Mengzi (Mencius)

Mengzi (Mencius)

&

Xunzi

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Xunzi (Hsun-Tzu)

Mengzi (Mencius)

312-230 BC

371-289 BC

(Zhou Dynasty)

Why Confucianism is Not a Religion

• Little discussion on Gods as creators
• More of a philosophy on moral theory
• More to do with “serving the living”, such as parents, rather than gods
• At the time when Confucianism started the term religion did not exist

Why Confucianism is a Religion

• Ancestor Worship
• Prayed to various Gods
• Contacted the spiritual world for aid

“A person is born with feelings of envy and hate. If he gives way to them, they will lead him to violence and crime, and any sense of loyalty and good faith will be abandoned”-Xunzi

Humaneness as an absolute principle instead of just concrete practices

“The relationship between king and ministers is reciprocal: the ruler should also treat the ministers nicely, otherwise the ministers would not treat the ruler nicely. The ruler serves as the moral exemplar of humaneness and rightness”

• Treated humanness more as a principle of kindness to others

Unlike Confucius who saw humanness as a form of practice

Developing on the Confucian ethical human nature

Beliefs (Continued)

• Greatest contribution to Confucius thought
• An ethical human being is a moral universe on his own ethical human nature and physical life force (qi) were intertwined

“If one nourishes the qi with uprightness and does not injure it, it will fill the space between heaven and earth. It is the companion of rightness and the way, born from an accumulation of rightness. If one's action causes the mind to be disquieted, it starves.”

• The major belief of Xunzi was that Human Nature is bad
• People naturally lead to conflict and disorder
• People can not be forced to reform their human nature, they must do it themselves.

Origins

Beliefs

Mengzi originally lived by a cemetery. He began to imitate the funeral processions, so his mother moved by a fish market. He then began to imitate the merchants which were despised in China, causing his mom to move by a school. He then began to imitate scholars in which his mom was pleased as his life as a scholar began.

Heaven:

• Does not get involved in human affairs
• Acts like nature; doing what it does
• It doesn't help the good, nor harm the bad
• People do not do good things to get into heaven, they do good things for the good of themselves and others
• What good and bad is brought upon people is a result of their own actions

Emphasis on rule by humaneness, instead of war

• Strongly against war
• Encouraged rulers to take care of citizens livelihood to gain their support
• Focus on humanness
• Rulers should act as parents, then no one will want to attack him
• The mind should not be swayed by external material things; achieved through self-cultivation because ordinary people did not have such constancy of mind, their rulers must appeal to their material needs
• Was not a democrat
• Distinguished between ordinary people and gentleman

• Saw the well being of the family as essential to the well being of the state

“He set an example for his wife; It extended to his brothers, And from there to the family of the state”

• Felt serving one’s parents was the most important service
• Believed if one extends his or hers own kindness it would be enough to protect all within the four seas

The centrality of the family in the moral state

Religion or Not?

• Originally described as the "Road" or "Path"
• Transformed into "a way of life"
• Dao meant the "Human Way" to Xunzi; good government and good citizens

• Some believe that Confucianism is more of a way of life and how to act socially and ethically making it not a religion.
• On the other side of the argument one can say that the repetitive actions or rituals one does practicing Confucianism by definition makes it’s a religion
• After highlighting both sides can one actually say which one is right?

Dao (Tao)

• Most influential interpreter of Confucius
• Defined the concept of Ren (Humanness)
• Used allegories to clarify his points later becoming Chinese proverbs
• Developed an elaborate system of what constituted ethical human nature:

1. The centrality of the family in the moral state

2. Emphasis on rule by humaneness, instead of war

3. Developing on the Confucian ethical human nature

4. Humaneness as an absolute principle instead of just concrete practices

Mengzi (Mencius) Teachings/ Beliefs

• Full name was Xun Kuang Xunzi
• One of the three great early architects of the Confucian philosophy.
• Was born in state of Zhao, which was located in North-central China around 310 B.C.E and died of old age around 220 B.C.E. (There is no official record of birth or death so historians estimate).

• He was educated by his mother in the early stages.
• He was then allegedly educated by Confucius's grandson.

• Briefly held advisory position on the eastern state of Qi and was later given administration post by the southern state of Chu.
• Known for belief that human nature is ugly or evil and humans lack an innate moral compass.
• There are some writings out of the Xunzi 35 books that are said to not be written by him.
• His most important concept in Xunzi is the way (Dao).

Education

Who was Xunzi?

Xunzi Cont.

During the Zhou Dynasty, China was weak and divided. Mengzi sought to spread Confucianism to help China. He became the second most important man involved in Confucianism besides Confucius himself.

Goals

• Self-styled transmitter of Confucius
• Social Critic
• Moral Philosopher
• Political Activist

His Titles