Friday, March 13, 2015

Final Synthesis Paper

What is Philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese Philosophy?

Philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese Philosophy talks about the contribution of human beings in the world. This means to say that the human beings have or creates a great impact in the world. That whatever it does creates a direct influence to the world. Chinese Philosophy is about correcting the ways of how humanity works in order to avoid the emerging problems of the society.

The Philosophers Confucius and Lao Tzu both perceived that there are already problems in the society. For Confucius, there really is a problem in the society since, as stated in Analect 3:24, he (Confucius) is not anymore sitting in any position which is not right because he is a noble man. In their tradition, the noble man is the one who is suited to be sitting in the office because of his proper education on how to be a public servant. Another problem that occurred is that the peasants have been working hard yet they receive little amount as salary and they remain poor while the noble man gets even richer. Lastly, the people are starting to doubt if the ancestors can really bless the living. This uncertainty is because of the people’s observation of their political system wherein the people are only assuming office because of power and not because of public service.

Confucius identified the problem as social disorder rooted in the incorrect use of names. In this part, it can be understood that Confucius is really up for changing the ways of the people and would really like to bring them back to the ways of humanity.  As stated in the Analects, the world is facing problems in the world because the leaders that are seated in throne are not suited in the position. They just got the position because of some ancestral passage. Because of this system, the ones who deserve to be in office are not given any position. One reason for this is that sometimes they don’t have a rich or influential ancestry.

In this example, it can be seen that there is really a problem in the society and that the root cause is the incorrect use of names. As stated above, the political power comes from the rich and influential lineage. Because of this, some officers do not deserve occupying the office. These officers have used the office for some other purposes like the greed of power instead of public service. They kill other aspiring people and replace them, with whoever they want. This illustration is clearly an example of incorrect use of name. The officers were not able to stand and live their name as public officers. They are use the office for some other reasons.

According to Confucius, the incorrect use of names will result to problems like a noble man being out of office, a peasant that still has nothing and the people who doubts their ancestors’ capacity. The incorrect use of names was the root cause of the social disorder because people have no idea about what their words may mean. The names must stand their names for the names and the things have a connection within them that gives meaning. The relationship between the name and the thing makes it whole and asserts its existence and significance.  If people use names and don’t know their proper meanings, it will create confusion in them and thus result to disorder. The disorder will only lead them away from the truth of the thing.

The same thing will happen if people do not know the meaning of their names. If they do not know the connection between them and their names, they will be led far from the truth of their existence and significance. When one is given a name, one has to exercise it. Meaning one has to live up the name assigned to him. When one is tasked to be a politician, he must know what it is to be a politician. He must know that occupying a public office is for public service and that whatever he does is always for the betterment of the people and not of his self. He is trusted to be in that position because of his ancestral lineage and he must learn to live with it. Because of his education, he has the right to be seated in office, thus he must learn to be rightful in the said position.

 With Lao Tzu, the problem that he perceived was that of natural disorder rooted from knowledge and desire. The disorders which are poverty, rebellion, and violence are all product of the absence of the natural self and of the Tao.

Gaining knowledge according to Lao Tzu is not a good thing if one wishes to follow the Tao. For him, gaining knowledge means creating distinctions or divisions such as good and evil, hot and cold, pass or fail, etc. Such distinctions separates things, thus makes things seemingly unequal.  These distinctions influence a person in making judgments which will turn out biased. When one has knowledge, which is distinctions, he would most probably choose the one which he would benefit from, thus rejecting the other. This rejection is not part of the way of nature, as in it, everything is equal. When one is rejected, it would mean that the other is much more important or valuable than him/her/it. Aside from creating distinctions, knowledge also results in consequences that are far beyond ones intention. For example, when one has distinguished good and evil, one would probably choose good as it has a positive effect on him. When the evil is rejected, then there would be pain in the part of the rejected evil. The one who chose good over evil doesn’t have the intention of hurting the evil, but as a consequence of his action, he just did.

The knowledge of things will lead the person into wanting more and more knowledge. This creates a problem according to Lao Tzu. This is because the knowledge acquired by the person males him want more. Because of his knowledge, it fuelled him to wish to obtain more, to desire for more. The effect of this desire is that a person will lose focus on the essential things in his life. Because of the want to get more, he forgets to examine his self of what he truly wants and needs. Also, this desire would lead the person to get jealous of what the others have and what he doesn’t have. This would sometimes end up invading others property just to satisfy this want. The invasion is a violation of the natural way of the person. It is a violation because the person tries to do everything, the what to and the how, just to get what he wants. He pushes himself to create ways which are far beyond his natural self.  Having studied Lao Tzu, I can say that he has always been pushing for a simpler life, a life in which is accord to the Tao to avoid stress, anxiety and social disorder. This pushing for more than what a person can do and may have is really a violation of his natural self, of the natural law.

This knowledge of knowing creates desire in the person that led him into being caught up by the material world. Being caught up means that the person is becoming farther from the Tao. He sometimes forgets about reflecting on what he really needs. He is unable to see the important thing in his life, the things that are really essential. Having knowledge and desire fuels the social disorders because it lets a person be insane, be stressed, be mad about achieving things. When one is yearning for something, it would make him do whatever he likes just to achieve it. This means that the person goes beyond his capacities thus break the natural law.

The problems perceived by Confucius and Lao Tzu are different in a way as they have different views on how man should live his life. With Confucius, he stated the problem as social disorder rooted in the incorrect use of names while Lao Tzu perceived the problem as natural disorder rooted in man’s knowledge and desire. With this it can now be seen how these two differs in the way they wanted man to live his life.

The philosophies of the two are different in a way that Confucius’ Philosophy is about making man live according to the ways of humanity. His Tao or Way is rooted on the ways of humanity. His solution in ending the social problems is creating an ideal person, the noble man in each one. Being a noble man means that the person has realized and exercised his full potential as a human being.

The Tao as rooted in the ways of humanity can be understood using Arthur Waley’s translation of the Confucian Tao. According to him, Confucius’ Tao is the principles of truth and right. Meaning it is in the Tao that we understand all things in the world as it is the basis of everything. The Tao is the source of what is true and what is right. There is an obligatory character in which human beings are to follow the Tao as the Tao means, in its Chinese character, the way in which the leader takes. It is an obligatory way for a human being to follow the moral law which is basically the Tao. The link between the two is that the moral law, which is the Tao, is basically based on humanity. Therefore, the way a human being must follow is the way of humanity.

By that it can be concluded that one must be in accordance to the norms of the society as the Tao is grounded on humanity. Before man can live in accordance to humanity, he must first know what it is and how to be human. In this way, he would better understand the knowledge that he will gain and can exercise it effectively. So when one wants to know what it is and how to be human, he must first be open to learn about it. Learning lets you know things that you need to know and not just anything. Before a person would be open to learning, he should acknowledge the fact that he does not know everything. After that, he should learn to distinguish things he knows and things he does not know.

Learning is comprehending things and not just memorizing or accepting those that are already given. It is analysing and weighing down the things that are known. To learn is to be able to see the underlying principle of the knowledge gained. A learned person is someone who thinks and can justify his answer. He is someone who makes sense in what he is saying.

