Download research on the contribution of confucian ethics

RESEARCH ON THE CONTRIBUTION OF CONFUCIAN ETHICS
To the fulfilment of world “humanity”
2007-01-10
Philippe Thiébault
I would like first to thank Trinity College for the invitation as a visitor,
particularly the Director of the Institute for International Integration Studies, Philip Lane
and Professor John d’Arcy May at the Irish School of Ecumenics of Trinity College.
Today’s presentation goes back to six or seven years ago when I met Dr. John
May and Dr. David Berman and discussed with them. I regularly visited Trinity and it
was my dream to introduce one day to Trinity some aspects of Asian culture which
could enrich the reflections on globalization.
I chose Ethics which remains essential for the development of our societies and
for the improvement of global problems as man is essentially a moral being but is today
in a weakened position due to modern historical evolution.
The title of my presentation points out the need of a recovery and maturation of
“humanity” at the world level in order to restrain inhuman acts and to enhance the will
to treat well others. Despite religions, democratization and education, barbarism persists,
sometimes in the name of God. While we hear about great ideas and plans, the way to
simply become true human beings seems to be less realizable than we thought.
With the accompaniment of slides I would like to suggest some key points as a
basis for the discussion which will follow my presentation based on a paper that you
may have in your possession.
My presentation covers three parts, 1. first, Ethics and the Human Condition, 2.
second Meditation on Asian Ethics and 3. third The Search of a Creative Path of Ethics.
Due to the limits of time I will give more attention to the second and third parts. This
reflection follows an itinerary from what made us what we are today to an exploration of
a new understanding and application of Ethics in our lives which became indissociable
from the world and the cosmos. We will bring to our reflection the Eastern tradition, not
just in terms of knowledge but with the aim of sharing between traditions and reaching a
cooperation in order to solve global problems in a time of choice and responsibility.
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In my first part, Ethics and the Human Condition, I wanted to go as far as
possible in light of our human condition (lucidity). We are still influenced today by
certain directions that people took in history, for example at the time of the
Enlightenment. Although these directions brought positive contributions in terms of
liberation and well-fare they allowed a spiritual and moral impoverishment which
became apparent only later. That is why Soljenytsyne spoke of a decline of the human
spirit in the 20th century and Tu Wei-ming, from the East, described the dynamics of the
Western Enlightenment as a Faustian drive gone out of control and in which many are
crushed.
To reappraise our ethical situation I chose three virtuosos of the West
MacIntyre, Taylor and Ricoeur who are certainly familiar to you. The three of them
acknowledge with different symbols a loss of horizon in the Western quest for identity
and morality. For MacIntyre the notion of an essential nature and with it a sense of telos
has been lost. The Enlightenment brought a disconnection between fact and value,
between what is and what ought to be. An emphasis was put on expertise over character,
which had heavy consequences in Ethics. MacIntyre, who values the role of tradition,
suggests that modern morality remains to a large extent intelligible within the
Aristotelian tradition.
Taylor, who affirms that Selfhood is inextricably interconnected with the good
thinks that a great deal of moral ontology has been suppressed among our
contemporaries and that much of the moral ground needs to be fought for and
recovered. “My target”, says Taylor, “is a moral ontology which articulates our moral
and spiritual intuitions.” The important contribution of Taylor is to give us tools to
approach and connect with the moral sources from which we became estranged and for
which we are longing.
Ricoeur’s work symbolizes the quest for a balanced maturity away from all
sorts of excesses which were accentuated by ideologies. Ricoeur has always been lucid
about the fragility of the Self: “Exalted subject (with Descartes), humiliated subject
(with Nietzsche, Marx and Freud), it seems that it is always through a complete reversal
of this sort that one approaches the subject.” But man is not just fragile, he has the
capacity to become a dignified being through the difficulties themselves. For Ricoeur
man is not just reason, he is also feeling, walking toward death, going through tragic
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situations. In enduring conflictual and meaningless aspects of living he becomes more
humane.
Our important task now that we have become conscious of these losses and
changes is to reassume with courage our human condition. It was said that in becoming
modern we left the ancient ethical framework relying on a cosmic approach, that we left
also the medieval framework dominated by the transcendental view of God. A
movement of secularization affirmed the individual liberation and accomplishments
through the power of reason. This may be partially true but we must not look only at
what we considered as out-dated for we come on the foundation of valuable conquests.
There is so much more to explore and it is finally up to us to figure out in the depth of
our conscience where we stand morally.
