In the two stories which our group actors performed in class, Confucius refused to sell his cart for a grand burial ceremony for Yan Yuan while agreeing with Zengxi in taking a carefree life as the ideal. What do you have to say about Confucius's choices between the public spirit and personal feelings?
I will focus on the Confucius's choice of the burial for Yan Yuan.
First ,I define the public spirit as conforming to"Li". Then I will talk about the choice from two terms——Instrumental rationality(工具理性）and Value rationality(价值理性）proposed by Max Weber.
Instrumental rationality has the following traits:
1 pursue the maximum efficiency or utility
2 ignore the emotional and iritual value of people
3 promote the establishment of hierarchy to increase efficiency or utility
4 make human indifferent and "impersonal"(非人化)
Value rationality has the trait that human's behaviors is connected with ethics，aesthetics , emotion and spirit.And it regards these behaviors have "absolute value".
Personlly speaking, "Li" has an attribute of instrumental rationality ."Li" promotes establishing hierarchy to leverage people."Li" is like a "cage". It represses and refrains Confucius' feelings and emotion.
Confucius, as a scholar-bureaucate—— a high situation in the hierarchy,choose to conform to "Li". Therefore,"Li" represses his reasonable feeling for Yan Hui's death.
Due to "Li"'s attribute of instrumental rationality, people's spritual value , emotion,personality traits and other things unrelated to "Li"'function are ignored .It requires people must be as the machine,obey and not violate the rules made by "Li".
However, without personal feelings,can human be named as "Human"?
Confucius insisted on “Restrain Yourself and Follow Social Norms”, and implemented the public spirit into all aspects of life throughout his life. He refused to give Yan Yuan a great funeral, and adhered to the principle of etiquette and maintaining the public spirit. At the same time, his insistence on public spirit was actually a reflection of personal feelings, which is a deeper mourning and respect, and respect for Yan Yuan's adherence to etiquette during his lifetime. His choices strike a balance between public spirit and personal feelings.
Yan Yuan adhered to Li when he was alive. Confucius believed that Yan Yuan had always followed the ritual system during his lifetime, so a great funeral might be against his wishes and values. Confucius regarded Yan Hui as his son, and he believed that he could not allow private feelings to outweigh public spirit. If he gave Yan a great funeral, it is a violation of etiquette with excessive personal feelings. And this is also the principle of Confucius to promote the etiquette system.
At the same time, there are practical reasons. Yan Yuan's family is poor, so a great funeral is not practical. Confucius believed that with Yan Yuan's family situation, a great funeral would not be in line with the actual situation, but might increase the burden on the family.
Public spirit is essentially a rational moral attitude. This is an important characteristic that distinguishes it from a "private virtue". So public spirit is seen as an important sign of the intellectual and emotional maturity of the individual.
Public spirit is the product of reason, and it is also the result of the transformation of public reason into public emotion, will, and belief.
Individuals have public spirits, which means that they transcend the boundaries of individual nature and privacy, and that individuals are in line with the public. Thus, the public spirit is sublime as a civic virtue.
Confucius's insistence on public spirit is the embodiment of his insistence on etiquette. Etiquette is the cornerstone of social order, which clarifies people's moral norms in society, and helps maintain social stability. By maintaining the etiquette system, people can show a high level of civilization and morality, and promote the progress of society. The observance of etiquette can also cultivate people's sense of morality and citizenship, and make people attach more importance to the public interest and social development.
I think Confucius(later in the text, I’ll abridge the name as C)undoubtedly priorities public spirit over personal feelings. From Yanyuan’s funeral, we can get our best evidence. For one thing, C’s truly in deep sorrow for his beloved disciple(Yanyuan)’s death. But his refusal to swap cart for grand burial may be misunderstood as C’s different treatment to son and disciple. But the truth is, this move is against the Zhou ritual, which will inflict huge harm on the society. Once,as an official, he disobeyed the zhou ritual, signaling a message to people that zhou ritual is unimportant, thus forming an impression that zhou emperor’s order could be unimportant too. Inevitably, this will cause chaos in the society. For another thing, as an ordinary people, Yanyuan’s not entitled to enjoy such a luxurious funeral which will give a blow to social hierarchy.
