Confucianism

Kokomirai Channel High School Ethics

• Mencius
  • Theory of Human Nature
  • Four Virtues
  • Message: Assuming that people are inherently good, if there are problems in the country, it must be because of bad politics or something like that.
    • Strive for the Way of the King in politics.
• Xunzi
  • Theory of Human Nature
  • Establish a method of governance that at least enforces rules on the surface, known as Ritualism.

-> Several hundred years later

• Zhu Xi

  • Theory of Principle and Material
    • Principle (Li): The principle that things should be as they should be.
    • Material (Qi): The substance.
    • It seems that human behavior is also determined by the principle.
  • Nature is Principle
    • The principle (Li) of a person is inherently good.
      • Theory of Human Nature?
    • The material (Qi) of a person, influenced by emotions, distorts that principle.
      • Therefore, let’s strive to return it to goodness.
      • How?
        • Live with reverence and exhaust the principle.
        • There are two things to do.
          • Suppress desires (Qi) and impulses.
          • Recognize that one’s own strengths are the principle, so let’s study various principles, not just for oneself but for others as well.
            • Academic-oriented.

• Yangming School

  • Anti-Nature is Principle
    • It is not that the material part of the mind distorts the principle part, but rather that the entire mind is inherently good.
      • A stronger Theory of Human Nature.
    • Therefore, let’s manifest it in our actions.
      • It is called Unity of Knowledge and Action, but it is different from what Socrates taught.