At times, each of us needs to decide when to share our judgments of others' personalities and when to keep those judgments private. Each of us decides, also, how to express our honest opinion of others with politeness and tact. Each of us, as well, may make judgments of others that are more or less generous and forgiving. Each of us must decide, in other words, how to judge others.
In this post, I turn for help with these issues to Confucian thought, which has been influential throughout China, Korea, Japan, and the broader Asian continent. Earlier I found intriguing answers to the question of judging others' personalities in Hindu teachings (see posts 1, 2, 3, and 4).
Confucius (K'ung Fu-tzu) lived from c. 551-479 BCE in Shandung Province. According to legend he was born in Qufu, in the ancient city-state of Lu, where monuments to his greatness are still found today. His students recorded Confucius' sayings in the Lun Yu (the Analects), and his thinking was further developed in antiquity by the scholars Mencius (Meng K'o; c. 551-479 BCE) and Hsün Tzu (c. 340-245 BCE).
Confucian thought, although religious at its foundation, emphasizes secular concerns. When asked by a student about gods Confucius replied, "You are not yet able to serve men, how could you serve the spirits?". For Confucius, wealth, power, and the like, were determined by fate. An individual's key life choice concerned whether or not to live according to the Decree of Heaven - rules established to ensure a moral existence. This Decree could be understood through the tao (the way) of the great sages.
The ethical traditions of Confucianism are intended to address both the betterment of the state and of the individual who seeks virtue. The state and individual are viewed as intertwined. For example, Confucius engages in an exchange with his student Zilu, concerning the nature of a virtuous man. Zilu encourages Confucius by repeatedly asking him "Is that all?". Confucius begins:
..."Through self-cultivation, he achieves dignity." - "Is that all?" - "Through self-cultivation, he spreads his peace to his neighbors." -"Is that all?" - "Through self-cultivation he spreads his peace to all people..."
Confucian philosophy sometimes is viewed as an attempt to re-create a golden era from China's past, through the teaching of highly ethical understanding and conduct. Such teachings emphasized peace and cooperation through filial piety, respect for authority, and devotion to a virtuous path.
Confucian ethical teachings prohibit unpleasant, defaming, or destructive behaviors toward others. When Confucius was asked by his student Zigong if there were one word that could guide one's entire life, Confucius replied it was shu, which sometimes is translated as reciprocity, or considering others by analogy to oneself. From such a foundation, Confucius formulated this version of the golden rule:
...What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others.
In Confucianism, people could, and sometimes should, judge others. People's lives and fates, however, were determined by the Heavens. For example, when a follower told Confucius his master had been slandered, and asked whether to punish the perpetrator, Confucius replied that the slanderer's powers were dwarfed by those of the Heavens. "If it is Heaven's will, the truth will prevail; if it is Heaven's will, the truth will perish. " A person could choose only to follow an ethical life, but not what its outcome would be.
Virtue requires much of those who seek it, including reflection and judgment of oneself, as well as others -- for how can one be virtuous without reflection? In this ethical context Confucius and other Confucian thinkers further outlined conduct in relation to judging others, a topic I will continue to examine in a forthcoming post.
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Notes. The scholars of Confucianism are described, p. xi ff., in Dobson, W. A. C. H. (1963). Mencius. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press. The widespread influence of Confucianism is described in Cheng, T-H. (1946). China moulded by Confucius. Westport, CT: Hyperion Press. My understanding of the Decree of Heaven relied in part on, p. 26 of Stevenson, L. & Haberman, D. L. (1998). Ten theories of human nature. New York: Oxford University Press.
Direct quotes from the Analects follow Confucius in Leys, S. (1997) (Trans & Ed). The analects of Confucius. New York: W. W. Norton. [Original work c. 479 BCE]. "You are not yet able to serve men...," Chapter 11.12). "Through self-cultivation, he achieves dignity..., " Chapter 14.42. "...What you do not wish for yourself...," Chapter 15.24. ... "If it is Heaven's will, the truth will prevail...," 14.36.
Copyright (c) 2009 John D. Mayer