However this holds different in Zengxi’s case. On the surface level, what Zengxi wants is purely reveling himself in traveling around in good times. It seems that other disciples’ dream are no more than Zengxi’s. Going deeper, we’ll find out that his dream actually displays the idea society which C dreams about. Only in a peaceful and well-organized country, people can do whatever they want to do in the good times all the year round. And more importantly, in Zengxi’s description, people are not just free of war, but also heavy labor activities and starvation. Other people’s designs can regarded as their own ambition, ignoring the essence. So, in C’s choice in personal dreams, we can easily conclude that, he attaches more importance to whole society rather than personal ambition.
Confucius' choice struck a balance between public spirit and personal emotion. On the one hand, Confucius actually mourned the death of his proudest student, Yan Yuan. Therefore, we cannot deny that even saints who adhere to the rules of etiquette cannot avoid the influence of personal emotions. On the other hand, Confucius, true to the public spirit, refused to sell his car for Yan Yuan's grand funeral, for two main reasons. First, the financial context determines whether a shopping cart is needed. The second point concerns etiquette.
As for Confucius's choices between the public spirit and personal feelings, he balanced the two well by staying true to public spirit while expressing his personal feelings.
Confucius stayed true to public spirit by refusing Yan Lu with three reasons. The first was to say their sons were their own sons regardless the talents. The second was to say the financial background determined whether the cart was needed or not. The third had more to do with the etiquette. As a great officer, he could not walk on foot since that disobeyed the rule of etiquette. The three reasons explained Confucius’s pursuit and adherence to ritual civilization, for which he would not ignore any particular even though there was a conflict between ritual and personal feelings.
To do with personal feelings, Confucius wept over Yan’s death sorrowfully instead of breaking the ritual to sell his cart for a outer shell. It’s a coordinated way to balance etiquette and personal feelings, from which we can learn that to do something within sense and sensibility is available.
When Yan Hui died, Confucius openly mourned him in a way that startled many observers. His profound grief was evident, with some passages even suggesting that he wailed in a manner uncharacteristic of his usual self-restraint. It's worth noting that Confucius's grief was not just because he lost a beloved student but also because he believed that the moral revival of society, which he deeply yearned for, had suffered a blow with the death of such a virtuous individual.
Regarding Yan Hui's burial, Confucius did not give him a grand burial despite the depth of his grief. When asked why, he replied that it was inappropriate. Here, Confucius was upholding the traditional rites and values, emphasizing modesty and simplicity. Even in his deep personal grief, he did not allow personal feelings to overshadow the importance of societal norms and rituals. The choice of a simple burial was in line with the Confucian principle of adhering to the middle path and not going to extremes.
This incident illustrates the constant tension Confucius felt between his public duty as a teacher and reformer and his private feelings as a human being. Despite his profound sorrow, he chose not to indulge in an extravagant burial for Yan Hui because it would not have been in accordance with the rites and could have been seen as favoritism or emotional indulgence.
In essence, this episode with Yan Hui's death and burial encapsulates the essence of Confucian thought. Personal feelings, no matter how deep or profound, should not overrule one's duties to society, its norms, and its traditions. Confucius chose to prioritize public spirit (the rites and traditions) over his personal sentiments, underlining the importance he placed on societal order and harmony.
What do you have to say about Confucius's choices between the public spirit and personal feelings?
According to the above question, I personally hold the view that Confucius just involved himself in the moderation of the public spirit and personal feelings.
颜渊死，子哭之恸，从者曰：“子恸矣！”曰：“有恸乎？非夫人之为恸而谁为？”
When hearing of the death of Yan Yuan, Confucius was in an anguish grief. From the aspect of personal feelings, it was obvious that there was a sensitive nature in him. When Confucius were asked for selling his cart to hold a grand burial ceremony for Yan Yuan, he refused, which did not mean that he is ruthless, on the contrary, show his stance to Li. In dealing with the burial ceremony, he insisted to stick to Li, however, when other students gave a grand ceremony he didn’t accuse them of not following Li. That did show that he also had personal feelings, yet not overwhelm personal feeling when coming to public spirit. He just precisely controlled the personal feelings and set a restraint of it.
