After reading the assigned works in the textbook (Virtue) and completing the multiple choice and response board questions there, please make your main post. For your main post:
Start by copying in your response to your assigned response board question
Elaborate on your response there with an additional 300-350 words, explaining your response and supporting it with evidence from the assigned text
Group C should post on the question in Ch. 4 comparing virtuous behaviors in Confucius' writing with virtuous behaviors in your own culture.
In your expansion, discuss on behavior that Confucius sees as virtuous that you think your own culture should adopt
Question from CHapter 4: What behaviors promoted by Confucius are considered virtuous in your own culture, and which are actually NOT seen as virtuous?
Reading is below:
Book 7
A discernible common theme in this book is the importance of a properly directed and sufficiently intense will or intention, which requires a focus upon the goods internal to Confucian practice. Such a focus leads to a sense of joy that renders one immune to the allure of externalities.
7.11 The Master remarked to Yan Hui, "It is said, ‘When he is employed, he moves forward; when he is removed from office, he holds himself in reserve.' Surely this applies only to you and me?"
Zilu interposed, "If you, Master, were to lead the three armies into battle, who would you want by your side?"
The Master replied, "I would not want by my side the kind of person who would attack a tiger barehanded or attempt to swim the Yellow River, because he was willing to ‘die without regret.' Surely I would want someone who approached such undertakings with a proper sense of trepidation, and who came to a decision only after having thoroughly considered the matter."
The first remark refers to the virtue of timeliness ( shi): responding flexibly and appropriately to the situation with which one is confronted. As Kong Anguo puts it, it is the ability to "advance when it is appropriate to advance, and remain still when it is appropriate to remain still." Such sensitivity to context and effortless grace is the hallmark of an accomplished gentleman. Most likely Confucius' comment was intended not only to praise Yan Hui, but also to indicate to Zilu the areas in which he might best develop himself morally. Zilu misses the point, though; presumably jealous of this praise for Yan Hui, he tries to win approval from the Master for his own characteristic reckless courage (cf. 5.7). Of course, it is precisely Zilu's recklessness that the Master was trying to rein in with his initial statement, and so the Master is forced to explicitly reprimand him.
7.16 The Master said, "Eating plain food and drinking water, having only your bent arm as a pillow-certainly there is joy to be found in this! Wealth and eminence attained improperly concern me no more than the floating clouds."
7.17 The Master said, "If I were granted many more years, and could devote fifty of them to learning, surely I would be able to be free of major faults."
7.20 The Master said, "I am not someone who was born with knowledge. I simply love antiquity, and diligently look there for knowledge."
7.21 The Master did not discuss prodigies, feats of strength, disorderly conduct, or the supernatural.
Confucius' sole object of concern was self-cultivation-he did not waste time on irrelevant frivolities. As Wang Bi explains,
"Prodigies" refers to strange or unusual events; "feats of strength" refer to things like Ao's ability to handle warships or Wu Huo being able to lift a thousand pounds; "disorderly conduct" refers to a minister killing his lord, or a son killing his father; and "the supernatural" refers to the service of the ghosts and spirits. These things either have nothing contribute to one's moral education, or are simply things the Master found distasteful to talk about.
For another comment on Ao, see 14.5; Wu Huo was a famous strong man (cf. Mencius 6:B:2). For more on topics that the master did not deign to discuss, cf. 5.13.
7.28 The Master said, "No doubt there are those who try to innovate without acquiring knowledge, but this is a fault that I do not possess. I listen widely, and then pick out that which is excellent in order to follow it; I see many things, and then remember them. This constitutes a second-best sort of knowledge."
7.36 The Master said, "Extravagance leads to presumption, while frugality leads to shabbiness. Compared to presumption, though, shabbiness is to be preferred."
7.37 The Master said, "The gentleman is self-possessed and relaxed, while the petty man is perpetually full of worry."
Book 12
As Legge observes, this book conveys "lessons on perfect virtue [ren], government, and other questions of morality, addressed in conversation by Confucius chiefly to his disciples. The different answers, given about the same subject to different questioners, show well how the sage suited his instruction to the characters and capacities of the parties with whom he had to do" (1991a: 250). A prominent theme is the contrast between Confucian rule by Virtue and personal example as opposed to rule by force or coercive laws.
12.1 Yan Hui asked about Goodness.
The Master said, "Restraining yourself and returning to the rites (keji fuli) constitutes Goodness. If for one day you managed to restrain yourself and return to the rites, in this way you could lead the entire world back to Goodness. The key to achieving Goodness lies within yourself-how could it come from others?"
