Confucius teaching - ethics or philosophy

Almost simultaneously with the rise of Buddhism in India, Confucius' philosophical and ethical teachings appear in China. As in other ancient teachings, the center of his whole philosophy is the man and the notion of happiness and perfection.

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According to the sources, Confucius lived in the second half of Du Zhou. His name is a latinised form from Kun-dzu, meaning the sage Kun. The name of Confucius is Ziu, and his nickname is Dun. His ancestors originated from the aristocratic family of the Sun Principality, which was governed by the descendants of the Shan (Yin) dynasty. Fearing a disaster, Confucius' great-grandfather moved to the Principality of Lu, an old generous donation to Zhou-gun. Here, Confucius' father, Shulian He, became the governor of the city of Dzu, the southern Sy - shui. According to the legend, Shulian He was a brave warrior of incredible physical strength in his youth. From his first wife, Shulian He has eight daughters, and by law his heir can be just a boy. And he takes his concubine, which gives birth to his son. But the boy turns lame. At the age of sixty-six, the glorified warrior rejoiced again for the youngest daughter of the Jan family in the city of Ciufu. The lady named Chie was only seventeen. Contemporary people call this marriage a "non-conformist union", as a man aged sixty-three should not have a family. Together with his pregnant wife, Shulian He goes to "the ruler on the slope of Nishan Mountain, in 551 BC Yang Chu gives birth to a boy who calls Ziu (" hill ") in honor of the holy hill. Early Childhood Confucius reports are too scarce. His father died when he was three years old. His family lives poorly. That is why Confucius can not learn and prepare for a government job, but he has to work from physical activity for a while to be able to work. Shulian He dies when Kun-zu is only three years old. His mother, Jan Chie, died when Confucius was not yet seventeen. The marriage of Shulen He and Jan Chie was not officially recognized, and Confucius was considered an illegitimate son of an aristocrat who was deprived of the opportunity to claim his privileges.

At 19, Confucius married. In the following year, a boy named Li was born, but they named him Boo. To support his family, Confucius began to work as a warehouse clerk. According to his students' tradition, he became a teacher at the age of 22. People who are interested in ancient wisdom start to flock to it. He has both rich and poor students.
The word of Confucius - this is, above all, "Lun Yu" - "Lectures and Teachings." His students, in their quest to preserve the Master's thoughts, began to compile the text as long as Confucius was alive. Thus, the idea of ​​his title (moon- "teachings", yu- "talks"). The literary monument was canonized during the Khan era (3 BC - 3rd century AD) and during the Tang era (618-917) the text was engraved on stone walls. It is this version that has survived to the present day .

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A central place in Kun-dzu teachings is the concept of Geng (humanity) - the ideal relationship between the people in the family, in society and in the state. The basic principle of this concept is "What you do not wish to do to you does not do it to others." On this basis, Kun-dzu developed his political concepts, proclaiming the exact distribution of duties among the members of society for whom model should serve the family. That's why Kun-dzu has rejected the law. A characteristic feature of his teaching is anthropocentrism. He does not really care about the problems of cosmogony, he pays little attention to the spirits and the afterlife, though he considers the sky not only as a part of nature, but also the highest spiritual and determining power in the world, and sacrifices in honor of the ancestors - the best way to express our respect for them. A special place for Kun-dzu was the Xiao concept - the devotional respect, the respect for parents and the elderly in general. Xiao was considered the basis of Ghen, and other virtues are the most effective method of managing the country. It is of utmost importance to Yue - the music, as the best means of changing the bad habits and customs, and also the label - the rules of good stewardship that regulate the behavior of man in various life situations.
The most important idea in Confucius's teachings is the moral doctrine of "gentleman." Zhendzhi does not have a very accurate translation into Bulgarian, but the researchers of religion qualify him as the doctrine of the good man. English explorers translate it as a gentleman, and the French as a quality man. Confucius' goal is to make perfect disciples from their students through two basic principles - these are nobility and virtue. This is not the foolish medieval knight, but the gentleman, distinguished with strict honesty in all areas of life and his relations with people. He has a duty to family, society and the state, he is obliged to observe every ritual or tradition. Only in this way can the ideal society be achieved, according to the great sage. "The perfect man is demanding of himself, and imperfect - to others," Confucius tells us. "Man can make the Great Way, not the Way-Man" - this is also one of his wisdom. According to Confucius, everyone is "on the way". By going this way from birth to death, one meets the joy and adversity of fate. One of the reasons why a person is unfaithful is his inadequate emotional perfection and unpreparedness for the "path". Confucius assumes that the intellectual development of the personality is an extremely important but inconvenient condition for a person to deal with the problems of the "road." It is necessary to establish control of their emotions by means of their harmonization. Confucia's image of a cultivated person is covered by a person who manages himself according to the way he goes, and the difficulties he encounters are not able to force him to change his own principles. Under control of emotions doesn't meant their suppression. Confucius believes that having a violent will on his or her own person or on other people only leads to temporary successes - sooner or later, a breakthrough occurs. According to Confucius, it is necessary to actively study the "way" and to use persuasion as a means of impact, both on one's own person and on other people.

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Confucius has a very pronounced skepticism about meditation: "Learning without thinking is a waste of time, thinking without research is dangerous." He points out that meditation is useless as a means of getting to know the world, and instead recommends "full observation and critical appraisal of what is happening." An important tool for harmonizing emotions in Confucius' teachings is the "Li" doctrine, which is the rules of personality behavior. It regulates the forms of behavior of the individual, the forms of interpersonal contacts, the interaction between the personality and the social environment, as well as the interaction between the different social groups and classes. In the "Li" doctrine, various personal and group rituals and ceremonies are included: the gestures to be exchanged between people in different cases, the forms of ethics in contacts between a subordinate and a boss, between an adult and a young person, family- rituals during religious services, public holidays, and more. In this respect, very strict formalism is achieved, which in some cases even defines the position of each individual finger. Although Confucius does not recognize meditation as a means of harmonizing personality, in practice, with the help of the doctrine of Li, and especially with his ritual part, he regulates and creates various forms of dynamic meditation (concentration on movements and gestures).

The model of personality that Confucius recommends as a model of behavior is the basis for creating a just society. In his view, the model of Chinese society should be based on morality, not on donors, as it has been before. The primary role in the state must be entrusted to scholars, educated people who never have to succumb to wealth and knowledge, should not defame their master, nor allow them to be intrigued or seduced. The scientist must obey a total of seventeen rules. Along with the need for moral norms to be respected by everyone in the interest of society, the adoption of the hierarchy in it causes Confucius to pay special attention to those who are at the top of the social pyramid. They are bound to be moral, as their morality is paramount to society. On the one hand, they must do their utmost to establish the right relationship between people. On the other hand, the high personal morality of the governor in a pledge to maintain order in the state. Confucius teaches a senior dignitary: "Take care of the people with rigor, and he will respect you. Have respect for your parents and tenderly love the younger, then the people will be loyal to you. "So, according to Confucius, the role of the personal example of the superiors is of the utmost importance for harmonizing society to the extent that it can function normally. The core of the legal system of teaching is the upbringing. Confucius declares, "If you govern by laws and enter a line through penalties, the people will avoid punishment and will not be ashamed. If you govern by virtue and bring order through the ritual, the people will be able to feel shame and even obey you. " For him, the adoption of written laws will tear the traditional ties in society and break its integrity.