In the second scene, he worshiped Zengxi in taking a carefree life as the ideal. Confronted with different situations, he stated different attitude, which should be delicately controlled. His agreement on Zengzi did showed that he is a demonstrative and ideal personal in some cases.
Concluded from above statements, Confucius was a self-restrained person who had his principles to stick to like Li, but also appreciate the beauty of idealism and natural sentimentality.
What are we talking about when we talk about Confucius's choice between public spirit and personal feelings? As far as I can discern, it's about what Confucius upholds, or the essence of Confucianism since choosing isn't necessary when all the desires can be fulfilled.
His reactions concerning Yan Yuen's death suggest that public spirit outweighs personal feelings in Confucius's case. We tacitly agree that Confucius felt great sorrow at the disciple's sudden passing away, but this overwhelming emotion of sadness was suppressed in the face of others' requests to offer their condolences at the expense of etiquette. Mournful though he was, the saint had his say and decisively rejected the breach out of concern for possible repercussions of the practice, which is to say, fulfillment of personal feelings gave way to the prospect for a society of etiquette and order in Confucianism.
Confucius taught people to do things with Li all his life, Yan Hui was his student who was taken pride in. And what he practiced in his life was also Li, if Confucius did a big funeral for him because of his personal feelings, it would let their reputations be damaged after Hui’s death. Moreover, Confucius's son did not have a coffin when he died, and if he wanted to treat Yan Hui as his own son, he could not abandon the car and buy a coffin. This may seem like Confucius was too indifferent and mechanically following the etiquette system in his mind, but for Confucius, in this case, the satisfy personal feelings need to give way to etiquette and an orderly society. In addition, maybe we can guess that respecting the public spirit was also to a certain extent satisfying his own personal feelings of respecting Yan Hui.
In the second scene, Confucius agreed with the dream of Zeng Xi which sounds more plain than others. （“莫春者，春服既成，冠者五六人，童子六七人，浴乎沂，风乎舞雩，咏而归”In late spring, people put on spring clothes, invite five or six adults, six or seven children, to take a bath by the Yishui together, blow the wind on the platform, and then sing all the way home.）What Zeng Xi described was actually the scene of praying for rain in late spring, accurate to the number of people, location and dressing requirements. Zeng kept in mind the requirements of rain-praying rituals and it met the ceremonial decorum of Li. And care about the people's harvest problem met the sincerity of practicing of Li. People can back home singing happily , which is also a reflection of a harmonious and happy society. While the other three focused on the rulers, Zeng Xi was more concerned with the common people. Or we can say that he is more concerned with the public spirit of the whole society.
Firstly, When we look at these stories happening to Confucius and Yan Yuan, we can see the demonstration of public spirit at first as they both applied the social value of frugality. When Yan Yuan was alive, he always lived a simple, impoverished but happy life, and his rich internal treasure even under the poor material conditions was exactly what Confucius advocated in society at that time. So it is not hard to imagine Confucius's favor for such a good student and his sorrow for Yan Yuan's death. However, instead of showing his favor and sadness by holding the funeral in a great style, he chose to respect and continue to apply Yan Yuan's lifestyle as Yan did himself before. Then, that also showcased Confuciu's care for personal feelings as he knew clearly what Yan Yuan truly wanted and did so, but did not adopt the way other fellows proposed with their willingness. All these are the integration of public spirit and personal feelings, with Confucius's choice of respecting Yan Yuan's personal feelings whose life adheres to the public spirit as well.
Secondly, I will talk about Confucius's agreement with Zengxi in taking a carefree life as the ideal. From my comprehension of the ideal life, in a society where wars continuously destroyed people's lives and rituals failed to work, I think it emphasized more the stability of countries, kindness residing in society, and integrity lying in personal hearts. Although they were talking about "carefree", we should not analyze it only from their views on materials. Instead, we are supposed to see their real care for the public and soceity behind this talk. So, from this point, we can still find the integration of public spirit and personal feelings, as Confucius’ pursuit of simple and carefree lifestyles indicated his own personal feelings and his advocacy of this kind of style himself with underlying care for the public society.
