1、精選優(yōu)質(zhì)文檔-傾情為你奉上Xiaonan JiangMidterm Paper (Confucius and the Analects)The Analects is a famous book that has influenced Chinese thoughts for thousands of years. As the saying goes, half Analects rules the world, thus it can be seen that the Analects is very important to the political field. Now I will

2、 characterize the political philosophy of early Confucianism as it is expressed in the Analects.First, the Analects suggests that the government should build a good leadership. Confucius attaches great importance to the leadership in the function of the political field, and he asks the leader must f

3、irst make some achievements in morals, otherwise will be unable to lead the lower class of people. Confucius divides people in the society into two classes, namely "junzi" and "xiaoren". Before Confucius, the original meanings of these two words were leaders and their subordinate

4、s. In the era of Confucius, these words began to having the moral sense. The Analects says: The relation between superiors and inferiors is like that between the wind and the grass. The grass must bend, when the wind blows across it. Combing the moral elements into the words which represented the th

5、e regulators and the regulated previously, the Confucians thinks that a leader should be a virtuous person. Also, Confucius suggests that the leader should set a good example to the masses. When Chi Kang asked Confucius about government, Confucius replied: to govern means to rectify. If you lead on

6、the people with correctness, who will dare not to be correct? Confucius also said that if a person was not covetous, although you reward him to do it, he would not steal. These examples illustrate that the governor should lead his men in a charge and take the lead in doing good.Then the Analects pro

7、poses a right strategy of administering the country: Ruling the country by virtue. The Mater says: If the people are led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no sense of shame. If they are led by virtue, and uniformity sought

8、 to be given them propriety, they will have the sense of shame, and moreover will become good. Confucius here compares two kinds of ways to run a country: ruling the country by laws and by virtue. He thinks using laws to deter citizens from crimes will only scratch the surface. But through the rule

9、of virtue, people will establish the view of honor and disgrace, having the sense of shame, so they will measure their behaviors with this standard before doing anything. Obviously, leading by virtue is better than leading by laws because of its effect of a permanent cure. Particularly, I summarize

10、three specific methods that Confucius advises. First, the government should win the trust of the people. When Tsze-kung asked about government, Confucius said that from of old, death has been the lot of all men; but if the people have no faith in their rulers, there is no standing for the state. In

11、Confucius view, the faith is more important than economy and military and it is the fundamental factor of ruling a country. If we have to abandon two out of three, we should hold the faith. Second, the government should appoint officials on their merits. Whether an official is talented or not is sug

12、gested by the will of the people. According to the Analects, an official should advance the upright and set aside the crooked, then the people will submit. If he advances the crooked and set aside the upright, then the people wont submit. Third, it is very important to civilize people. Zan Yu asked

13、Confucius when the people have been enriched, what shall be done? The Master answered: Teach them. If everyone improves his spirit level, having a good character, then the ultimate goal of forming a moral society will be achieved.The core idea of running a country by virtue I think is carrying out t

14、he concept “ren” which means humaneness. There are many kinds of characters stated by Confucius as virtues, but the most important one which Confucius focuses on is humaneness. “Ren” is a very complicated concept in Confucius philosophical system because when I read the Analects, I found Confucius o

15、nce explained the concept of “ren” in many different ways to his six students such as Tsze-kung, Fan Zhang and Yen Yuan. But generally, in my opinion I think the main point of “ren” is the love between persons or human affectivity. The benevolent loves others. Love can form a harmonious society, so

16、“Ren” is the spirit of the virtue.The practical social norms to rule the country by virtue is performing “l(fā)i” (禮). The Confucius says: If a prince is able to govern his kingdom with the complaisance proper to the rules of propriety, what difficulty will he have? He also says that the superior man in

17、 everything considers righteousness to be essential and he performs it according to the rules of propriety. So I have the reason to believe that Confucius thinks ruling a country should be based on “l(fā)i” and “l(fā)i” is a form of expression of the virtue. Confucius lived in the late spring and Autumn per

18、iod with much political chaos. Since the Zhou dynasty moved to the east, it declined gradually to the extent that didnt have the strength to contend with loca. Military states waged war with each other to fight for land and small stats were swallowed up by rising states. Within the states, the power

19、ful bureaucrats often went against their superiors and overthrew the previous leader. Unrest occurred from time to time. Confucius says in the Analects: When good government prevails in the empire, ceremonies, music, and punitive military expeditions proceed from the son of Heaven. When bad governme

20、nt prevails in the empire, ceremonies, music and punitive military expeditions proceed from the princes. Under these circumstances, because it was the times that emphasized on the strength, the ancient ceremony and music system descended from King Wen and King Wu of the Western Zhou dynasty collapse

21、d. The society was morally bankrupt. So it led to Confucius to restore the past system of rites and music. He wants to reconstruct a harmonious and moral society resemble the early Zhou dynasty. So we can say that the social problems closely relate to Confucius political philosophy.As for Confucius and his followers social background, they all have the strong will to enter politics alth