Confucius
Sources Associated With Confucius
There aren’t many sources on Confucius’ life that are currently available. Official chronicles and other historical sources from the late Spring and Autumn Period scarcely ever mention his name because of his lack of prominence in politics. He actually hardly existed in that environment, having spent most of his life either in exile or preparing for such a career. Unfortunately, these investigations frequently resulted in speculative theories about Confucius, such as the third-century BCE writer’s assertion that Confucius compared himself to a yellow. Nevertheless, the gaps in the historical records ultimately served a purpose because they encouraged later researchers to look for any traces of evidence that might reveal something new about. Chi, a dragon without a home, swims in murky water but drinks from the clear. Confucius had the choice to be a dragon and never leave his spotless pool, but he chose to be a chi instead, in the author’s opinion. These authors proliferated in early Chinese history, and the Analects was the book they frequently turned to for guidance and inspiration.
Doctrines of Confucius Later Developed
The Warring States Period of Chinese history, which lasted for the subsequent 250 years, was even more tense and uncertain than the Confucius era. At this later time, the size and scope of a ruler’s conquests—obtained through military operations and political scheming—were used to assess his or her success. It also evolved into powerful and violent ways to get it. Because of this, either some of Confucius’s teachings were adhered to more fervently by his disciples or they were changed to fit the political climate of the time.
Mencius and Xunzi, a person born in c, were members of the first group. 300-c. (230 BCE) of the second century. After about a century, Xunzi succeeded Mencius and harshly criticized his predecessor. In his most significant work, now known as the Xunzi, Mencius was accused of misleading “the dim-witted scholars of the vulgar age” into believing that his own “aberrant” and The “esoteric” doctrines that Confucius advocated were his “true words” (Xunzi, “Contra Twelve Philosophers,” Chapter 6). Later Confucians emphasized the distinctions between the two thinkers and pointed to their divergent perspectives on human nature as the root of their disagreement. However, the emphasis on that matter tended to obscure their more profound disagreements on topics like education and self-knowledge, feelings and intelligence, law and adjudication, and the moral implications of a political career.
Avoid lengthy journeys while your parents are still alive, and if you must, make sure to inform them of your exact destination (Analects, 2:6, 4:19). Confucius counseled, “Be gentle when trying to dissuade them from wrongdoing,” but what if your parents are considering doing something improper? If you notice that they are not likely to heed your advice, keep being reverent (jing). Don’t directly contradict them.
Resist being resentful, even when they drain you and make you anxious (Analects, 4:18). Every human relationship requires a careful balancing act, but the one between a child and their parents is particularly difficult while also being the most significant and deserving of care and consideration because it is based on love and the child’s earliest memories of warmth and affection.
When their judgment was needed, Confucius did not want kids to submit. In addition, he suggested avoiding conflict even when the parents were at fault. He worried that the parents might lose their perspective and the child’s love for them, so he urged the child to “remain reverent” despite the fact that the parents might not be inclined to heed his or her advice. By participating in the rites, the child can avoid a conflict without sacrificing their morals. But if the kid doesn’t “act in accordance with the spirit of the rites, he will tire himself out in respect; in caution, he will become timid” (Analects, 8:2).
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