Knowledge results to learning. When one has known things, then he would try to evaluate if these knowledge can help him in his journey of knowing what it is and how to be human. A person who is after becoming an ideal human person does not aim to know everything but only those that could help him in his development in becoming a human being. Learning is about knowing and evaluating things that matter and then applied to the person’s life.

If man wishes to be an ideal human being, he has to know what it is to be an ideal human being. But before a person becomes an ideal human being, he should first know what it is and how to be a human being. Knowing what it is to be a human being means that he has to be with fellow men. This means to say that learning can be achieved if he lets himself be with other human beings and when he is one with other human beings.

All these things discussed can only be learned if the person is engaged in with fellow human beings. He should live in harmony with other people. It is easier for man to familiarize his self with the human actions since he himself is a human person. He can learn to act and acquaint with people since he already has a background about them based on his experiences with them.

Learning to be one with humanity can be understood through understanding the concepts which are the Tao as a social-moral way, the giving of importance to tradition, the understanding of the basic goodness and intelligence of man, and the developing of a person into a noble man.

First concept is understanding the Tao as social-moral way. Before I discuss why the Tao is a social-moral character, I will first tackle why humanity is a social mechanism.  As humans, we should live in harmony with other people as it is our nature to be one with them. According to Analects 18:6, one cannot be in union with other creature for it is not his nature to be with them. A person should be one with another person for it is his own kind and that human beings has their own way that is different from other creatures. Now knowing that a person is to be in union with other human beings, I will now proceed to why the Tao takes in a social-moral way.

As what I have mentioned earlier, the Tao is the source of what is right and wrong. Meaning the Tao is the basis for everything. The Tao should be followed as it is what its Chinese character means. The Tao could also be understood as the moral law which is based on humanity. Therefore, since the Tao is based on humanity, it is then to be followed since man is to follow the ways of humanity.

In order to understand the way of human beings, I will discuss, in this part, what it is to be a human being. First of all, humanity sprung up from filial piety and brotherly respect.  Filial piety, as what I have mentioned, is like the relationship between the parent and the child. It is the child showing respect to his parent and of the parent showing respect to his child. It is the child following the ways of the parent and it is the parent assisting the child. Brotherly respect on the other hand is the respect between peers or siblings. It is showing that all human beings are equal. There is a sense of respect to each one because a man is as equal to another man.

Therefore, the Tao is a social-moral way because it is the way of humanity. The way of humanity is that it should be with other human beings to be called a human being and that the Tao, which is the moral law, is based on humanity.

Second concept is recognizing or giving importance to tradition. In here, Confucius puts on emphasis to that a human being should also acknowledge the past. This is to say that the past has something to contribute in solving the problems today. Therefore, the past only inspires the present. It doesn’t mean that whatever happened in the past should be repeated today. The problems faced before are partly different from the problems from the present but it does teach a person on how to solve it.

Confucius encourages a creative repetition. Meaning a person does not just repeat or inherit whatever is done before but he finds a way in which it is shown to be something new. The importance of tradition is showing the relevance of the past that can has contributed on what the world is now.

Third concept is having faith in the basic goodness and intelligence of man. This is to say that Confucius believes that a human being is born good, with no bad intention, and that is capable of learning things greatly. Everyone has an identical natural ability which is good and intelligent. Confucius is trying to go against the present condition of the state and society. He wanted to let everyone have an equal opportunity to sit in a public office. He said that public office should be a matter of character and not of ancestral lineage.

In order to fit in any public office, Confucius emphasizes on the availability of education for everyone. He believes that through education, a man will be equipped enough to know things that would help him be a public servant or a noble man (chun tzu).

Confucius is fighting for an equal treatment between men as men are originally equal. The children of noble families should not be the only one to be offered with education that will provide them the skills to be a noble man themselves. Everyone should be offered with the same chance.

Last concept is the development of a noble man. If a man has known how to be a human being, then he can now be developed into a noble man. A noble man according to Confucius is someone who should be in public office because these men were trained to be one. He is someone who possesses the characteristics in which makes up a noble man (which would be discussed later). For Confucius, a noble man must not be gained through ancestral lineage but to be developed. As what I have stated, Confucius is promoting equality to men, thus sitting in a public office or being a noble man must be earned through training and not inheritance.

A public office is not about having power but it is about having responsibilities. The officer must be a superior man. His superiority however must not be about the rank or position but a superiority of character. A human being must not think of public office as place to gain or elevate his self for control over the state and the society. He must think that public office is to elevate the self for the development of the others. His responsibility as a public officer is always to accomplish something for the betterment of his people.

The four concepts are an indicator of being a man one with humanity. This is to say he lives harmoniously with other human beings. Being a man of or with humanity signifies a man following the Way (Tao) as the Way is humanity.

When one has known how to be human, then he can now be developed into a noble man which Confucius suggests to be the solution to the problems. In order to be a noble a he has to be a family oriented man and regulates and is regulated by the use of virtues.

First is the man should be family oriented. Meaning the man is well trained to be responsible of his self and of the others. The family plays an important role in the person’s development as the kind of person the child may become reflects the family too.

The family does not only serve as a little society in which will protect a person but it also serves as the training grounds of a person as to what he will become. The family is the one who teaches a person the things he needs to do as a preparation for a bigger world. It is where the person is being formed to the kind of person he is to be.

It is in the family that the person learns the sense of responsibility. This is to say that it is there that he learns how to control his words and actions. It is through the family that the person is trained to handle duties. Great things start from small ones. So, the person is being trained in the family by small amounts of tasks that would prepare him in bigger responsibilities that he would be handling as he grows and extends his horizon.

When one has learned the sense of responsibility, he learns to be somehow a good family man as he learns to prioritize things. Being a good family man is to learn how to be better human being because if a person is a better human being, he knows what to do first. He would be considerate of his actions. He would know what is to be prioritized and what is to not to be. Being a better human being is being responsible to his actions and decisions. It is being liable to the consequences he might face.

The sense of being family oriented is being held responsible to the family. Meaning, the person is accountable to what may happen in his family as he is the one who is molding them to be better human beings. He serves as the guide to other family members as to what they would become. He becomes the reference point of the others.

The next standard is that the man should regulate and be regulated by the use of virtue.

The person must be molded in the family first. The molding of the person is through the use of virtue and not by force. This means that the person must be motivated to do or to act by the use of virtues or ethical behaviors.

When a person is motivated by force, his actions or deeds are not coming from within him, thus he would not be efficient to what he does. He would not be able to perform his tasks well as he is not sincere or committed to it. Force would only result to unsatisfactory outcomes.

When one is motivated by virtue, then the person would be passionate to what he does. One can see the dedication he has putted in his work, thus it would be efficient. Virtues then would result to satisfactory outcomes.

If one is to be regulated by virtue and not by force, then the virtues should not be imposed to the person. This means that in order to be efficient, he should be the source of the realization. Yes, he is taught of the virtues but it should not be imposed on him. He should be the one to realize the worth of the virtue. If then, in order to realize the virtues, he should be led through examples. These examples are what the person sees or observes in his surroundings. It is what others had done and that he saw the effects of these virtues. He should not be forced to do the same as it would be a form of deception mot just to the people but to the person himself.