Heidegger spoke of “the forgetfulness of being” but we could say that our time
is characterized by the forgetfulness of true morality. We are neglecting what could put
us in the direction of our true fulfilment. This may be due to the fact that we have
difficulty to face what we allowed ourselves to become and that we delay moments of
truth in drowning ethical issues in complex debates.
Particularly in the domain of Ethics we experience our poverty as we find out
how our thoughts and words are twisted and our actions are crooked in subtle ways. It is
difficult to find out what is authentic and what covers a lie because our condition has
been so much damaged.
Nietzsche was partially right in pointing out our failures but it is even more
difficult to open a positive way toward moral maturation. We need the courage to absorb
all sorts of criticism and to undo masks and pretences to reconsider what we are.
However the moment comes to build anew. Modern Western philosophy may have been
“suspecting” and “deconstructing” for too long. Many sincere people are waiting for
new positive expressions on the human condition and on moral dimensions of life. We
aspire to hear a voice who opens wider horizons, which breathes the courage to fulfil
tasks not just externally but taking into account people’s soul and their moral and
spiritual aspirations.
Asia to which we are turning now in this second point has been very respectful
of major sources of inspiration. Mencius said: “He who has contemplated the sea finds it
difficult to think anything of other water, and he who has wandered at the gate of the
sage, finds it difficult to think anything of the words of others.” And Confucius says:
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“There are three things of which the profound person stands in awe. He stands in awe of
the ordinances of Heaven, of great men and of the words of sages.”
II. The second part is called Meditation on Confucian Ethics. I chose to
present some major foundational texts related to great figures that have motivated
Asians in their vision and practice of Ethics. I invite you to a journey in mind that may
at first raise in you a lot of questions. The cultural backgrounds of the East and of the
West present differences which we can observe in art. André Malraux put it this way:
“The Asian landscape emerges from silence.” There is no Parthenon in China. While
Western thinkers are fascinated by what is in the light of reality and want to grasp clear
ideas, Asian thinkers like to only suggest, to keep a rich impreciseness and to approach,
through reason in harmony with life, what is beyond the purely conceptual. Therefore
the East and the West have different, but complementary, type of logic.
I focused on the sages who wrote the Yijing and on Confucius who followed in
their footsteps since we can observe with them how the Chinese dealt with the moral
sources and took a direction and a commitment that they never denied until today
despite the ups and downs of history.
The authors of the Yijing started by a fascination with the universe and caring
for one’s fellow man. Although they used early the power of their reason to develop
language, institutions and techniques, the Chinese remained close to nature through a
precise observation and a poetical approach. They sung the beauty and mystery of life
with reverence, using images and symbols to give a rich account of what they could not
express though ordinary concepts.
Sages meditated and purified themselves to explore the depths of all things and
human nature not just with the desire of objective knowledge but to discover the
principles of what seemed at first confused in the universe and to understand man’s
destiny and action. More than brilliant analyses what characterizes the Chinese approach
is profound understanding.
In their endeavours the sages came out with the presentation of the Tao/Dao as
the caring and virtuous power of life at work within the universe:
The reciprocal process of Yin and Yang is called the Tao. That which
allows the Tao to continue is goodness, and that which allows it to bring
things to completion is essential nature.
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The Tao related to the taiji, the Great Ultimate, is the ontological source of all things
and the cosmic principle. It is at the same time characterized by goodness in that it gives
life to all beings, maintains their nature and guides them toward fulfilment. It is
important to realize that for the Chinese the Tao is at the same time manifest and hidden:
“The Tao is manifested in benevolence, ren, and hidden within its functioning.” This
can be compared in the West to Pascal: “God is concealed from man: therefore every
religion which does not assert this fact, is false; and every religion which admits it, but
does not explain its cause, is essentially defective.” (Pensées) and to Simone Weil: “God
could only create by hiding himself. Otherwise there would be nothing but himself.”
(Gravity and Grace)
Through the diagram of the Taiji we acknowledge that the universe is one, it is
centered and at the same time it is made of the dual relations between Yin and Yang.
Yin is within Yang. Yang is within Yin. This is the root of all relations. From this
fundamental relation emerge through a more and more complex development a whole
universe symbolized by the 64 hexagrams. Despite the complexity of all things, what
strikes us is the harmony of the whole, invisible and visible, spiritual and physical to
which the Chinese have always been sensitive.
However the Chinese sages did not remain fascinated by the universe for the
purposes of pure contemplation. They were concerned with the progress of their fellow
man both physically and spiritually. This may explain how the Chinese developed a
genius for inventions in many fields. The sages worried how to find a righteous path for
people and situations in order to avoid major mistakes.
