PHIL220
aim, the fellowship of junzi
(exemplary persons) was
essential. For Confucius,
junzi (literally ‘the son of
the noble’) exemplifies a
morally superior person
who embodies dignity and
respect for others, as well
as pursuing virtues such
as humility, sincerity and
so on. Confucius insists
that everyone, at least
theoretically, could attain
the junzi status. Here,
therefore, the source of
Confucian values can be
found through successful
self cultivation.
According to Confucius,
to be a morally superior
man, true goodness can
be attained through ritual
practices (li); to achieve
true, humane goodness
(rén), “the humane man…
desiring himself to succeed,
he helps others succeed.
To judge others by what
one knows of oneself is
the method of achieving
humanity”
(Theodore,
1960). Here, Confucius
introduces
a
morally
superior man who pertains
to affectionate concern for
the well-being of others
in his community. The
Foundational to this process
is the role of learning.
Learning,
however,
is
not mere acquisition of
information, but requires
understanding and insight.
Confucius
insists
the
student must be genuinely
determined (zhi) as learning
requires intellectual initiative
and engagement. Confucius
argues
that
learning
should be open to all: “In
instruction there are to be
no distinctions of status”
(Gardner, 2014). Therefore,
everyone is capable of
correct formal behaviour
and moral conduct to attain
‘superior
man
status’.
This idea of becoming a
noble man was a novel
challenge to Confucius’s
contemporaries. It seems
that the ultimate source of
Confucian values, and the
key to achieving goodness,
lies within. People are not
good by birth, and biological
inheritance is irrelevant;
we
must
learn
and
develop properly human
characteristics.
21
source of this value is rén,
and it is the highest virtue
in the Confucian vision.
There is no translation
that quite captures the full
significance of the term,
and for the purpose of
this discussion it is not
necessary to adjudicate
between competing ideas
of the meaning. Rén has
been variously translated
as
‘humaneness’ or
‘benevolence,’ but overall
can be seen as an allencompassing
ethical
idea
of
all
desirable
qualities (Shun, 1993).
Rén is achieved through