Since the man turns out to be responsible enough of his actions and that was well regulated by the use of virtues, his actions too on to the next generation is also the same. Meaning, he would also regulate the other people, basically his family members, by the use of virtues into teaching them to be responsible family members and later on responsible citizens or leaders of the society.

The being family oriented and being regulated and regulates by the use of virtues is what makes a noble man, the fullness of human-ness.

If the person has achieved the qualities of being a noble man, he has to know what it is and how to be and noble man. Being a noble man should be through following the Tao and having or possessing the virtues.
First is the following the Tao. As what I have mentioned above, the Tao has an obligatory character in which a person must follow it since the Tao is based on the ways of humanity. A human being is to follow the ways of humanity as he is a human being. He could not follow the ways of other creatures as he is different from them. A human being’s way of living must be the way of humanity, thus the way of the Tao.
Second are the virtues. In here, Confucius is discussing the different virtues a person has to know and apply when he wanted to be an ideal human being and that means being a noble man. The first virtue is for man to love man. Meaning, man has to form his moral character through loving other people. This love for others however, can be achieved if the person has loved his self first, which can be felt when the person experienced being loved. It is through experiencing the love from others and from the self that he will be able to show love.

There are different types of love that is to be shown by man. First is the love like that of spouses. Meaning this is the kind of love that treats everybody equal. In here, the respect is extended to those brothers even if they are different from the person. The relationship established here goes beyond the race or kinship between the persons involved. Brotherly respect refers to the common respect everyone has to have.

Second is the love like that of parent and child. This type of love is that which shows respect to those who are superior and inferior to the person. Meaning, this is the type of relationship that is established through obedience and piety. Obedience here refers to following the orders or the norms in order to create a harmonious living between men. Obeying the norms however, requires the intention of the person. It means that the person following it knows why he is following it and not just for mere showing off. On the other hand, piety refers to the devotion the person puts in obeying the orders and the norms. Just like obedience, the devotion should also need intention coming from the person. This requires sincerity from him and not just mere compliance to the norm.

The love for man or humanity can be expressed through conscientiousness and altruism.

Conscientiousness is the loyalty of the person in doing the things for humanity. This means that humanity is expressed through the person’s habit of doing it. Learning humanity doesn’t mean that a person can be considered a man of humanity. To be called a man of humanity, the person must be consistent to what he is doing. There must be a sense of commitment from the person to his action. In doing such actions, he must not think of what others might think of him. This means that he does not care if others are watching him or not. The sincerity of the person must not be measured by the praise or recognition he gets. If the person really is a noble man, then he is a noble man regardless of whether a lot of people are aware or not.

Since conscientiousness is an expression of humanity, therefore it is done to and with other human beings. It cannot be expressed to the self and by the self. Another thing also is that conscientiousness is cultivating not just the self but also the others. This means that the cultivation of the self is done through cultivating others too. This act is establishing relationships with the other human beings.

The next expression is altruism. Altruism or reciprocity is the completion of conscientiousness. It refers to the response that is needed when confronted with different attitudes. It is simply the application of the so-called Golden rule, “Do not do unto others what you do not want other to do unto you”. Confucius said that if a person has done something bad toward another person, the same thing would happen to him. Rudeness is a response of a person towards the rudeness of the other. The reaction or response of a person does not mean or signifies the differences between the two but it is because of the action he has done.

Altruism is the completion of conscientiousness because it is in here that the person can show his seriousness in what he is doing. This means that he has not only loved and respected others but also he has shown his self love and respect.

Second virtue is righteousness. Righteousness is being fair in a given situation. It is acting basin on what is right.  A superior man does not take sides on a given situation. He thinks and listens to every side of the story. He is not narrow minded. He weighs down circumstances and bases his decision from there.

Next virtue is propriety. This virtue is doing what is the right thing to do. The right thing to do is sometimes based on rules or laws imposed. Confucius emphasized on doing what is proper, to what is according to the rules. Although Confucius is saying that the proper way to do things is through following the rules, he still puts emphasis on having intention in doing the rules or practices.

The virtue of propriety disciplines a person because he knows that there are certain regulations to be followed in order to bring harmony between men. This means to say that despite the differences among the people, because of the rules, which are proper, it creates harmony among them. It grounds the person and tells him his place in the society.

The last virtue is the virtue of wisdom. Wisdom is doing the duties of man through the ways of humanity. Meaning, the completion of the learned knowledge of being an ideal man is done through acting it out or living it out. Being a man of wisdom means that a person does not settle by knowing human beings but aims to be an ideal human being.

When a person or man has realized his full potential as a human being, which is being a noble man, he could live harmoniously with the world as it is man’s nature to live according to the ways of humanity. Being a noble man means that the person has realized and lived his potential as a human person.

Lao Tzu’s Philosophy is somehow different from Confucius because for him the problems are that of natural problems rooted in knowledge and desire. Lao Tzu’s Philosophy is going back or doing the ways of nature (Tao). This means that the Tao of Lao Tzu is about doing things that are according to the Natural Laws.

What is Philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese Philosophy by Lao Tzu?

Philosophy, according to Lao Tzu is going back or doing the ways of nature (Tao). This means that the Tao of Lao Tzu is about doing things that are according to the Natural Laws.

Before I discuss the Natural Law, I would first discuss the first concept in which it is rooted from. The Tao for Lao Tzu is the origin of the universe. It is the beginning of all things and it is where all things end up to. The nature of Tao is that it is formless. It takes no shape and is intangible but it is from it that the universe is formed. The Tao, as it is formless, cannot be perceived by the senses and because of this, it takes no name. It doesn't have a name because the being may be boxed into one context only. The Tao is eternal and it is improper to box into one context which is the concept of naming. It is just called Tao to have a direct reference.

The being of the Tao is partially unknown to man. Partially because there is a claim of its existence. It is said that the Tao is the source of every other being but the physical appearance or the existence of it is still anonymous. Lao Tzu has said that the Tao is formless but it doesn't mean it isn't there. The Tao exists but its identity is undetermined.  The Tao for Lao Tzu is beyond the perception of man. It something greater than man and its power is beyond man’s imagination. Man is a limited being and the Tao doesn't go below his level just for him to know about it. Man is not the measure of Tao but the nature of Tao itself.  Because of man’s limitation, he may perceive the Tao as nothing but the Tao is so much for man that he fails to recognize it.

Another characteristic of the Tao is that it is impartial meaning it takes no sides. It doesn't care about people. It didn't boast itself to man that it is willing to go lower up to man’s perception. The Tao has its own natural way and it does not change itself just to please man.

The Tao is so great that it doesn't fail to accomplish anything. It completes its matters through the process and sometimes, it is left unnoticed. Even though it has achieved many things, the Tao doesn't call attention. What it does are ordinary things and doesn't take credit for it. It does nothing in excess and it is always enough. Therefore, the Natural Law is rooted on the Tao because it is the beginning of everything. It created everything.

