Philosophy:Li (Confucianism)

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Short description: Chinese philosophy concept


Li
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Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. (Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is a classical Chinese word which is commonly used in Chinese philosophy, particularly within Confucianism. Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. does not encompass a definitive object but rather a somewhat abstract idea and, as such, is translated in a number of different ways. Wing-tsit Chan explains that Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. originally meant "a religious sacrifice, but has come to mean ceremony, ritual, decorum, rules of propriety, good form, good custom, etc., and has even been equated with natural law."[1]

In Chinese cosmology, human agency participates in the ordering of the universe by means of Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. ('rites'). There are several Chinese definitions of a rite. One of the most common definitions is that it transforms the invisible to visible; through the performance of rites at appropriate occasions, humans make visible the underlying order. Performing the correct ritual focuses, links, orders, and moves the social, which is the human realm, in correspondence with the terrestrial and celestial realms to keep all three in harmony. This procedure has been described as centering, which used to be the duty of the Son of Tian, the emperor. But it was also done by all those who conducted state, ancestral, and life-cycle rites and, in another way, by Daoists who conducted the rites of local gods as a centering of the forces of exemplary history, of liturgical service, of the correct conduct of human relations, and of the arts of divination such as the earliest of all Chinese classics—the Book of Changes (Yi Jing)—joining textual learning to bodily practices for harmonization of exodgonous and endogenous origins of energy (Script error: The function "transl" does not exist.) for a longer healthier life.[2]

In Korea and China, Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. was thought of as the abstract force that made government possible—along with the mandate of heaven it metaphysically combined with—and it ensured "worldly authority" would bestow itself onto competent rulers.[3]

The word Script error: The function "transl" does not exist.

The character for Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. drew inspiration from the earth radical, among other radicals, including radicals for jade, the Stone that is associated to the traditional concept of jing, and "field divided into sections for planting".[4]

Scope

The rites of Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. are not rites in the Western conception of religious custom. Rather, Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. embodies "all those 'objective' prescriptions of behavior... that bind human beings and the spirits together in networks of interacting roles within the family, within human society, and with the numinous realm beyond".[5] It envelops the entire spectrum of interaction with humans, nature, and even material objects. Confucius includes in his discussions of Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. such diverse topics as learning, the district drinking ceremony, titles, mourning, and governance.

In various cases Xunzi cites "songs and laughter, weeping and lamentation... rice and millet, fish and meat... the wearing of ceremonial caps, embroidered robes, and patterned silks, or of fasting clothes and mourning clothes... unspacious rooms and very nonsecluded halls, hard mats, seats, and flooring"[6] as vital parts of the fabric of Script error: The function "transl" does not exist..

Approaches to Script error: The function "transl" does not exist.

Among the earliest historical discussions on Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. occurred in the 25th year of Duke Zhao of Lu (traditional Chinese: 魯昭公; simplified Chinese: 鲁昭公; pinyin: lǔ zhāo gōng) (517 BCE) in the Zuo Zhuan.

Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. consists of the norms of proper social behavior as taught to others by fathers, village elders, and government officials. The teachings of Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. promoted ideals such as filial piety, brotherliness, righteousness, good faith, and loyalty.[7] The influence of Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. guided the popular ethos in areas such as loyalty to superiors and respect for elders in the community.

Continuous with the emphasis on community, following Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. included the internalization of action[clarification needed], which both yields the comforting feeling of tradition and allows one to become "more open to the panoply of sensations of the experience".[8][full citation needed] But it should also maintain a healthy practice of selflessness, both in the actions themselves and in the proper example which is set for one's brothers. Approaches[clarification needed] in the community, as well as personal approaches, together demonstrate how Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. pervades all things, the broad and the detailed, the good and the bad, the form and the formless. This is the complete realization of Script error: The function "transl" does not exist..

The rituals and practices of Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. are dynamic[clarification needed] in nature. Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. practices have been revised and evaluated throughout time to reflect emerging views and beliefs.[9][4] Although these practices may change, which happens very slowly over time, the fundamental ideals remain at the core of li, which largely relate to social order.

Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. in government

Confucius envisioned proper government being guided by the principles of Script error: The function "transl" does not exist.. Some Confucians proposed the perfectibility of human beings, with learning Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. as an important part of that process. Confucians believed governments should place more emphasis on Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. and rely much less on penal punishment when they govern.

Confucius stressed the importance of the rites as fundamental to proper governmental leadership. Confucius regarded feudal lords in China who adopted the Chinese rites as being just rulers of the Central States. Contrarily, feudal lords that did not adopt these rites were considered uncivilized, not worthy of being considered Chinese or part of the Central States (Spring and Autumn Annals).

Confucius believed that Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. should be practiced by all members of the society. Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. also involves the superior treating the inferior with propriety and respect. As Confucius said, "a prince should employ his minister according to the rules of propriety (Script error: The function "transl" does not exist.); ministers should serve their prince with loyalty" (Analects, 3:19).

Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. was "one term by which the [traditional Chinese] historiographers could name all the principles of conservatism they advanced in the speeches of their characters."[10]

See also

References

  1. Chan, Wing-tsit (1963). A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. pp. 790. https://archive.org/details/sourcebookinchin00chan. 
  2. Feuchtwang, Stephan (2016). Religions in the Modern World: Traditions and Transformations. New York: Routledge. p. 151. ISBN 9780415858816. 
  3. A Handbook of Korea (9th ed.). Seoul: Korean Overseas Culture and Information Service. December 1993. p. 270. ISBN 978-1-56591-022-5. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 Nivison, David (2018-06-11). "Li". https://www.encyclopedia.com/science-and-technology/chemistry/compounds-and-elements/li. 
  5. Bowker, John (2018-05-23). "Li". https://www.encyclopedia.com/science-and-technology/chemistry/compounds-and-elements/li. 
  6. Basic Writings of Mo Tzu, Hsun Tzu, and Han Fei Tzu. New York, N.Y.: Columbia University Press. 1967. 
  7. Wright, Arthur F.; Twitchett, Dennis (1962). Confucian Personalities. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press. 
  8. Rosemont 2005[full citation needed]
  9. Wong, Yew Leong (August 1998). "Script error: The function "transl" does not exist. and Change". https://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Asia/AsiaWong.htm. 
  10. Schaberg, David (2005). A Patterned Past: Form and Thought in Early Chinese Historiography. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. p. 15.