The intense study of the universe and of man tends to focus on how to discern
what will be favourable to the development and fulfilment of the person in relation to
others. We have with the Changes an example of applied Ethics related to each person’s
origin and situation in life according to his or her character and according to
circumstances and the precise events of a certain moment.
Although Confucius spoke more of Heaven he remained in the logic of the
Yijing with the Tao. Yan Hui, the preferred disciple of Confucius, said of his Tao: “The
more I look up at it, the higher it soars, the more I penetrate into it, the harder it
becomes.” It is quite demanding to approach the Tao although we perceived its
essentiality. Confucius said:
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The profound person is anxious to reach the Tao; he is not anxious that
poverty may come to him. (Analects, 15.31)
While some people have reduced the vision of Confucius to ordinary and pragmatic
concerns in life, certain sayings show how he was motivated by a higher truth: “If a man
in the morning hears the Tao, he may die in the evening without regret.” (Analects, 4.8)
Confucius’s conception of Heaven could form an interesting subject in relation
to the Christian tradition but we will spend some time on what Confucius considered as
most valuable in man’s life and what he called the ren, caring for others.
The determined scholar and the man of ren will not seek to live at the
expense of injuring the ren. They will even sacrifice their lives to have the
ren complete.
Confucius had the conviction that something is deposited in human nature which is at
the same time precious and fragile, which asks to come to life but can be easily
destroyed if we are not attentive and zealous. Not wanting to hurt the ren supposes a
very pure motivation. The ren is at the same time the highest aspiration of the heart and
the most concrete attention to what has to be done in given situations. “The Master said:
‘To subdue oneself and return to propriety (Li), this is realizing the ren.’ ” (Analects,
12.1) For Confucius no effective care and love can develop without the controlling and
shaping of the Self which may involve struggle and pain.
We must not forget the bigger frame of what Confucius was aiming at
accomplishing. Confucius was contemplating man in his fulfilment and the harmony of
society in its entirety. He followed himself a clear path of maturation in order to reach
the highest self-fulfilment:
At fifteen, I had my mind bent on learning. At thirty I stood firm. At forty, I
had no doubts. At fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven. At sixty, my ear was
an obedient organ for the reception of truth. At seventy, I could follow what
my heart desired without transgressing what was right. (Analects, 2.4)
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The moral summit that Confucius reached at seventy is far from rigidity and
authoritarianism of which Confucianism has been accused. However, the aspiration of
Confucius was not just for the personal accomplishment but for society to become a
great harmonious unit where people can freely grow and relate to each other for the
benefit of all that is not limited by political institutions or by economical bodies. It
requires much from individuals but the outcome is very rewarding.
Although we have not the time to develop the issue, we must emphasize that
sincerity has been a cornerstone of Asian Ethics and Confucian Ethics in particular. The
Chinese had early intuited that sincerity determines true life. The vision of sincerity was
already present in the Book of Changes and the Doctrine of the Mean as we see in this
passage:
Sincerity is that whereby self-completion is effected, and its way is that by
which man must direct himself. Sincerity is the end and beginning of things:
without sincerity there would be nothing. On this account, the profound man
regards the attainment of sincerity as the most excellent thing (Doctrine of
the Mean, chapter 25)
Sincerity is considered as the root of all virtues, the root of the human heart and it
points toward an ontological reality which is fully sincere. “Sincerity is the Tao of
Heaven. The achievement of sincerity is the tao of people.” (Doctrine of the Mean,
20.13)
In the 11th century Zhou Doun-I, the founder of Chinese Neo-Confucianism,
rethought the whole tradition of the classics and of Confucianism starting with the Book
of Changes and made sincerity an essential concept of sage-learning in NeoConfucianism.
Sincerity is the foundation of the sage. […] Sagehood is nothing but
sincerity. It is the foundation of the five constant virtues (humanity,
righteousness, propriety, wisdom and faithfulness).
Sincerity may be seen as the North Pole star of Confucian Ethics, like a
magnetic field which allows all the ethical fields to find their orientation and their
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organization. With sincerity we come to the third part when we consider how to bring
sincerity into global ethics despite the counter forces of suspicion, cynicism,
indifference and deconstruction.
III. We reach now the third part dedicated to the Search for Creative Paths
of Ethics/Morality. The crucial reflection comes on how to truly apply Ethics at the
global level within complex and challenging situations. It has been said that we are
reaching a turning point of great magnitude in Ethics which affects the future of our
planet. We could be destroyed by the realities in their negative and evil dimensions,
unable to bear what millions of fellow men have to endure. The Confucian approach of
focusing on what is positive and possible in relation to our own responsibility is
important. However, more than just emphasizing the contribution of Confucian Ethics
we aim at a true dialogue, recognition and co-creation between traditions.