Now, going back to the Natural Law, it is the law in which things act according to their innate capacity. This is to say that things happen according to the movement of their natural self. It is the way of the universe, the way of nature.

If one is to comprehend Natural Law, one must understand its two ideas, the natural way of things and the natural self. First is the natural way. In this part, the concept of opposites is being discussed.

The emergence of opposites is normal. The world composes opposites but these opposites do not exist to contradict and negate each other. Each of the opposites contains the other as in the case of the yin and the yang. The other takes part in the formation of the other. It cannot be known without the presence of the other. Despite them being opposites, they still share a sense of sameness that makes them. For example, the long and the short share in the essence of length.

The natural way of the opposites is going on a circular direction. It means that the opposites work through reversal. The other opposite precedes to the other like rain precedes sunshine. One thing about the opposites is that it is only opposite to its partner. It is not opposite to other things. Another interpretation of the reversal is that the opposites always goes back to the Tao. It is done this way because all of them are from the Tao. They are one with the Tao. The Tao is the origin of these things and to it everything shall return. It is the natural way of things. Going on a reversal way.

As what I have said, the emergence of the opposites is normal. Despite the opposite-ness of these things, it still managed to be in harmony with one another.  The invitation for man here is to go on to the natural way of things. That it let things happen. In the case of the opposites, the two are not in contrast with each other. One does not negate the other but instead, it complements it thus creating harmony despite their difference. In man’s life, despite the opposite or contradictions, he should be in tune with it. He should not negate it as it would bring worse scenarios. The man should just let things happen.

Second idea is the natural self. In this part, the concept of the Te is being discussed.

Civilization and education makes man break away from the natural order of things. Man creates his own ways like following a rigid, straight path which only keeps moving forward and does not look on to the past. It is also because of civilization and education that man learns on making preferences over the opposites. The emergence of opposites is natural but because of the prejudice and biases, it makes man think to prefer one over the other.

According to Lao Tzu, man is innately good. Good in the sense that he is innocent of the biases and prejudices. This is the natural self: goodness. Because of civilization and education, man forgets his real and natural self. He starts to create a new self that is based on the demands of the society and not of the Tao. The goodness that is innocence without malice is being replaced by the goodness that is in accordance to humanity. The ways of the Tao doesn't care about the virtues of humanity. It has its own virtue.

The challenge for man here is to be able to go back to the Te or virtue of the Tao which is to be good through innocence without malice. It is going back and knowing the self for the self. The mastery of the self leads man to learn the value of contentment thus does not create desires. Having no desires means not having preferences over things. The Taoist Te, is basically concerned about the development of the person for the benefit of his self.

The descriptions above makes up the Natural Law. The realization of this natural law however, is difficult to achieve as one may be caught up by the material world.  This is the case, as what has been indicated in the powerpoint presentation, of Confucianism. Confucius discusses things that are of this world and Lao Tzu says that he doesn’t solve problem. He uses solutions which are also found in this world which is not the real solution. For him (Lao Tzu), the real solution is not of this material world. The realization of the natural law can be done through reflection. This reflection leads to insights and would let someone know what he really wants and needs. This will lead him into the realization of his natural self.

In order for one to know the self, Lao Tzu said that one should reflect on the self. This means that one should go back to his roots and follow its ways. When one has found his roots, he would have a deeper understanding of his self and he will better know his abilities. One characteristic of nature is that it does not broadcast itself. It does not set itself in the foreground so that everybody will know. It is humble and acts the way it should be. The person, following the nature is and should also be humble. He should do what he needs to do even if no one is watching him.

Taoism says that one should follow the ways of nature. Knowing the self is going back to the ways of nature. In order to know whether the person has followed it, he should at least empty his self of the things he knows from humanity. Meaning he should unlearn the ways of humanity which is always fast tracking things and pretending to be someone or somebody he is not. This is a method that is to let the self be unoccupied from the biases and expectations of humanity from a person. Emptying the self from all external factors helps him to be able to go back to the self and consult it as to what it really wants and needs. Going back to insight is going back to the nature of the self, the natural self.

When one has successfully freed the self from the prejudices of man, he will now try to learn his self. Learning the self is going back to insight.

The going back to insight is knowing from within. It is trying to listen to what is in the self, the real self that is not influenced by the things of humanity. It is knowing what the self really is, knowing what it real needs, and what it really wants to be. Insight or reflection here is to be detached from the demands of humanity and focus more on the demands of nature. This is to say that the person should find the core or the roots of his self. He should be more attentive on the things he claims to know and the way he lives his life.

Since the person has followed the ways of nature and that he has detached his self from the ways of humanity, he learns or understands better the things that are essential to him. He keeps everything which is important and throws out the unnecessary.

When one has known the nature of the self, he is being aware of his capabilities. This is to say that through reflection, he has come to know his strengths and weaknesses. He does what he is capable of doing in the way it must be. He does not boast what he can do and does not call the attention of the people. The person is efficient in doing the things he ought to do. He isn’t any more fascinated with the things in the human world.

Another thing is that he will understand better the necessities of the self.  As what I have mentioned, the person will realize the essential things that the natural self needs and he will only do the things that would satisfy those needs.

The basic or important needs are those that would only help him survive his daily life. He will not aim for more because he knows that the other needs are non-essential and that they are what we called luxuries in life.  He would only do the things that will let him achieve the needs and wants of the natural self. Aside from that, he aims for nothing else.

Since the person knows what he wants and needs, he knows when and how to stop his self from aiming more. He knows how to control himself from attaching to other things in the material world. He reminds his self to only do the things that would let him acquire the needs. Other than that, he knows that it is beyond the nature of his self and of the Tao.

The Taoist sage does not aim for something bigger than the needs of the self. Aiming for more will lead him violating the natural way of his self which is according to the natural ways of the Tao. The sage does not desire to have luxuries in his life. He knows how to be contented of what he has.

Knowing what the self needs is knowing the things that is to be done. When one has a clear vision of what he ought to do, he will no longer aim for anything else because he knows what his self really wants.

To become a Taoist sage, one must know the self in order to know the things that he needs to do. When the person does not know his self, it will lead him to do anything that pops up in his mind. He will be more attached to the material world and aims everything on it as he is not certain to what his self really needs. He would aim to have everything as he tries to identify his self.

If one’s idea is corrupted, it would result to greater problems.  The problem that Lao Tzu perceived was that of natural disorder rooted from knowledge and desire. The disorders which are poverty, rebellion, and violence are all product of the absence of the natural self and of the Tao.

Lao Tzu presented some solutions to this agony that a person may be experiencing. First is that the government should not interfere with the affairs of the people. This is to say that they let the people handle their things the way they wanted it to be. The government does not control the lives of the people instead they only facilitate them. They are only there to assist the people and not to impose things and let them do whatever they wanted them to do.

