1.什么是“自由”? ( video on Kant's idea of Justice5:00)
From the video we can know that Kant has a more stringent demanding notion：freedom of autonomy and morality.
(Freedom of autonomy means that we’re acting as slaves of our impulses and appetites. And in the process of pursuing it to satisfy ourselves according to our necessity , we should have our own law. Freedom of morality means that to act freely is not to choose the best means to a given end. It’s to choose the end itself for its own sake. We have the freedom to desire what we want, but the ways we conduct our desire must not disturb others’ freedom to obey the rules of social morality.)
And here comes my critical understanding of “freedom”:
When I read something about “paradox” last weekend, I came across a sentence excerpted form 1984 by George Orewell, that is: Freedom is slavery. And I do believe that we should understand freedom dialectically. Because there is no absolute freedom and in fact, absolute freedom is never less dreary than absolute slavery. Those with absolute freedom have to make their own decisions and determine their own life course, and most importantly, they must undertake all the possible consequences or results on their own; and thus, they become slaves of themselves. So I’d like to claim that the freedom to act on your own thoughts is enslaving yourself with all the consequences; and the slavery of the community is actually freeing yourself from certain dangers. Metaphorically, everyone of us is a bird living in a cage. To escape from the cage is to enter a bigger cage, which is the outside world. In fact, every cage is exterior. The real freedom is in our interior heart. So we should “act according to a law we give ourselves” promoted by Kant. We should know how to please and satisfy ourselves to achieve the real freedom. To achieve the real freedom is in our interior heart, one effective way is to self-educate. T. S. Eliot once said that “It is in fact a part of the function of education to help us escape—not from our own time, for we are bound by that—but from the intellectual and emotional limitations of our own time.” Therefore, if we’re born to be restricted in our life, then why not try to educate ourselves about self-love and self-satisfying to smash down all the limitations and pursue higher intellect and healthier emotions in the deep of our hearts?
2.中国传统社会的经济政治结构为什么需要“礼”? (p.24)
According to Geographic Background of the Chinese People, compared with the Greeks who lived in a maritime country, the Chinese living in the continental country have a form of social organization based on the common interest of the family instead of town. In the family state, the social organization is automatic and hierarchic, which lays a solid foundation for “Li”.
Actually, China is a rural society. The ideology of rural society is still rooted in its economic foundation, and the economic form of traditional society is agricultural economy. So "relying on the mountain to eat, relying on water to drink(靠山吃山，靠水吃水)" is the basic life style of grass-roots people, and their settlement with agriculture in the first place leads to limitations of regions, and further of interpersonal relations. Generation after generation, the common people have cultivated, socialized, and raised their families all on the same land.
So how can people gain a better life? Well, I doubt they will be be seized by a whim and suddenly determine to go to another land far away, regarding themselves as brave adventurers or entrepreneurs. Instead, they seek for experiences to make lives easier. In that way, “experience” becomes crucial and sacred, with a strong “worship of experience formed(经验崇拜)” in the rural society. And where does the experience come from? Actually, our ancestors and the elders. So we have to hold reverence and respect for them. And “Li”, which constitutes of “the tradition, hierarchy and etiquette” has been gradually passed down.
3.西方文化中的希罗传统为什么会诞生形而上学和一神教?
The Hellenistic tradition in Western culture spurred contemplation beyond the material world, fostering the development of metaphysics. This philosophical trend leads individuals to go beyond sensory experience and seek a higher truth. And Descartes also once claimed that: Philosophy is like the "root" of a tree; physics, the "trunk", and other sciences, the "branches". The metaphysics is almost ingrained in the westerners. At the time of the rise of monotheism, the society was in the stage of the disintegration of primitive society and the formation of class society, in which time the contradictions between nobility and commoners in clan society and between slave owners and slaves after entering class society were very sharp. Therefore, the essence of metaphysics and the rise of the monotheism is to maintain the unity of society and to emphasize the universe's order and unity.
4.From my perspective, there are some misunderstandings Russel’s interpretations of Confucianism. And certainly it’s inappropriate to jump to the conclusion that Confucius is in line with inhumanity just by Mr.Russel’s interpretations. So I’d love to in the first place clear up the misunderstandings and further illustrate Li’s real significance in the society.
According to Mr.Russel, Li seems more like the self-control or the suppression of one’s own passion and emotions, which conflict with human instinct and free spirit. What’s more, the filial piety is a barrier to the growth of public spirits and the construction more suited to modern needs. And Confucianism has been degenerated into an etiquette book incompatible with politics.
Above are the main misinterpretation by Mr.Russel. But if he spent more time reading more classics of Confucius, his outlooks wouldn’t be found this one-sided.
Confucianism is far more than about etiquette and hierarchy in the family and social level. It also connotes some moral codes and strategies for state government, such as“德不孤，必有邻”and “为政以德，譬如北辰，居其所而众星共之”. And the sincerity and appropriateness (or namely, the Golden means) are also the fundamental elements in Li. In effect, the advocation of the attitude of “keeping clam reason always in control of all his actions” is in that Confucianism believes the human ability to control themselves rationally without the need for any other external forces, which is also a reflection of Confucian humanity.
Besides this, there are other clues hinting us at Confucius’ humanity. And in fact, “Ren” remains the main means to humanity. Confucius believes that human nature is shaped, awakened, and perfected through self-cultivation and social education, and in this process, the moral concept of "Ren" will become a core goal. He also believes that if a person can do what they do not want to do to others(己所不欲勿施于人), they can reach the realm of "Ren". This means that everyone should respect others and uphold the virtues of honesty, justice, and humility.
So what’s the underlying reason of Westerners’ frequent misunderstanding of Confucianism as inhumanity? Actually, comparing the Western and Eastern culture, we have no difficulty finding that the West concerns more about the logic, universality and substantiality while the East lay more emphasis on the practicality, specificity and functionality and Confucius himself is actually a practical stateman himself, caring more about a peaceful and prosperous community on earth rather than the spiritual beings and metaphysical thinking. Therefore, to define Confucius’s inhumanity, it’s not fair to rely on one story and generalize the whole Confucianism and even the Chinese mind. Circumstances alter cases.
Given the economic and political structure of traditional Chinese society at that time, “Li” is actually reasonable China is a continental country, which is based on the the family structure and agricultural economy. So it values and worships the virtues of former ages, under which condition “Li” comes into being and wins a high status in society. I admit that Li may be with limitations but it’s just the limitations that contributes to social order, being the mediator between individuals’ freedom to ensure the overall freedom. Li that seems a hindrance to freedom can, when properly conducted, support and maintain freedom. Providing a subject’s action that would limit the freedom of another subject, the Li may prevent the first subject to defend the second by limitations. Such limitations are compatible with the maximal freedom demanded in the principle of “Ren(仁)” and “loyalty and reciprocity(忠恕)” because it does not reduce overall freedom but instead provides the necessary moral and cultural background needed to secure freedom. The amount of freedom lost by the first subject through Li is equal to the amount gained by the second subject through lifting the hindrance to actions. Then Li sustains the maximal amount of freedom consistent with identical freedom for all without reducing it.
In a nutshell, Confucianism is never in line with inhumanity. Instead, it helps to promote “Ren”, reflect human ability of self-control and realize the maximum of freedom in a peaceful and prosperous community, as is perpetually wished by Confucius.
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