Yan Hui asked, "May I inquire as to the specifics?"
The Master said, "Do not look unless it is in accordance with ritual; do not listen unless it is in accordance with ritual; do not speak unless it is in accordance with ritual; do not move unless it is in accordance with ritual."
Yan Hui replied, "Although I am not quick to understand, I ask permission to devote myself to this teaching."
Liu Baonan's commentary on the second half of 12.1 is very helpful:
Looking, listening, speaking, and moving are all things that come from oneself, not from others, which is why the key to achieving Goodness lies within oneself and does not come from others...If only I am able to restrain myself and return to ritual, whenever I am confronted with something that is not in accordance with ritual, I will have within myself the means to restrain my eyes and not look at it, restrain my ears and not listen to it, restrain my mouth and not speak of it, and restrain my heart and not put it into action. This is all that is meant by "restraining oneself and returning to ritual."
As Brooks and Brooks observe, "the four ‘details' (trivialized in the Three Monkeys of later art) make two pairs: do not promote impropriety either passively (by seeing or hearing it) or actively (by saying or doing it)" (1998: 89).
12.2 Zhonggong asked about Goodness.
The Master said, "When in public, comport yourself as if you were receiving an important guest, and in your management of the common people, behave as if you were overseeing a great sacrifice. Do not impose upon others what you yourself do not desire. In this way, you will encounter no resentment in your public or private life."
Zhonggong replied, "Although I am not quick to understand, I ask permission to devote myself to this teaching."
12.6 Zizhang asked about perceptiveness.
The Master replied, "He who does not base his actions upon slanders that try to seep into one's mind, or accusations that accumulate like dirt on one's skin, may be called ‘perceptive.' Indeed, such a person could even be called ‘far-sighted.'"
12.7 Zigong asked about governing.
The Master said, "Simply make sure there is sufficient food, sufficient armaments, and that you have the confidence of the common people."
Zigong said, "If sacrificing one of these three things became unavoidable, which would you sacrifice first?"
The Master replied, "I would sacrifice the armaments."
Zigong said, "If sacrificing one of the two remaining things became unavoidable, which would you sacrifice next?"
The Master replied, "I would sacrifice the food. Death has always been with us, but a state cannot stand once it has lost the confidence of the people."
12.9 Duke Ai said to Master You, "The harvest was poor and I cannot satisfy my needs. What should I do?"
Master You said, "Why do you not try taxing the people one part in ten?"
"I am currently taxing them two parts in ten, and even so I cannot satisfy my needs. How could reducing the tax to one part in ten help?"
Master You answered, "If the common people's needs are satisfied, how could their lord be lacking? If the common people's needs are not satisfied, how can their lord be content?"
According to the Annals, the traditional ten percent tithe on agricultural production was doubled by Duke Xuan of Lu in 593 B.C.E., and then continued as standard practice. It is possible that this exchange between Duke Ai and Master You took place during the Lu famine of 484 B.C.E. (Year 14 of Duke Ai's reign), which occurred after back-to-back plagues of locusts in 484 and 483 B.C.E. Master You is thus suggesting a return to a taxation rate over one hundred years old-quite a radical cutback. Probably the best commentary on this passage is a story from the Garden of Persuasions:
Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius about governing. Confucius replied, "The purpose of the government is to make the common people rich."
Duke Ai asked, "What do you mean by that?" Confucius said, "Lighten the burden of levies and taxes, and this will make the common people rich." The Duke replied, "If I did that, then I myself would become poor." Confucius responded, "An ode says, ‘All happiness to our gentleman-ruler/Father and mother of his people' [Ode 251]. I have never seen a situation where the children were rich and the parents poor." (844)
The point, of course, is that if the Duke comported himself as the parent of his people, as he properly should, his sole concern would be for their welfare, not his own financial needs.
12.16 The Master said, "A gentleman helps others to realize their good qualities, rather than their bad. A petty person does the opposite."
12.18 Ji Kangzi was concerned about the prevalence of robbers in Lu and asked Confucius about how to deal with this problem.
Confucius said, "If you could just get rid of your own excessive desires, the people would not steal even if you rewarded them for it."
Book 12
As Legge observes, this book conveys "lessons on perfect virtue [ren], government, and other questions of morality, addressed in conversation by Confucius chiefly to his disciples. The different answers, given about the same subject to different questioners, show well how the sage suited his instruction to the characters and capacities of the parties with whom he had to do" (1991a: 250). A prominent theme is the contrast between Confucian rule by Virtue and personal example as opposed to rule by force or coercive laws.