The non-interference of the government can only be done through a great king whom Lao Tzu identified as a philosopher-king. Having a philosopher-king as a leader is Lao Tzu’s second solution. A philosopher-king is one who has learned to be sage, that is to say that he knows the way of the Tao. He lives in a life that is following the ways of nature. He is someone who has already known the ways of the Tao, thus he took the responsibility of being the leader to avoid those who has dreamt of becoming a leader and rule over the empire. With a philosopher-king as a ruler, the empire would experience what Wing Tsit Chan interpreted as the laissez faire type of government. With this type of government, the people are free to do whatever they want to do. The role of the government is to not enforce laws but to ensure the security of the people and assist them in their needs.

One has to be led in that way so that one would realize the need to let things act on their own. I believe that it is a person’s nature to act when someone has already done it.  What I mean is that someone do things because of somebody else’s influence. It is easier for man to realize the need to go back to the ways of nature when one has already done it. Having a philosopher-king and a government that follows the ways of nature would inspire a person to also go back to the ways of nature.

Through the leadership of the government under the philosopher-king, the people would have a better understanding of how to handle natural conflicts or problems. The philosopher-king who knows the ways first has opened the doors for others to realize that too. He let others grasp their own potential through letting them realize their natural self. Through that, they recognize the natural play of things which is that there would always be contradictions and dealing them is not through abolishing the other but through compensating and harmonizing the two.

With the philosopher-king and the government following the ways of the Tao, it would open a person’s mind to also return to the ways of nature. Returning to the Tao would help them in dealing natural problems and conflicts.

Therefore, Lao Tzu’s Philosophy is doing the things that are of the Tao. These things of the Tao are those in accord to the Natural Law, the natural way of things. It can only be done when one has known the self. Again, knowing the self is going back to the natural way of the self which is according to the natural way of things.

Knowing the self can be done by the way of unlearning. Unlearning is the emptying the self of the teachings brought by humanity. By this, the person will see the bigger picture other than humanity which is the universe. He then sees how nature works which is being steady and stable.

Lao Tzu sees the solution to the problem of the world as letting things flow the way they should be. It is therefore letting things be themselves. Then, if this is so, one has to avoid the hunger of things, he would not yearn for anything other than supplying his basic needs. He would only satisfy his needs for survival. Yearning for more would mean forcing the self. Meaning it is going beyond the natural self.

Although the two philosophers has different views on how man should live his life, they are still the same in the sense that they wanted to bring back the people in their own way. Confucius interpreted this way as the way of humanity and Lao Tzu interpreted this as a way of nature. Also, they are the same in a way that they do not force people to do or practice what is mentioned above as for Confucius it would be a waste of time and for Lao Tzu it is beyond the natural pace of man.



Synthesis Paper 1.F Revised

What is Philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese Philosophy by Confucius?

Philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese Philosophy by Confucius is about discovering or grasping a person’s full human-ness. This means to say that Confucius wanted man to realize his full potential as a human being. It is knowing what it is and how to be human. Confucius discusses that the fullness of man’s human-ness is being a noble man.

A noble man according to Confucius is someone who should be in public office because these men who were trained to be one. He is someone who possesses the characteristics in which makes up a noble man. A noble man should have the following standards: He is a man that is family oriented and a man that regulates and is regulated by the use of virtue.

First is the man should be family oriented. Meaning the man is well trained to be responsible of his self and of the others. The family plays an important role in the person’s development as the kind of person the child may become reflects the family too.

The family does not only serve as a little society in which will protect a person but it also serves as the training grounds of a person as to what he will become. The family is the one who teaches a person the things he needs to do as a preparation for a bigger world. It is where the person is being formed to the kind of person he is to be.

It is in the family that the person learns the sense of responsibility. This is to say that it is there that he learns how to control his words and actions. It is through the family that the person is trained to handle duties. Great things start from small ones. So, the person is being trained in the family by small amounts of tasks that would prepare him in bigger responsibilities that he would be handling as he grows and extends his horizon.

When one has learned the sense of responsibility, he learns to be somehow a good family man as he learns to prioritize things. Being a good family man is to learn how to be better human being because if a person is a better human being, he knows what to do first. He would be considerate of his actions. He would know what is to be prioritized and what is to not to be. Being a better human being is being responsible to his actions and decisions. It is being liable to the consequences he might face.

The sense of being family oriented is being held responsible to the family. Meaning, the person is accountable to what may happen in his family as he is the one who is molding them to be better human beings. He serves as the guide to other family members as to what they would become. He becomes the reference point of the others.

The next standard is that the man should regulate and be regulated by the use of virtue.

The person must be molded in the family first. The molding of the person is through the use of virtue and not by force. This means that the person must be motivated to do or to act by the use of virtues or ethical behaviors.

When a person is motivated by force, his actions or deeds are not coming from within him, thus he would not be efficient to what he does. He would not be able to perform his tasks well as he is not sincere or committed to it. Force would only result to unsatisfactory outcomes.

When one is motivated by virtue, then the person would be passionate to what he does. One can see the dedication he has putted in his work, thus it would be efficient. Virtues then would result to satisfactory outcomes.

If one is to be regulated by virtue and not by force, then the virtues should not be imposed to the person. This means that in order to be efficient, he should be the source of the realization. Yes, he is taught of the virtues but it should not be imposed on him. He should be the one to realize the worth of the virtue. If then, in order to realize the virtues, he should be led through examples. These examples are what the person sees or observes in his surroundings. It is what others had done and that he saw the effects of these virtues. He should not be forced to do the same as it would be a form of deception mot just to the people but to the person himself.

Since the man turns out to be responsible enough of his actions and that was well regulated by the use of virtues, his actions too on to the next generation is also the same. Meaning, he would also regulate the other people, basically his family members, by the use of virtues into teaching them to be responsible family members and later on responsible citizens or leaders of the society.

The being family oriented and being regulated and regulates by the use of virtues is what makes a noble man, the fullness of human-ness.

Now, before man becomes a noble man he should first discover his full potentiality. In order to do this, Confucius suggests ways in which man can know and exercise this. He suggested man to follow the Tao and to possess the virtues. All of his suggestions are those of which are according to humanity. This means that man can realize his human-ness only through acquainting to other human beings and to the ways of humanity.

First is that man is to follow the Tao. According to Arthur Waley, he translated the Tao as the principles of truth and right. Meaning it is in the Tao that we understand all things in the world as it is the basis of everything. The Tao is the source of what is true and what is right. There is an obligatory character in which human beings are to follow the Tao as the Tao means, in its Chinese character, the way in which the leader takes. It is an obligatory way for a human being to follow the moral law which is basically the Tao. The link between the two is that the moral law, which is the Tao, is basically based on humanity. Therefore, the way a human being must follow is the way of humanity.

Second are the virtues. In here, Confucius is discussing the different virtues a person has to know and apply when he wanted to be an ideal human being and that means being a noble man. The first virtue is for man to love man. Meaning, man has to form his moral character through loving other people. This love for others however, can be achieved if the person has loved his self first, which can be felt when the person experienced being loved. It is through experiencing the love from others and from the self that he will be able to show love.

There are different types of love that is to be shown by man. First is the love like that of spouses. Meaning this is the kind of love that treats everybody equal. In here, the respect is extended to those brothers even if they are different from the person. The relationship established here goes beyond the race or kinship between the persons involved. Brotherly respect refers to the common respect everyone has to have.