Public spirit refers to the spirit that benefits the whole society and intests and rights of all people. In Confucius's point of view, public spirit is based on Propriety. Confucius deems personal feelings must be sincere and moderate. And the personal feelings must be in compliance with social etiquette and social hierarchy. Confucius advocates Ren in dealing the relationship between personal feelings and public spirit. Ren firstly requires a person to be true to himself while expressing emotions. Secondly, Ren requires people to be compassionate about others. That is to extend love to a wide range of people, which is a part of public spirit.
Confucius's choices between public spirit and personal feelings reflect the complex nature of ethics and moral decision-making. In the story, Confucius's refusal to sell his cart for a grand burial ceremony for Yan Yuan shows his dedication to the public spirit and his commitment to principles of frugality and simplicity.
Confucius believed in the importance of upholding moral values and serving the greater good of society. In this case, he prioritized the collective well-being over personal emotions or attachments. By refusing to sell his cart for a grand burial ceremony for Yan Yuan, Confucius demonstrated his belief in the importance of humility and moderation and public spirit is based on Propriety.
On the other hand, Confucius's agreement with Zengxi in taking a carefree life as the ideal also highlights his recognition of the importance of personal happiness and contentment. Confucius understood that a balanced life includes both fulfilling one's responsibilities towards society and taking care of one's own well-being.
Confucius's choices showcase the delicate balance between public spirit and personal feelings. While he emphasized the importance of social harmony and adhering to societal norms, he also acknowledged the significance of personal fulfillment and happiness. Confucius believed that individuals should strive for both personal growth and contribute to the greater good of society.
Overall, Confucius's choices present a nuanced understanding of ethical responsibilities, highlighting the need to strike a balance between fulfilling one's duties to the community and taking care of one's own needs and desires.
At Yan Hui's funeral, Confucius put "rites" first, and advocated that Yan Hui's funeral should be handled in accordance with traditional etiquette and procedures to show respect and remembrance of the deceased. He emphasizes a solemn and solemn expression of emotion, showing respect and remembrance for the deceased through the observance of etiquette.
There may be several reasons why Confucius liked Zeng Hui's dream the most:
Zeng Hui's dream embodies the ideal of "harmony with etiquette": Zeng Hui paints a beautiful picture of bathing in water in spring, showing a harmonious social style under the rule of etiquette and music. This ideal is in line with Confucius's thought, expressing the pursuit of benevolence, harmony, and courtesy.
At the same time, Zeng Hui's ambition is noble: Zeng Hui's dream is to become a chic and comfortable person, and this noble ambition is in line with Confucius's concept of "gentleman". Confucius admired Zeng Hui's chic and comfortable, and also admired his pursuit of morality and life values.
Through these events, it can be seen that Confucius had different ways of expressing emotions on different occasions, but they all ran through the idea of "harmony with courtesy". He emphasized the importance of combining emotional experience with the practice of etiquette, so that people can feel the warmth and reality of etiquette. At the same time, he also advocated that people pay attention to harmony and coordination when dealing with interpersonal relationships, treat people with sincerity, treat people with affection, value harmony, and meet friends with literature, which are the concrete embodiment of the idea of "harmony and courtesy".
Confucius's insistence on the ritual system doomed him not to promise to sell the car to bury Yan Hui.At the same time, Yan Hui's life was thrifty, burial is not in line with his will. This reflects his unified thinking of personal feeling and public spirit.
As for the choice of public spirit and personal emotion, I think we should focus on the core ideas of Confucius——What is the ideal life? How to achieve the ideal life?
As far as individuals are concerned, each individual is the accomplishment of participating in public life, and these individuals should have moral principles and value concepts in mind, and arrange their words and deeds according to certain standards. The core of Confucius' thought is to ensure the idealization of the public spirit through the "observance of Li" in the aspect of personal emotion.
It was unreasonable of Yan Lu to have asked Confucius to sell his carriage for an outer shell for Yan Yuan, even though Confucius treated him as his own son. It is overstepping the line of a disciple to covet the teacher’s personal belongings.