12.1 Yan Hui asked about Goodness.
The Master said, "Restraining yourself and returning to the rites (keji fuli) constitutes Goodness. If for one day you managed to restrain yourself and return to the rites, in this way you could lead the entire world back to Goodness. The key to achieving Goodness lies within yourself-how could it come from others?"
Yan Hui asked, "May I inquire as to the specifics?"
The Master said, "Do not look unless it is in accordance with ritual; do not listen unless it is in accordance with ritual; do not speak unless it is in accordance with ritual; do not move unless it is in accordance with ritual."
Yan Hui replied, "Although I am not quick to understand, I ask permission to devote myself to this teaching."
Liu Baonan's commentary on the second half of 12.1 is very helpful:
Looking, listening, speaking, and moving are all things that come from oneself, not from others, which is why the key to achieving Goodness lies within oneself and does not come from others...If only I am able to restrain myself and return to ritual, whenever I am confronted with something that is not in accordance with ritual, I will have within myself the means to restrain my eyes and not look at it, restrain my ears and not listen to it, restrain my mouth and not speak of it, and restrain my heart and not put it into action. This is all that is meant by "restraining oneself and returning to ritual."
As Brooks and Brooks observe, "the four ‘details' (trivialized in the Three Monkeys of later art) make two pairs: do not promote impropriety either passively (by seeing or hearing it) or actively (by saying or doing it)" (1998: 89).
12.2 Zhonggong asked about Goodness.
The Master said, "When in public, comport yourself as if you were receiving an important guest, and in your management of the common people, behave as if you were overseeing a great sacrifice. Do not impose upon others what you yourself do not desire. In this way, you will encounter no resentment in your public or private life."
Zhonggong replied, "Although I am not quick to understand, I ask permission to devote myself to this teaching."
12.6 Zizhang asked about perceptiveness.
The Master replied, "He who does not base his actions upon slanders that try to seep into one's mind, or accusations that accumulate like dirt on one's skin, may be called ‘perceptive.' Indeed, such a person could even be called ‘far-sighted.'"
12.7 Zigong asked about governing.
The Master said, "Simply make sure there is sufficient food, sufficient armaments, and that you have the confidence of the common people."
Zigong said, "If sacrificing one of these three things became unavoidable, which would you sacrifice first?"
The Master replied, "I would sacrifice the armaments."
Zigong said, "If sacrificing one of the two remaining things became unavoidable, which would you sacrifice next?"
The Master replied, "I would sacrifice the food. Death has always been with us, but a state cannot stand once it has lost the confidence of the people."
12.9 Duke Ai said to Master You, "The harvest was poor and I cannot satisfy my needs. What should I do?"
Master You said, "Why do you not try taxing the people one part in ten?"
"I am currently taxing them two parts in ten, and even so I cannot satisfy my needs. How could reducing the tax to one part in ten help?"
Master You answered, "If the common people's needs are satisfied, how could their lord be lacking? If the common people's needs are not satisfied, how can their lord be content?"
According to the Annals, the traditional ten percent tithe on agricultural production was doubled by Duke Xuan of Lu in 593 B.C.E., and then continued as standard practice. It is possible that this exchange between Duke Ai and Master You took place during the Lu famine of 484 B.C.E. (Year 14 of Duke Ai's reign), which occurred after back-to-back plagues of locusts in 484 and 483 B.C.E. Master You is thus suggesting a return to a taxation rate over one hundred years old-quite a radical cutback. Probably the best commentary on this passage is a story from the Garden of Persuasions:
Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius about governing. Confucius replied, "The purpose of the government is to make the common people rich." Duke Ai asked, "What do you mean by that?" Confucius said, "Lighten the burden of levies and taxes, and this will make the common people rich." The Duke replied, "If I did that, then I myself would become poor." Confucius responded, "An ode says, ‘All happiness to our gentleman-ruler/Father and mother of his people' [Ode 251]. I have never seen a situation where the children were rich and the parents poor." (844)
The point, of course, is that if the Duke comported himself as the parent of his people, as he properly should, his sole concern would be for their welfare, not his own financial needs.
12.16 The Master said, "A gentleman helps others to realize their good qualities, rather than their bad. A petty person does the opposite."
12.18 Ji Kangzi was concerned about the prevalence of robbers in Lu and asked Confucius about how to deal with this problem.
Confucius said, "If you could just get rid of your own excessive desires, the people would not steal even if you rewarded them for it."