Second is the love like that of parent and child. This type of love is that which shows respect to those who are superior and inferior to the person. Meaning, this is the type of relationship that is established through obedience and piety. Obedience here refers to following the orders or the norms in order to create a harmonious living between men. Obeying the norms however, requires the intention of the person. It means that the person following it knows why he is following it and not just for mere showing off. On the other hand, piety refers to the devotion the person puts in obeying the orders and the norms. Just like obedience, the devotion should also need intention coming from the person. This requires sincerity from him and not just mere compliance to the norm.

The love for man or humanity can be expressed through conscientiousness and altruism.

Conscientiousness is the loyalty of the person in doing the things for humanity. This means that humanity is expressed through the person’s habit of doing it. Learning humanity doesn’t mean that a person can be considered a man of humanity. To be called a man of humanity, the person must be consistent to what he is doing. There must be a sense of commitment from the person to his action. In doing such actions, he must not think of what others might think of him. This means that he does not care if others are watching him or not. The sincerity of the person must not be measured by the praise or recognition he gets. If the person really is a noble man, then he is a noble man regardless of whether a lot of people are aware or not.

Since conscientiousness is an expression of humanity, therefore it is done to and with other human beings. It cannot be expressed to the self and by the self. Another thing also is that conscientiousness is cultivating not just the self but also the others. This means that the cultivation of the self is done through cultivating others too. This act is establishing relationships with the other human beings.

The next expression is altruism. Altruism or reciprocity is the completion of conscientiousness. It refers to the response that is needed when confronted with different attitudes. It is simply the application of the so-called Golden rule, “Do not do unto others what you do not want other to do unto you”. Confucius said that if a person has done something bad toward another person, the same thing would happen to him. Rudeness is a response of a person towards the rudeness of the other. The reaction or response of a person does not mean or signifies the differences between the two but it is because of the action he has done.

Altruism is the completion of conscientiousness because it is in here that the person can show his seriousness in what he is doing. This means that he has not only loved and respected others but also he has shown his self love and respect.

Second virtue is righteousness. Righteousness is being fair in a given situation. It is acting basin on what is right.  A superior man does not take sides on a given situation. He thinks and listens to every side of the story. He is not narrow minded. He weighs down circumstances and bases his decision from there.

Next virtue is propriety. This virtue is doing what is the right thing to do. The right thing to do is sometimes based on rules or laws imposed. Confucius emphasized on doing what is proper, to what is according to the rules. Although Confucius is saying that the proper way to do things is through following the rules, he still puts emphasis on having intention in doing the rules or practices.

The virtue of propriety disciplines a person because he knows that there are certain regulations to be followed in order to bring harmony between men. This means to say that despite the differences among the people, because of the rules, which are proper, it creates harmony among them. It grounds the person and tells him his place in the society.

The last virtue is the virtue of wisdom. Wisdom is doing the duties of man through the ways of humanity. Meaning, the completion of the learned knowledge of being an ideal man is done through acting it out or living it out. Being a man of wisdom means that a person does not settle by knowing human beings but aims to be an ideal human being.

When one wants to know what it is and how to be human, he must first be open to learn about it. Meaning, following the Tao and possessing the virtues can be learned. Learning lets you know things that you need to know and not just anything. Before a person would be open to learning, he should acknowledge the fact that he does not know everything. After that, he should learn to distinguish things he knows and things he does not know.

Learning is comprehending things and not just memorizing or accepting those that are already given. It is analysing and weighing down the things that are known. To learn is to be able to see the underlying principle of the knowledge gained. A learned person is someone who thinks and can justify his answer. He is someone who makes sense in what he is saying.

Knowledge results to learning. When one has known things, then he would try to evaluate if these knowledge can help him in his journey of knowing what it is and how to be human. A person who is after becoming an ideal human person does not aim to know everything but only those that could help him in his development in becoming a human being. Learning is about knowing and evaluating things that matter and then applied to the person’s life.

If one wishes to be a noble man, he has to apply the things he has learned to his daily life. This is to say that he has to live and practice the knowledge that he has. The practicing should be done whole heartedly. There should not be pretentions as he would end up just deceiving his self. Self-deception will not last long because the motivation is not for the self. Also, it would not last long because the person dislikes or is not committed to what he is doing. Even if practicing it is hard or difficult, it doesn’t mean it’s impossible. The only way to be an ideal human being is to exercise being an ideal human being. Therefore, he must put into practice whatever he has learned but it should be done sincerely.

All these things are done if the person has freed his self from the emotional baggages. Emptying the self from baggages is making sure that the person is not easily distracted by any external and internal force like emotions. He should evaluate his self from time to time. This is to be sure that he really wants what he is doing. This is to evaluate his self if he is truthful to his actions. If the person will know that he is sincere and committed to the things he does, then he will not be lost in finding what it is and how to be human.

If man wishes to be an ideal human being, he has to know what it is to be an ideal human being. But before a person becomes an ideal human being, he should first know what it is and how to be a human being. Knowing what it is to be a human being means that he has to be with fellow men. This means to say that learning can be achieved if he lets himself be with other human beings and when he is one with other human beings.

All these things discussed can only be learned if the person is engaged in with fellow human beings. He should live in harmony with other people. It is easier for man to familiarize his self with the human actions since he himself is a human person. He can learn to act and acquaint with people since he already has a background about them based on his experiences with them.

Learning to be one with humanity can be understood through understanding the concepts which are the Tao as a social-moral way, the giving of importance to tradition, the understanding of the basic goodness and intelligence of man, and the developing of a person into a noble man.

First concept is understanding the Tao as social-moral way. Before I discuss why the Tao is a social-moral character, I will first tackle why humanity is a social mechanism.  As humans, we should live in harmony with other people as it is our nature to be one with them. According to Analects 18:6, one cannot be in union with other creature for it is not his nature to be with them. A person should be one with another person for it is his own kind and that human beings has their own way that is different from other creatures. Now knowing that a person is to be in union with other human beings, I will now proceed to why the Tao takes in a social-moral way.

As what I have mentioned earlier, the Tao is the source of what is right and wrong. Meaning the Tao is the basis for everything. The Tao should be followed as it is what its Chinese character means. The Tao could also be understood as the moral law which is based on humanity. Therefore, since the Tao is based on humanity, it is then to be followed since man is to follow the ways of humanity.

In order to understand the way of human beings, I will discuss, in this part, what it is to be a human being. First of all, humanity sprung up from filial piety and brotherly respect.  Filial piety, as what I have mentioned, is like the relationship between the parent and the child. It is the child showing respect to his parent and of the parent showing respect to his child. It is the child following the ways of the parent and it is the parent assisting the child. Brotherly respect on the other hand is the respect between peers or siblings. It is showing that all human beings are equal. There is a sense of respect to each one because a man is as equal to another man.

Therefore, the Tao is a social-moral way because it is the way of humanity. The way of humanity is that it should be with other human beings to be called a human being and that the Tao, which is the moral law, is based on humanity.