Confucius’ refusal to Yan Lu, from perspectives of personal feelings and social etiquette, was logically and emotionally reasonable. This provides some reference for people who are in moral dilemmas.
People should not obey the dead’s wish to overdo the funeral. How could Yan Yuan have pursued a fancy funeral even by selling his teacher’s carriage since he was simple when he was alive? It is only Confucius who truly understood him, and no wonder Confucius put it, “It is not my fault.” However, we can see the friendly sentiments through the disciples’ pooling together to provide an outer shell for Yan Yuan, which deserves recognition and praise.
From Confucius' perspective, the observation of social etiquette precedes the expression of personal feelings. He holds the belief that public spirit is superior to personal feelings. Yan Yuan's case best proves it. Yet it doesn't mean that Confucius is an automatically indifferent person. He never skimps on his praises for his students, and he grieves about his students' demise. That's why he agrees with Zengxi in taking a carefree life as the ideal, because he values personal feelings as well. (Meanwhile, it appears to him that living in harmony with nature is the utimate goal of Li.) However, when there is a conflict between the two, he makes his own choice: public spirit outweighs personal feelings. This is what makes Confucius great. Great people are willing to sacrifice their own feelings for the big picture. In politics, a variety of rules and norms are established to regulate people's behaviour, in order to make this country a stable state. And for the society, etiquette is the standard basis for judging whether people behave morally. Confucius sticks to “Li” for the sake of the whole country.
For Confucius, public spirit isn’t inconsistent with personal feeling.
From the first story, it conveys that Confucius does not want to meeting with his own desire at the cost of breaking social etiquette. That’s because Confucius is standing the point of his own identity and patriarch system. Actually, apart from holding a grand burial ceremony, there’re many other ways to mourn Yan Yuan, such as measuring Yan Yuan’s works, attending his funeral, or the simplest one——cherishing the memories about Yan Yuan. Since there’re other approaches to satisfy one’s own need, we can not necessarily violate social etiquette naturally.
The second story is like the yearning for a free life of Confucius, but the interpretation is only at the lowest level. More deeply speaking, the story is the exposition of Confucian political ideals, which is also the public opinion of Confucius. Confucius hopes common people to live a carefree life as Yan Yuan said.
All in all, Confucius wants to fulfill the public spirit on the basis of fulfillment personal feelings and desires. Cause public spirit is composed of everyone’s wants. And the two is consistent.
Confucius's choices between public spirit and personal feelings reflect his deep commitment to moral principles and his understanding of the greater good. Confucius was a philosopher and teacher who emphasized the importance of social harmony, ethical behavior, and the cultivation of personal virtues. His teachings were centered around the idea of creating a just and harmonious society through individual moral cultivation.
In the story where Confucius refused to sell his cart for a grand burial ceremony for Yan Yuan, he prioritized the principles of frugality and simplicity. Confucius believed that excessive displays of wealth and extravagance were detrimental to society and went against the values of humility and moderation. By refusing to participate in such a lavish ceremony, Confucius demonstrated his commitment to upholding moral principles over personal gain or societal expectations.
On the other hand, when Confucius agreed with Zengxi in taking a carefree life as the ideal, he was emphasizing the importance of personal well-being and inner contentment. Confucius believed that true happiness and fulfillment could be achieved by living a life of simplicity, free from excessive desires and material attachments. By advocating for a carefree life, Confucius encouraged individuals to focus on self-cultivation and the pursuit of inner virtues rather than being consumed by external pressures and societal expectations.
Confucius's choices between public spirit and personal feelings highlight the complexity of moral decision-making. While he recognized the importance of contributing to the greater good and maintaining social harmony, he also emphasized the significance of personal well-being
Confucius' choices strike a balance between public spirit and personal feelings.
On the one hand, Confucius had actually mourned over the death of his most proud student, Yan Yuan. Therefore, we cannot deny that even the saints who adhere to the rules of etiquette cannot avoid the influence of personal feelings.
On the other hand, Confucius stayed true to public spirit by refusing to sell his cart for a grand burial ceremony for Yan Yuan for mainly two reasons. Firstly, the financial background determined whether the cart was needed or not. The second had more to do with the etiquette. As a great officer, he could not walk on foot since that disobeyed the rule of etiquette.