While the tendency for nations is to promote their own culture abroad, we
perceive as important an opposite effort of welcoming cultures different from one’s
original culture. World organizations will be ineffective without the ethical process of
appreciating the other and explosive situations will continue to develop. As Ricoeur
pointed out in his last work Itinerary of Recognition, there is not yet a philosophy of
recognition. This needs reflection and commitment. The aim is not simply to recognize
the other but to reach a “mutual recognition”. Contrary to what we may think in
recognizing the other, we are not losing our identity and denying our value, in the long
run we are becoming more fully ourselves.
While Hegel emphasized the struggle to be recognized by the other, Confucius
asserted that it was important to become worthy of knowing others and to become
worthy of recognition. We put as title of this part “Courage of a Generous Mutual
Recognition” with the concern of how to apply it in the relations between cultures. This
is not possible without a careful listening, patience and the courage to recognize our
own limitations. Ricoeur and Merleau-Ponty have shown for example that the West
limited itself in taking a certain direction and could learn anew in meeting the East.
Our present reflection on the exchange between Eastern and Western Ethics
happens within a history of previous encounters. The cooperation of Matteo Ricci with
the Chinese in the 16th century was an example of successful cultural mutual
recognition. Ricci remains admired in Asia for his humble approach. Despite Ricci and
other positive accomplishments in the 18th century, tragedies struck during the 19th and
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20th centuries so that Chinese and Europeans became more estranged from each other
than in the past. Our task of mutual recognition and of co-creation is therefore more
complex and delicate due to numerous dislikes, deceptions and struggles.
Our attempt now in this exchange East-West is to connect the potential offered
by Confucianism in Ethics/Morality to the needs of global situations. We have chosen to
focus on the following two points of 1. cosmic fulfilment and 2. heart-“humanity” at the
global level. In so doing we would like to deal with ethical creativity in terms of vision
and inspiration which could enlighten other issues.
Some modern philosophers have said that the cosmic dimension is outdated but
such views may be due to the fact that we have limited ourselves to a certain approach
and have lost the capacity of a broad vision. Confucius said that only man can enlarge
the Tao and that the Tao cannot enlarge man.
The Chinese have always believed that we are part of an infinite universe
forming a unified entity. The relation between the whole and the parts and between the
parts are not just phenomenal but essential. Often Eastern innovative intuitions are met
by equally innovative intuitions from the West. Teilhard de Chardin said: “Man can
really become a man only if practically he becomes conscious of the “cosmic” process
in which he takes part and for which he is the responsible forerunner.” (To Accomplish
Man)
The Universe is one, it is centered and it is organized for the flourishing of all
beings. It is up to us to overcome narrow views and to find out the role that we can play.
On the foundation of some Chinese Classics, Tu Wei-ming presented man as a cocreator of the universe, saying: “In an ultimate sense human beings, in order to manifest
their humanity, must themselves fully participate in the creative process of the cosmos.”
Therefore Ethics, beyond ordinary theories, is a fountainhead of life, giving to
it its beauty and soul. The cosmic perspective in Confucian Ethics allows us to see
man’s activities as related to a series of widening circles elevating from the individual
level to the world sphere and beyond. A new vision of Ethics is needed at each level of
society and at each step of the elaboration to globalization.
A strong point in such Ethics is that a disinterested attitude in serving higher
purposes brings to each person the joy of self-fulfilment through the fulfilment of the
entirety. There exists in Confucianism a vision of great harmony and unity called
daitong, giving a sense of living with the concern of all in the family, all in society and
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“all under Heaven.” When the claim of rights grows bigger than the commitment in
responsibility and duty, when the individual has his way at the cost of others and the
nation, all suffer with many consequences.
Global ethics and morality will not improve just with regulations, financial
packages and new theories but through a revolution of mentality which makes us realize
the miracle of life in the Universe and the gift which we have received to share it. What
counts is the intensity with which we live and the dedication for the achievement of the
world.
In the second point we would like to suggest that without a development of
heart in dealing with global issues, it will be very hard to find relevant solutions.
Some modern philosophers speak of the death of the Subject and people’s
forgetfulness has eroded important parts of the Self like the conscience, the emotions
and the heart. Asian thinkers have been very aware of these possible losses, that is why
they worked at “protecting and keeping the mind-and-heart” and “nourishing human
nature.”