Second concept is recognizing or giving importance to tradition. In here, Confucius puts on emphasis to that a human being should also acknowledge the past. This is to say that the past has something to contribute in solving the problems today. Therefore, the past only inspires the present. It doesn’t mean that whatever happened in the past should be repeated today. The problems faced before are partly different from the problems from the present but it does teach a person on how to solve it.

Confucius encourages a creative repetition. Meaning a person does not just repeat or inherit whatever is done before but he finds a way in which it is shown to be something new. The importance of tradition is showing the relevance of the past that can has contributed on what the world is now.

Third concept is having faith in the basic goodness and intelligence of man. This is to say that Confucius believes that a human being is born good, with no bad intention, and that is capable of learning things greatly. Everyone has an identical natural ability which is good and intelligent. Confucius is trying to go against the present condition of the state and society. He wanted to let everyone have an equal opportunity to sit in a public office. He said that public office should be a matter of character and not of ancestral lineage.

In order to fit in any public office, Confucius emphasizes on the availability of education for everyone. He believes that through education, a man will be equipped enough to know things that would help him be a public servant or a noble man (chun tzu).

Confucius is fighting for an equal treatment between men as men are originally equal. The children of noble families should not be the only one to be offered with education that will provide them the skills to be a noble man themselves. Everyone should be offered with the same chance.

Last concept is the development of a noble man. If a man has known how to be a human being, then he can now be developed into a noble man. For Confucius, a noble man must not be gained through ancestral lineage but to be developed. As what I have stated, Confucius is promoting equality to men, thus sitting in a public office or being a noble man must be earned through training and not inheritance.

A public office is not about having power but it is about having responsibilities. The officer must be a superior man. His superiority however must not be about the rank or position but a superiority of character. A human being must not think of public office as place to gain or elevate his self for control over the state and the society. He must think that public office is to elevate the self for the development of the others. His responsibility as a public officer is always to accomplish something for the betterment of his people.

The four concepts are an indicator of being a man one with humanity. This is to say he lives harmoniously with other human beings. Being a man of or with humanity signifies a man following the Way (Tao) as the Way is humanity.

When man has known how to be a human being, he could be developed into a noble man, which is the fullness of human-ness. Although Confucius says that being a noble man is the fullness of being a human being, all of the things that are said are only suggestions. Meaning, Confucius does not force people to be a noble man because he says that if the will or intention is not there, the effort of teaching a person how to be human will be useless.

Confucius was insisting that people must seek to be a noble man because he saw problems in the society. He insists that this is the only way in order to solve these problems. Confucius has been pushing and insisting that there really is a problem in the society since, as stated in Analect 3:24, he is not anymore sitting in any position which is not right because he is a noble man. In their tradition, the noble man is the one who is suited to be sitting in the office because of his proper education on how to be a public servant. Another problem that occurred is that the peasants have been working hard yet they receive little amount as salary and they remain poor while the noble man gets even richer. Lastly, the people are starting to doubt if the ancestors can really bless the living. This uncertainty is because of the people’s observation of their political system wherein the people are only assuming office because of power and not because of public service.

Confucius identified the problem as social disorder rooted in the incorrect use of names. In this part, it can be understood that Confucius is really up for changing the ways of the people and would really like to bring them back to the ways of humanity.  As stated in the Analects, the world is facing problems in the world because the leaders that are seated in throne are not suited in the position. They just got the position because of some ancestral passage. Because of this system, the ones who deserve to be in office are not given any position. One reason for this is that sometimes they don’t have a rich or influential ancestry.

In this example, it can be seen that there is really a problem in the society and that the root cause is the incorrect use of names. As stated above, the political power comes from the rich and influential lineage. Because of this, some officers do not deserve occupying the office. These officers have used the office for some other purposes like the greed of power instead of public service. They kill other aspiring people and replace them, with whoever they want. This illustration is clearly an example of incorrect use of name. The officers were not able to stand and live their name as public officers. They are use the office for some other reasons.

According to Confucius, the incorrect use of names will result to problems like a noble man being out of office, a peasant that still has nothing and the people who doubts their ancestors’ capacity. The incorrect use of names was the root cause of the social disorder because people have no idea about what their words may mean. The names must stand their names for the names and the things have a connection within them that gives meaning. The relationship between the name and the thing makes it whole and asserts its existence and significance.  If people use names and don’t know their proper meanings, it will create confusion in them and thus result to disorder. The disorder will only lead them away from the truth of the thing.

The same thing will happen if people do not know the meaning of their names. If they do not know the connection between them and their names, they will be led far from the truth of their existence and significance. When one is given a name, one has to exercise it. Meaning one has to live up the name assigned to him. When one is tasked to be a politician, he must know what it is to be a politician. He must know that occupying a public office is for public service and that whatever he does is always for the betterment of the people and not of his self. He is trusted to be in that position because of his ancestral lineage and he must learn to live with it. Because of his education, he has the right to be seated in office, thus he must learn to be rightful in the said position.

These problems emerged because man has not achieved his full human-ness. He did not put an effort in seeking to be one and they misunderstood their role and capacity as human beings. Being a noble man that is following the ways of humanity is Confucius solution to these problems.

Therefore, I can say that Philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese Philosophy by Confucius is about discovering or grasping a person’s full human-ness. This means to say that Confucius wanted man to realize his full potential as a human being. It is knowing what it is and how to be human. Knowing what it is and how to be a human being could help aid the problems that are happening in the society. Confucius discusses that the fullness of man’s human-ness is being a noble man. Being a noble man must be the ideal human being. It must be the goal.


Last Daily Blog: Confucius' Learning

Knowledge results to learning. When one has known things, then he would try to evaluate if these knowledge can help him in his journey of knowing what it is and how to be human. A person who is after becoming an ideal human person does not aim to know everything but only those that could help him in his development in becoming a human being. Learning is about knowing and evaluating things that matter and then applied to the person’s life.


If one wishes to be a noble man, he has to apply the things he has learned to his daily life. This is to say that he has to live and practice the knowledge that he has. The practicing should be done whole heartedly. There should not be pretentions as he would end up just deceiving his self. Self-deception will not last long because the motivation is not for the self. Also, it would not last long because the person dislikes or is not committed to what he is doing. Even if practicing it is hard or difficult, it doesn’t mean it’s impossible. The only way to be an ideal human being is to exercise being an ideal human being. Therefore, he must put into practice whatever he has learned but it should be done sincerely. 

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Synthesis Paper 1.C Revised

What is Philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese Philosophy by Confucius in the way he characterizes the ideal human being?

Philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese Philosophy by Confucius in the way he characterizes the ideal human being is following the human virtues as it will guide them in dealing other human beings. This means that Confucius is suggesting set of virtues that a person should follow in order to be an ideal human being.

If man wishes to be an ideal human being, he has to know what it is to be a human being. Knowing what it is to be a human being means that he has to be with other human beings. This means to say that knowing things about human beings can be learned only through acquainting his self with fellow men.

In here, Confucius is discussing the different virtues a person has to know and apply when he wanted to be an ideal human being and that means being a noble man. The first virtue is for man to love man. Meaning, man has to form his moral character through loving other people. This love for others however, can be achieved if the person has loved his self first which can be felt when the person experienced being loved. It is through experiencing the love from others and from the self that he will be able to show love.