Therefore, he tries to stay a balance between "public spirit" and "personal feelings", but when there is a conflict between the two, he definitely prioritizes the former over the latter. This is what makes Confucius a great saint.
Confucius established the basic theme of Confucianism, and the same is true in the field of Confucian public thought. The foothold of Confucius' public thought lies in "benevolence", which is not only the inner heart of individuals participating in public life but also the principle that individuals need to carry out in public life such as public communication and political activities. In other words, the highest requirement of Confucianism for public life is to implement the principle of "benevolence" among people. Under the principle of "benevolence", politicians use public power with virtue and virtue to pursue a virtuous public politics. In public life, people abide by the norms of "rites" and concretized them into various life scenes, so as to make friends, live in villages and participate in politics. In addition, Confucius' ideal of public life not only attaches importance to the overall interests, but also attaches importance to individuals playing a role in public life and enjoying the good feelings brought by fine public life. It is hoped that those sages and gentlemen who have the virtue of "benevolence" can actively participate in public life, and work hard for the community with their own talents and virtues, so as to create an ideal life of prosperity and civilization in the community and individual peace and comfort.
Confucius valued public spirit over personal emotion. Confucius believed that man is not an isolated being. Publicness is an important orientation of Confucius's philosophical thought. In the philosophy of Confucius, the ideal individual needs to establish the basic principle of "benevolence", and the ideal public criterion is "propriety". With "benevolence" and "propriety" at the center, Confucius provided a paradigm for ideal public life. "Benevolence" is the transcendent basis of Confucius's gentlemanly personality, which provides metaphysical theoretical support for the order of public life. Vigorously advocate the cooperation between the individual and the collective, and the sense of responsibility of the individual to the country.
In our daily life, we often have similar things and urgently need to turn to others. First of all, we will not consider whether we should borrow it or not, and less think about whether others are willing or not (except for valuables of course). Even if others are reluctant, most of them will not pay attention to it. However, Confucius is very cautious about this matter. Confucius' approach is indeed worthy of serious consideration and learning from it.
The reason why Confucius did not want to lend the car cover to the students is actually very simple. It is because Zixia cherishes the property, and does it determine that he (Zixia) does not want to lend the car cover to the teacher? Obviously, it cannot be inferred like this. Although the car cover should have been worth it at that time. But Confucius, as a teacher, wanted to borrow it, and Zixia would not refuse. Confucius must also know. But he is unwilling to borrow it, which just shows his understanding and tolerance of students. It is precisely because of understanding the temperament of each disciple and his shortcomings (of course, not moral), that he is considerate.
When Yan Hui died, Confucius openly mourned him in a way that startled many observers. His profound grief was evident, with some passages even suggesting that he wailed in a manner uncharacteristic of his usual self-restraint. It's worth noting that Confucius's grief was not just because he lost a beloved student but also because he believed that the moral revival of society, which he deeply yearned for, had suffered a blow with the death of such a virtuous individual.
Regarding Yan Hui's burial, Confucius did not give him a grand burial despite the depth of his grief. When asked why, he replied that it was inappropriate. Here, Confucius was upholding the traditional rites and values, emphasizing modesty and simplicity. Even in his deep personal grief, he did not allow personal feelings to overshadow the importance of societal norms and rituals. The choice of a simple burial was in line with the Confucian principle of adhering to the middle path and not going to extremes.
This incident illustrates the constant tension Confucius felt between his public duty as a teacher and reformer and his private feelings as a human being. Despite his profound sorrow, he chose not to indulge in an extravagant burial for Yan Hui because it would not have been in accordance with the rites and could have been seen as favoritism or emotional indulgence.
In essence, this episode with Yan Hui's death and burial encapsulates the essence of Confucian thought. Personal feelings, no matter how deep or profound, should not overrule one's duties to society, its norms, and its traditions. Confucius chose to prioritize public spirit (the rites and traditions) over his personal sentiments, underlining the importance he placed on societal order and harmony.