One of the major Chinese intuitions is that the centre of the cosmos is heart,
heart-and-mind. Morality is the essential basis allowing the heart to be fully active.
When morality weakens or becomes unclear, the heart does not function according to its
original design and the whole personality suffers. But how much do we know about the
heart-and-mind?
We have built many relations, institutions and organizations at the world level
and they are waiting not just for ideas but for a heart. Teilhard de Chardin said:
“Humanity is building its composite brain beneath our eyes. May it not be that
tomorrow…. It will find its heart without which the ultimate entirety of its powers of
unification can never be fully achieved?...”
The choice of Confucius in our search of new creative paths of Ethics is due to
the ability of such a Master to combine the height of vision and the depth of heart, the
strength of the will and the gentleness of character. While Plato and Pascal emphasized
an “anxious” and fragile heart, Confucius initiated for the East a peaceful, optimistic and
giving heart which is attuned to the Buddha’s heart.
As they marvelled at the universe, the Chinese also marvelled at the mystery of
human relationships which request a constant maturation of the heart. Master Zheng said
about Confucius’s way: “It is to be true to the principles of our nature and the
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benevolent exercise of them in relating to others” which is close to what Ricoeur
expressed as “The Self as Another.”
For Confucius simple actions in ordinary life which are rooted in heart have an
impact on the world. Confucius gave a direction on how to connect the moral ideal and
its realization in institutions. For this he suffered irony and rejection but he did not
change. For him a society without ren has not much future although it succeeds
economically.
Mencius who is considered as the spiritual disciple of Confucius applied and
extended well Confucius’ vision. His thought is particularly important in discovering the
heart. For him the task of philosophy is to recover our lost heart. Some of the insights of
Mencius have been meditated upon throughout the centuries. “All men have a mindand-heart which cannot bear to see the suffering of others.” This echoes the words of
Ricoeur: “Feelings are indeed revealed in the Self by the other’s suffering as well as by
the moral injunction coming from the other, feelings spontaneously directed toward
others.” The Dalai Lama said in visiting Auschwitz that man is able to do such evil
things when he has lost his “fundamental feelings.”
There is a mystery of feelings which change constantly, being similar to a
colouring of the soul to use Ricoeur’s expression. A philosophy of heart does not exist
yet and could be developed in he relation East-West. Two aspects of Ricoeur’s
reflection are in harmony with the Eastern approach. First Ricoeur looks for reaching
emotions in their pure origin before the destroyed condition of man. The second aspect
is to relate feelings to the dimensions of life such as Having, Power and Worth. Feelings
develop in a world, they interiorize the world and finally become an internal world.
With Confucius and Mencius it is like meditating anew on emotions with all
the symbolism of nature and in a poetical way. With their experience of farming the
Chinese used to observe nature, watching the return of life after the winter, witnessing
the coming of the buds in the trees and the blooming of flowers. Mencius expressed the
beginning of true feelings in he heart as duan which represents the coming out of the
bud or of the plant in the rice field. The beginning of an emotion, a thought or of an
action has been much meditated in the East. In order to be aware of this we need to
cultivate our becoming conscious.
People usually think that the deep understanding of heart and character is the
affair of sages and is not related to the practical evolution of the world. Mencius
believed that we often throw away the noblest part of ourselves. For him “Great men are
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those who follow that part of themselves which is great. Ethics and morality cannot
flourish in the world when Heaven is denied, when man neglects what is noble in
himself, beyond his simple expertise. With such negligence, how can we expect to find a
true horizon and authentic paths of morality?
CONCLUSION
There are forces at work in this world to humiliate the human spirit, to
humiliate culture and morality, turning beautiful ideas and deeds into dust. There are
voices saying that Confucianism and the Classics are not relevant any more. This is not
new for there has been always a threat against true culture.
The images used by contemporary thinkers show the complexities of our moral
condition. Something has been twisted in our lives which we have difficulty to
comprehend. We are caught in numerous knots that we are unable to undo.
New horizons in Ethics can be found in the creative relation East-West. The
crisis we go through challenges us to succeed the turning point mentioned by MacIntyre.
Our time needs to rediscover an order of true greatness beyond names. On the basis of a
clearer sense of orders and priorities, we may find paths of creativity, maturation and
fulfilment.
Values need to be reassessed not just in relation to a discipline but to a large
task beyond all frontiers, to which we can dedicate ourselves with enthusiasm. Man is
born to become a creator. The greatest creation man is called to cooperate with may be
compared to the sculpture of his own humanity. Confucius gave the example of bringing
out humanity in himself and in others like Socrates with his maïeutics.
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