LET'S GET READY TO CONFUCIUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

One of the largest differences between Confucius and the Greek philosophers is the approach to relationships. Confucius’ ethics are deeply rooted in family and having proper relationships. According to Confucius, understanding oneself leads to having proper relationships with family, friends, and authority. The governor of the people, then, must have the proper relationships between a governor, his subjects, and other princes. This contrasts to Aristotle, who sees a good family solely as one of the contributors to happiness. He does emphasize proper relationships to others, rather morality stems from proper actions towards the fellow man. However, Aristotle may argue that living an ethical life between the two extremes produces proper relationships as a by-product. Regardless, Aristotle does not emphasize relationship and does not see proper relationships as something to be pursued. In further contrast to Confucius, Plato’s ethics are almost entirely individualistic and knowledge based.  He sees governing as the duty of the educated man rather than a relationship between ruler and people.

Confucius’ focus on having the proper relationships seems confining at times. For example, he praises the son that finishes his father’s work. He also supports paying homage to ancestors and the elderly. First, for the difficulties with finishing the work of the father. I believe in the context of the passage, he means this mostly in the sense of a prince completing the work of the previous king. Practically speaking, by continuing the father’s work is much more efficient than scrapping everything and starting over. Otherwise, there would be halfway finished public works all over the place. Confucius then goes even further, saying that the traditions of the ancestors should be kept by the younger generation. This is very from modern Western culture, which has seen a cultural transformation in the last 100 years. I am uncertain here if Confucius meant that the inheriting leader should keep the traditions of his father, or if the common man should keep traditions in order to keep proper relationships with their elders and ancestors. If this is meant for the leader of the people, it is again very practical teaching. Attempting to change beloved traditions of a people is not the best way to gain their support.

However, he may also be speaking to people in a general sense when he says that the well-bred man keeps the traditions of this father. If that is the case, then Confucius believes proper relationships with elders and ancestors means to keep the traditions of the past, even to the extent of listening to the same music. (For real: see XIX 5). Obviously, this is very different than the predominant culture of modern America, where music only two years old is obsolete and considered a throwback. Western culture values individualism and freedom, chafing at the attempts of tradition to constrain things.

However, since everything we are is built on the past, perhaps Confucius’ points should not be immediately dismissed. For example, in the study of mathematics, it is highly improbable (pun intended) that a person would be able to invent the real number system, arithmetic, algebra, probability, geometry, and calculus in a single lifetime. (There is probably a limit to our singular knowledge even if given infinite time.) Math began with the counting numbers, and each generation of mathematicians has built on the foundation of their predecessors. Similarly, what we are is a direct result of our past, our family’s past, and the whole of the human history. How can people build if they do not know what they are building on? How can people employ sine and cosine functions if they do not know what angles are?

This is why understanding the past is so important. We pay homage to our ancestors by understanding them. Although I may not go to the extent recommended by Confucius, having a proper relationship with the past is vital to building a future. Perhaps Confucius believes that keeping the traditions of our ancestors is how the past is best understood and respected. As aforesaid, this is in contrast to American individualism. In my opinion, neither should be completely disregarded; there should instead be a relationship between tradition and innovation. Aristotle would probably be pleased if we avoided the extremes of tradition vs. change, and Confucius would probably like having a proper relationship between the two. Plato, however, would just be annoyed that we are not discussing mathematics.