Confucius valued public spirit over personal emotion. Confucius believed that man is not an isolated being. Publicness is an important orientation of Confucius's philosophical thought. In the philosophy of Confucius, the ideal individual needs to establish the basic principle of "benevolence", and the ideal public criterion is "propriety". With "benevolence" and "propriety" at the center, Confucius provided a paradigm for ideal public life. "Benevolence" is the transcendent basis of Confucius's gentlemanly personality, which provides metaphysical theoretical support for the order of public life. Vigorously advocate the cooperation between the individual and the collective, and the sense of responsibility of the individual to the country.
Confucius's choice ofboth public spiritsand personal feelings seems incompatible at first sight but reasonable and understandable at second thought.
The story Confucius and Yan Yuan not only elaborates Confucius' rigorousness and prudence about “Li” but also his rational love. On one hand, in ancient tribal societies, the greater one's contribution to the clan, the higher his status. So the notion that “a commoner could have a coffin but no outer shell(庶人“有棺而无椁)” is not based the hierarchy in later generations, but originates from the individual's contribution to the group. Just like today, when one makes great contributions to the country during his lifetime, his remains can be covered with the national flag and buried in the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery. It is a kind of admiration and respect of the Chinese people for the martyrs. Confucius' refusal was also out of respect for “Li”, considering that Yan Yuan was a commoner and should not receive the same traditional reverence as towards other high-ranking officials or national heroes, which showcases Confucius' rigorousness and prudence about “Li”. On the other hand, Confucius loved his disciples on the virtual level instead of the emotional level, displaying his rational love. In fact, emotion is a non-quantitative indicator thus cannot be used as the standard for “Li”, otherwise the order will be disrupted. If Confucius’ love is based on emotion rather than reason, he would love Yan Hui the most and even allowed him an elaborate funeral. However, this permission would make Yan Hui fall into an ill reputation and trap him in injustice and this, is definitely not the true love for him. So to love him truly is to love him virtually and rationally to preserve his best integrity.
Basically, “Ren” and “Li” are all ideal(not in the realworld and life)states proposed by Confucius, where everyone could actively practice loyalty and reciprocity, being all considerate and always caring and reverent. These kinds of ideal states are applicable to general situations. However, ritualism is a so personal matter mixed with personal emotions, and there's no rule without exception. The story Confucius’s dream also precisely verifies the quintessence and cornerstone of Confucianism: preserve your dignity as a nobody; promote the social welfare as a somebody(穷则独善其身,达则兼济天下). More often than not, the foundation Confucius' teachings is to start from oneself, take care of one’s personal feelings first, and then assist the world with surplus resources.
To conclude, Confucius mostly made rational choices and placed greater emphasis on public spirits. But in the human society, both ancient and modern, there would always be conflicts between human rationality and sensibility, public spirits and personal feelings, and even various imbalanced and blended situations. However, the Confucian spirit of promoting the balance of emotion and reason is definitely worth learning and inheriting for future generations, which prevents mechanization and monotonousness in our lives.
Confucius's choices between the public spirit and personal feelings reflect a complex balance that he sought to maintain throughout his teachings. On one hand, Confucius emphasized the importance of filial piety and societal duties, which could be seen as elements of public spirit. He believed in upholding social harmony and fulfilling one's obligations to family, society, and the state.
However, Confucius also acknowledged the importance of personal fulfillment and self-cultivation. He recognized that individuals have their own desires, aspirations, and emotions, which should not be completely subjugated to external expectations. This is evident in his agreement with Zengxi's notion of a carefree life as the ideal.
In the specific case of refusing to sell his cart for a grand burial ceremony, Confucius's choice can be interpreted as a demonstration of his commitment to his principles. For Confucius, material possessions were less important than maintaining integrity and adhering to proper conduct. By not participating in extravagant funeral rituals, Confucius highlighted the importance of simplicity and frugality, emphasizing the ethical aspects of mourning over the extravagance of grand ceremonies.
In making these choices, Confucius sought to find a balance between the public spirit and personal feelings. He recognized that personal fulfillment and self-cultivation were necessary for individuals to become virtuous and contribute positively to society. At the same time, he emphasized the importance of fulfilling social and familial obligations, promoting harmony, and upholding moral values.