There are different types of love that is to be shown by man. First is the love like that of spouses. Meaning this is the kind of love that treats everybody equal. In here, the respect is extended to those brothers even if they are different from the person. The relationship established here goes beyond the race or kinship between the persons involved. Brotherly respect refers to the common respect everyone has to have.

Second is the love like that of parent and child. This type of love is that which shows respect to those who are superior and inferior to the person. Meaning, this is the type of relationship that is established through obedience and piety. Obedience here refers to following the orders or the norms in order to create a harmonious living between men. Obeying the norms however, requires the intention of the person. It means that the person following it knows why he is following it and not just for mere showing off. On the other hand, piety refers to the devotion the person puts in obeying the orders and the norms. Just like obedience, the devotion should also need intention coming from the person. This requires sincerity from him and not just mere compliance to the norm.

The love for man or humanity can be expressed through conscientiousness and altruism.

Conscientiousness is the loyalty of the person in doing the things for humanity. This means that humanity is expressed through the person’s habit of doing it. Learning humanity doesn’t mean that a person can be considered a man of humanity. To be called a man of humanity, the person must be consistent to what he is doing. There must be a sense of commitment from the person to his action. In doing such actions, he must not think of what others might think of him. This means that he does not care if others are watching him or not. The sincerity of the person must not be measured by the praise or recognition he gets. If the person really is a noble man, then he is a noble man regardless of whether the people are aware or not.

Since conscientiousness is an expression of humanity, therefore it is done to and with other human beings. It cannot be expressed to the self and by the self. Another thing also is that conscientiousness is cultivating not just the self but also the others. This means that the cultivation of the self is done through cultivating others too. This act is establishing relationships with the other human beings.

The next expression is altruism. Altruism or reciprocity is the completion of conscientiousness. It refers to the response that is needed when confronted with different attitudes. It is simply the application of the so-called Golden rule, “Do not do unto others what you do not want other to do unto you”. Confucius said that if a person has done something bad toward another person, the same thing would happen to him. Rudeness is a response of a person towards the rudeness of the other. The reaction or response of a person does not mean or signifies the differences between the two but because of the action he has done.

Altruism is the completion of conscientiousness because it is in here that the person can show his seriousness in what he is doing. This means that he has not only loved and respected others but also he has shown his self love and respect.

Second virtue is righteousness. Righteousness in being fair in a given situation. It is acting basin on what is right.  A superior man does not take sides on a given situation. He thinks and listens to every side of the story. He is not narrow minded. He weighs down circumstances and base his decision from there.

Next virtue is propriety. This virtue is doing what is the right thing to do. The right thing to do is sometimes based on rules or laws imposed. Confucius emphasized on doing what is proper, to what is according to the rules. Although Confucius is saying that the proper way to do things is through following the rules, he still puts emphasis on having intention in doing the rules or practices.

The virtue of propriety disciplines a person because he knows that there are certain regulations to be followed in order to bring harmony between men. This means to say that despite the differences among the people, because of the rules, which are proper, it creates harmony among them. It grounds the person and tells him his place in the society.

The last virtue is the virtue of wisdom. Wisdom is doing the duties of man through the ways of humanity. Meaning, the completion of the learned knowledge of being an ideal man is done through acting it out or living it out. Being a man of wisdom means that a person does not settle by knowing human beings but aims to be an ideal human being.

Therefore, Philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese Philosophy by Confucius in the way he characterizes the ideal human being is following the human virtues as it will guide them in dealing other human beings.  This means that Confucius classifies the ideal human being as a man of humanity, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom. All these virtues cannot be done or practiced by isolating the self but through engaging the self with other human beings. To be with other human beings tests your virtues.

Harmfulness of Knowledge

Gaining knowledge according to Lao Tzu is not a good thing if one wishes to follow the Tao. For him, gaining knowledge means creating distinctions or divisions such as good and evil, hot and cold, pass or fail, etc. Such distinctions separates things, thus makes things seemingly unequal.  These distinctions influence a person in making judgments which will turn out biased. When one has knowledge, which is distinctions, he would most probably choose the one which he would benefit from, thus rejecting the other. This rejection is not part of the way of nature, as in it, everything is equal. When one is rejected, it would mean that the other is much more important or valuable than him/her/it. Aside from creating distinctions, knowledge also results in consequences that are far beyond ones intention. For example, when one has distinguished good and evil, one would probably choose good as it has a positive effect on him. When the evil is rejected, then there would be pain in the part of the rejected evil. The one who chose good over evil doesn’t have the intention of hurting the evil, but as a consequence of his action, he just did.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Synthesis Paper 1.D Revised

What is Philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese Philosophy by Confucius in the way he lays out the steps of self-cultivation?

Philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese Philosophy by Confucius in the way lays out the steps of self-cultivation is knowing what it is and how to be human. This means to say that Confucius states ways on how a person realizes his potential in becoming a human person. He stated that knowing what it is and how to be human is done through learning and gaining knowledge about humanity.

When one wants to know what it is and how to be human, he must first be open to learn about it. Learning lets you know things that you need to know and not just anything. Before a person would be open to learning, he should acknowledge the fact that he does not know everything. After that, he should learn to distinguish things he knows and things he does not know.

Learning is comprehending things and not just memorizing or accepting those that are already given. It is analysing and weighing down the things that are known. To learn is to be able to see the underlying principle of the knowledge gained. A learned person is someone who thinks and  can justify his answer. He is someone who makes sense in what he is saying.

Knowledge results to learning. When one has known things, then he would try to evaluate if these knowledge can help him in his journey of knowing what it is and how to be human. A person who is after becoming a human person does not aim to know everything but only those that could help him in his development to be a human being. Learning is about knowing and evaluating things that matter and then applied to the person’s life.

If one wishes to be a human being, he has to apply the things he has learned to his daily life. This is to say that he has live and practice the knowledge that he has. The practicing should be done whole heartedly. There should not be pretensions as he would end up just deceiving his self. Self-deception will not last long because the motivation is not for the self. Also, it would not last long because the person dislikes or is not committed to what he is doing. Even if practicing it is hard or difficult, it doesn't mean it's impossible. The only way to be a human being is to exercise being a human being. Therefore, he must put into practice whatever he has learned but it should be done sincerely.

All these things are done if the person has freed his self from the emotional baggage's. This is the second step in knowing what it is and how to be human. Emptying the self from baggage's is making sure that the person is not easily distracted by any external and internal force like emotions. He should evaluate his self from time to time. This is to be sure that he really wants what he is doing. This is to evaluate his self if he is truthful to his actions. If the person will know that he is sincere and committed to the things he does, then he will not be lost in finding what it is and how to be human.

Therefore, Philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese Philosophy by Confucius in the way lays out the steps of self-cultivation is knowing what it is and how to be human. Self-cultivation is making sure what the self really wants to do. When one is sure about it, he will be able to realize his potentialities. Confucius stated that knowing what it is and how to be human is done through learning and gaining knowledge about humanity and by self-evaluation.