...thus spake Confucius
By Naresh Raj

CONFUCIUS was born in a period when various states in China were warring amongst themselves. The period was that of anarchy coupled with moral collapse.

Confucius’ Chinese name was Kung-Fu-tze while Confucius is the Latin version. He was born in the small state of Lu in Shantung. No single individual has influenced China as much as Confucius. He moulded Chinese life and character.

His father was a rich government servant. He died when Confucius was just three years old and his mother brought him up. He started as a teacher at the age of 22 and rose to the position of Prime Minister.

Confucius preached social ethics.His sole concern was to order social life. In the 6th century B.C. conditions in India and China were similar. Society had lost all sense of moral values. The only way out was the moral regeneration of society and its reconstruction on a sound system of social ethics. The Buddha preached shila, prajna and Karuna (good conduct, knowledge and compassion). Likewise, Confucius showed the eight-fold path — right views, right resolve, right speech, right action, right living, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.

According to him, if men were to cultivate goodness, virtue and love for mankind, the world would be a better place to live in. If men were to regulate themselves, their hearts and their desires, families would be regulated. If families were regulated, the state too would be regulated. For Confucius, the family is the most important organ of society. Obedience towards parents and towards moral law together with obedience to the state formed the basis of social conduct for Confucius.

In his scheme of things, heaven, earth and family are welded together in a giant organism. In this the individual loses his identity. Obedience, proper performance of rites and ceremonies and the rules of propriety strengthen the social organism and help it to run smoothly.

For Confucius it is transcendental reality that exists. To him this earth is real and the business of man is to live in harmony with his surroundings by forming a rapport with individuals, families and the government. Confucius emphasised humanity and humanitarianism. He exhorted man to learn to live in harmony with nature. Man should not try to dominate nature but seek to become one with it.

According to Confucius, music could transform evil into good and control body and mind.

It could also restrain passion and sooth the anguished human soul. Confucius’ ideal man should have virtues of courtesy, magnanimity, good faith, diligence and kindness. He was least concerned with metaphysical speculation since it did not regulate human life or have an effect on it. His only concern was "humanness".

Confucius’ was least interested in discussing God, soul or the origin of the universe etc. Once one of his pupils asked him how he should serve gods. The answer was that while the boy was ignorant of knowing how to serve his fellow-beings well, he would never be able to serve gods.

A father should conduct himself as a true father so that he is obeyed and respected. Confucius wanted that each individual should discharge obligations and duties of his role in the true sense. They would, thus, successfully usher in a healthy life which would continue harmoniously.

It was Confucius who introduced the system of jury and assessor in the realm of justice. He dispensed with the motion of birth and brought in "worth" in its place as far as making appointments to government jobs was concerned. He was instrumental in enacting a law that prohibited cruelty towards animals. In short he presented before the people a moral base over which Chinese society was restructured.

Confucius died in 480 B.C. at the age of 70 about 1000 years after his death, Confucius was raised to the status of a God, in whose name temples were raised. During his life he had only 3,000 followers, but after his death, the number of his followers rose to 25 crore.

Confucius gave to China a practical philosophy of life. His entire effort was to bring into being a new society whose social, political and economic life was to rest on the solid foundations of social ethics. He created admiration for learning and knowledge. He guided China through 2,000 years of its history. He gave little thought to physical sciences since he felt their knowledge was not necessary to the ordering of a well-regulated social life. He believed in the wisdom of the ancient and in Chinese superiority ‘vis-a-vis’ non-Chinese. This made society in China conservative and it remained inclined to maintaining the status quo.

Confucius is found wanting in finding solutions for the 20th Century and confrontation with the West. Therefore, modern Chinese intellectuals find him antiquated.