Confucius
cctv.com 04-06-2004 17:09
Qufu, a city of historical and cultural renown in China, is the hometown of Confucius. The Confucian Temple was built in memory of Confucius. Confucius was worshipped as a sage throughout the dynasties. The magnificence of the Dacheng Hall proves how Confucius was revered in ancient times.
Confucius lived in the late Spring and Autumn Period more than 2,400 years ago. In those days, the princes and dukes contended for power and the country was in chaos caused by war. At the same time, rapid progress was made towards feudal civilization.
In 551 B.C., Confucius, a great thinker and educator in ancient China and the founder of the Confucian school of thought, was born in Zouyi, the state of Lu.
Confucius lived in poverty when he was a teenager. The legend goes that he was once a trumpeter and a low锛峳anking official managing sheep, cattle and grain. But he learned diligently and became a scholar of immense learning. He began to take disciples and give lectures at the age of 30. Confucius became an official in charge of criminal punishment and the maintenance of social order in the state of Lu. Once he served as the minister of justice. At the age of 54, he began to tour the various states with his students in order to publicize his theory of government.
The core of Confucius' thinking is benevolence. As he put it, "It is to love all men." It means one should care for, love and respect others. Confucius taught his disciples that "one should overflow in love to all and cultivate the friendship of the good."
This means one should love the common people and cultivate the friendship of those of perfect virtue. He believed that "benevolence" was the basic principle of one's conduct and the highest ideal of morality. Confucius attached great importance to the natural affection among family members. He said this should be the general principle guiding interpersonal relationships.
Confucius hoped to see an ideal society where the aged could spend their remaining years in comfort, adults could display their talents, children could receive good education and friends could trust each other.
Confucius said, "Wishing to be established himself, one seeks also to establish others锛 wishing to be enlarged himself, he seeks also to enlarge others." He also said, "What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others." This means one should be strict with himself and lenient towards others, care for others, and not impose what he cannot do to others锛 if you want to get others' love, you must love others. Here, "others" may refer to individuals, groups, families, society, the country, the nation and even mankind and nature.
Confucius produced an important influence on the spirit of the Chinese nation and made significant contributions to the civilization of the world. Confucianism was introduced to some Asian countries more than 1,000 years ago. It was introduced to Europe after the 17th century. Confucianism produced an active influence on many thinkers in those days, such as Voltaire of France and Gottfried Leibnitz of Germany.
Arnold Toynbee, a noted contemporary British historian, maintained that the traditional Chinese culture, especially Confucius' theory of "benevolence and humanity", is necessary for the settlement of ethical problems in modern society.
As mankind is entering the 21st century, a review of Confucius' ideas of "benevolence and humanity" is of great enlightening significance for human progress, social development and ecological balance.
Confucius was a great thinker and a great educator as well. He set up a private school and said, "There being instruction, there will be no distinction of classes."
He extended those who received education from the aristocrats to the common people. He ran the school to train people who had both ability and integrity, displayed benevolence and humanity and developed in an all锛峳ound way.
It is said that Apricot Pavilion was a place where Confucius gave lectures. Confucius taught the Six Classics and the Six Arts. They included literature, history, philosophy and mathematics. They were intended for cultivating the students morally, intellectually, physically and aesthetically. Confucius held that "morality" was most important.
The legend goes that when Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty, burned books and buried Confucian scholars alive, Confucius' grandson of the ninth generation hid classics compiled by Confucius and ancient books in a double锛峫ayered wall. Later the wall was known as Lu Bi.
It is said that Confucius had 3,000 students, and more than 70 of them were prominent. They included Yan Hui, Zilu and Zigong.
Confucius pinned great hopes on the youth. He said, "A youth is to be regarded with respect. How do we know that his future will not be equal to our present锛" This means that the youth are respectable and awesome and one cannot conclude that in the future they will not be equal to the adults of today. It also means that the young will surpass the old, the students will surpass the teachers and as in the Yangtze River the waves behind drive on those before.
Confucius summed up many significant and enlightening ideas and methods of education. "Teaching students according to their aptitude" was an important principle of teaching followed by Confucius. He was good at giving systematic guidance to his students and gave full play to every student's strong points.
Confucius attached great importance to enlightening methods of education. He said he would not enlighten a student if the latter could not understand something after thinking long and hard, he would not enlighten a student if the latter could hardly explain himself, and he would not teach a student anything new if the latter could not know other aspects of a subject by inference after learning one aspect of it. Enlightening teaching encouraged the students to learn more consciously, think independently and achieve better results.
Confucius learned knowledge and ethics from life. He said, "When I walk along with two others, they may serve me as my teachers." He learned from their good qualities and tried to avoid their bad qualities.
He said one should be not ashamed to ask and learn of his inferiors. He stressed the importance of learning.
Confucius also summarized the laws and methods of learning, such as "learning with a constant perseverance and application" and "cherishing one's old knowledge so as continually to be acquiring new".
Confucius said one should think while learning. "Learning without thought is labour lost锛 thought without learning is perilous."
Confucius stressed that one should not pretend to know what one does not know. He said, "When you know a thing, to hold that you know it, and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it, 锛嶏紞 this is knowledge."
Confucius carried out the principle of "learning without satiety and instructing others without being wearied".
Confucius was a great thinker and educator in Chinese history. He was also a great man in the world history of culture.
Editor:Wang Ping Source:CCTV.com
