up one of these three, which would you relinquish first? The master said: I would give up weapons. Zigong said: suppose you definitely had no alternative but to give up one of the remaining two, which would you relinquish first?” The master said: “I would give up food. From of old death has come to all man. But a people will not stand if it lacks trust. “ ” (The Analects p45)
In this saying, Zi Gong, one of
Confucius, who is also honored as Master Kong, is considered to be a master, a sage by people in China and even around the world nowadays. Yet, back to the years when he was alive, he was no famous man. Confucius was born in the state Lu. And by the sixth century of the Zhou dynasty, the state and other states around was in rapid decline with warfare fighting for territories (tradition 41). As a scholar at the time, Confucius travel around the states, hoping to be employed by one of the rulers to share his theories of governing a country (the way). He was never able to realize these ideals, yet he became a teacher who tries to prepare men for public office, making them capable to take part in government. (Analects 6) Giving this background, it can be deduced that the original purpose of Confucius’ being a teacher is to realize his ideal government; by cultivating his students and by trying to give political advice to the government. Therefore, Confucius’ political thinking is very much worth us studying. We start from the analysis of the following saying, and then go on to discuss the two essential factor of conducting a government in Confucius’ perspective: education and feeding. “ Zi Gong asked about government. The master said: if there is enough food and if there are enough weapons, the people will put their trust in it. Zigong said: suppose you definitely had no alternative but to give up one of these three, which would you relinquish first? The master said: I would give up weapons. Zigong said: suppose you definitely had no alternative but to give up one of the remaining two, which would you relinquish first?” The master said: “I would give up food. From of old death has come to all man. But a people will not stand if it lacks trust. “ ” (The Analects p45)
In this saying, Zi Gong, one of
Cited: De, Bary William Theodore, Irene Bloom, Wing-tsit Chan, Joseph Adler, and Richard John Lufrano. Sources of Chinese Tradition. New York: Columbia UP, 1999. Print. Dawson, Raymond. The Analects. Great Britain: Oxford UP, 2008. Print.