Overall, Confucius's choices reflect his nuanced understanding of the interplay between personal and social responsibilities, highlighting the need for individuals to find harmony between these two aspects of life.
Confucius's choices between public spirit and personal feelings demonstrate a complex interplay of values within his philosophy.
Confucius declines to sell his cart for a grand burial ceremony for Yan Yuan, his decision reflects a commitment to public spirit. Confucius prioritizes the greater societal good and the well-being of the community over personal gain or sentiment. This choice aligns with Confucian principles emphasizing duty, social responsibility, and the cultivation of virtues for the betterment of society.On the other hand, when Confucius agrees with Zengxi in embracing a carefree life as the ideal, he acknowledges the importance of personal feelings and individual happiness. This reflects a more nuanced perspective within Confucianism that recognizes the need for a balanced life, where personal contentment and individual fulfillment contribute to the overall harmony of society.
In essence, Confucius's choices highlight the tension and balance he sought between public spirit and personal feelings. His philosophy encourages a holistic approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of individual well-being and the welfare of the community. The stories underscore Confucius's belief in cultivating both personal virtues and a sense of duty to create a harmonious and morally upright society.
According to Confucius, expressing one's innermost thoughts comes after adhering to societal conventions. He thinks that the collective spirit is more important than individual emotions. The finest example of this is Yan Yuan's case. However, this does not imply that Confucius is a naturally apathetic individual. He never holds back while praising his pupils, and he is saddened by their passing. Because he also appreciates one's own sentiments, he concurs with Zengxi that living a carefree life is preferable.In the meantime, it seems to him that Li's ultimate purpose is to live in peace with nature.When the two disagree, he makes his own decision because the good of the public spirit triumphs above individual sentiments. This is the greatness of Confucius.
Confucius's choice to refuse selling his cart for a grand burial ceremony for Yan Yuan while agreeing with Zengxi about the ideal of a carefree life reflects a nuanced balance between public spirit and personal feelings.
In the case of Yan Yuan's burial, Confucius likely prioritized practicality and frugality over elaborate rituals. This decision could be seen as a manifestation of his emphasis on the virtue of filial piety and the practical application of ethical principles.By not indulging in a grand ceremony, Confucius may have aimed to set an example of moderation and prioritization of essential values over extravagant displays.
On the other hand, agreeing with Zengxi on the ideal of a carefree life suggests that Confucius recognized the importance of personal well-being and contentment. This aligns with Confucian values that emphasize the cultivation of one's character and inner virtues. Embracing a carefree life, free from unnecessary burdens and desires, could be viewed as a pursuit of individual happiness and self-cultivation. Confucius's choices reveal a delicate balance between the obligations to society and the pursuit of personal fulfillment. It reflects the Confucian concept of balancing individual virtues with social responsibilities, suggesting that a harmonious society is built upon individuals who cultivate their moral character while fulfilling their duties to others.
In Confucianism, personal feelings and public spirit are not seen as mutually exclusive concepts. Confucius emphasized the importance of a virtuous character, which includes having a sense of duty and responsibility towards society while also pursuing personal happiness and fulfillment.
In the story where Confucius refused to sell his cart for Yan Yuan's grand burial ceremony, he was demonstrating his commitment to frugality and simplicity, two values that he considered essential for a virtuous life. His decision was in line with his belief that individuals should focus on cultivating their inner morality rather than indulging in extravagance or ostentatious displays.
On the other hand, Confucius also valued the pursuit of personal happiness and enjoyment of life, as evidenced in his agreement with Zengzi about taking a carefree life as the ideal. But this does not mean that he neglected his responsibilities towards society or the need for public-spirited actions.
In summary, Confucius believed in finding a balance between personal feelings and public spirit. A virtuous person should not neglect their obligations towards society but also should not sacrifice their personal happiness and fulfillment.
Confucius's choices between public spirit and personal feelings reflect a complex balance of Confucius philosophy. It looks like that he valued public spirit over personal emotion. But in fact Confucianism also attaches importance to the individual, but it attaches importance to the moral consciousness of the individual, the consciousness of maintaining and obeying the society as a whole.
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