•Does professor Fei Xiaotong's concept of "differentiated love" suggest that Confucians claim a stronger love toward one’s own family, while the love grows thinner to others? How do you understand the extension of love in Confucianism?
This understanding is a misinterpretation. In Confucianism, the concept of “differentiated love” doesn't mean the love is thinner for others. It emphasizes that love starts from the family as a center and extends outward like concentric circles. Love for family is the starting point, and through moral cultivation and the extension of benevolence, one should also have a sense of care and responsibility for society and others. It's a process of gradually expanding the scope of love and kindness.
The concept of "differentiated love" doesn't mean that Confucianism only values family love with disregard for others. Confucianism does begin with family -centered love. It's a starting point. But it also emphasizes the extension of love. Love in Confucianism spreads out like ripples in water. Starting from love for family, it extends to neighbors, society, and all things. It's a progression from the near to the far. Confucianism aims to achieve a harmonious social order through such an expansion of love, not just a focus on the family at the expense of others.
This kind of differentiated love is not cold and selfish, but based on the real emotions of human nature and the rationality of social structures. This differential love ensures the stability of the family and promotes social harmony
Yes, both Fei Xiaotong and Confucianism emphasize that love starts with the family and weakens as it extends outward.
Love in Confucianism grows outward in layers, guided by roles and rituals. It prioritizes family but seeks social harmony through appropriate care for others.
This does not mean that there is no love or respect for unrelated strangers. In the ethical thoughts of Confucius and Mencius, although they emphasized the priority of caring for family members and virtuous people, they did not exclude caring for the wider population. In fact, the concept of ren in Confucianism is universal and implies care and respect for all people.
Confucianism promotes benevolence through family ethics. Confucians emphasize the principle of filial piety and fraternal piety, holding that filial piety to parents and respect for older brothers are important bonds to maintain family ethics . Filial piety is not only material support for parents, but more importantly, spiritual comfort and companionship . This kind of harmony and order within the family is maintained by etiquette norms, and family members can reduce conflicts and contradictions by following etiquette, and promote family harmony .
Benevolence in Confucianism is not limited to the family, but gradually extends to the society. Confucianism advocates the social moral system , that is, from caring for one's own family members to caring for the elderly and children in society, forming a universal spirit of benevolence . This kind of thought emphasizes the cultivation of individual moral consciousness and ideological quality in the family, and then promotes individual wisdom and practical ability in social public life .
Fei Xiaotong's concept describes social interactions varying by closeness, not directly Confucian graded love. Confucianism promotes deep familial affection, extending it outward to society for harmony, emphasizing moral order and social responsibility.
the extension of love in Confucianism is a gradual and inclusive process, starting from the self and moving outward, with the understanding that the quality and intensity of love naturally vary according to the closeness of the relationship. This does not detract from the value placed on broader societal welfare but rather provides a framework for how individuals can best contribute to the common good through their actions and relationships.
Professor Fei Xiaotong's concept of "differentiated love" is related to the Confucian idea of "differential love", but it does not mean that Confucianism advocates stronger love for one's own family and weaker love for others. In fact, the Confucian "love is different" means that the way and degree of love can be different according to the close relationship, but it does not mean that the love for people outside the family is necessarily weak.I think Confucian "love" is not simply stronger love for the family and weaker love for others, but a process of expansion from the inside out, from near to far, from close to distant. This extension of love reflects the Confucian sense of social responsibility and the pursuit of a harmonious society.
Confucianism highlights that love is both hierarchical and expandable, focusing not just on the stronger affection for one’s family but also on the importance of expressing love appropriately within various social relationships.
In Confucian thought, love gradually spreads outward. Confucianism advocates "loving one's family and then showing benevolence to the people, and showing benevolence to the people and then loving all things". First of all, it starts from the love for family members. This love for family members is a sublimation of the natural emotion based on blood relations, such as filial piety to parents and fraternal love to brothers. This kind of love is not narrowly limited to the family, but extends outward from the family as a starting point. "Showing benevolence to the people" is to extend the love for family members to others. In social interactions, people should treat others with a benevolent heart. For example, the concepts advocated by Confucius, such as "do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you" and "help others establish themselves when you want to establish yourself, and help others succeed when you want to succeed", reflect respect, care and help for others. Although this love has different manifestations in terms of the closeness and remoteness of relationships, it is essentially an embodiment of the benevolent spirit. "loving all things" further extends this love to all things in the world, showing a broad cosmic sentiment. Confucian love starts from the family and spreads out layer by layer, and finally hopes to achieve harmonious relationships among people, between people and society, and between people and nature. Therefore, Confucian love is not a thought that the existence of gradation means showing less love to others, but rather a positive and expansive love system.
It highlights the unique nature of familial love within the context of broader social relationships, without necessitating a decrease in love towards others. Confucianism encourages individuals to love their families while simultaneously extending that love to others, fostering a harmonious and inclusive society.
It's important to note that this concept does not necessarily mean that Confucians advocate for a selfish or narrow form of love. Instead, the idea is rooted in the Confucian emphasis on the importance of the family as the basic unit of society and a fundamental virtue. Confucian thought emphasizes that the cultivation of moral character begins at home, with the relationships between parents and children, husbands and wives, and among siblings. By nurturing these close relationships, individuals can then extend their virtues and benevolence to broader society.
The extension of love in Confucianism is seen as a process that starts from the innermost circle and gradually expands outward. While the love may be more intense and the responsibilities more direct within the family, the ethical ideal is to cultivate a sense of humanity and care that can eventually encompass all of society. This is encapsulated in the Confucian notion of "universal love", which suggests an ideal state where individuals can feel a sense of connection and responsibility towards all people.
In summary, while Fei Xiaotong's concept of "differentiated love" highlights the hierarchical nature of social relationships in traditional Chinese culture, it also aligns with the Confucian ideal of expanding one's moral sphere from the family to the wider world, promoting a form of social harmony and collective well-being.
Confucianism emphasizes "differentiated love", which doesn't mean a lack of love for others. Instead, it is based on the natural human relationships.
In Confucian thought, the family is the basic unit of society. Loving one's family is the starting point. This is not to say that one loves only one's family. It is like the concentric circles. The family is the innermost circle.
From the family, love extends outward. One shows respect and care for neighbors, friends, and then to society at large. For instance, in the concept of "ren" (benevolence), it is about treating others with kindness. Just as Mencius said, "Treat the elders in your family as elders, and extend this respect to the elders in other families; treat the young in your family as young, and extend this kindness to the young in other families." This shows that the love within the family is the basis for loving others.
I think Confucian "benevolent love" does not advocate for an absolute love for family members but emphasises the importance of expanding love from the family to broader social relationships, achieving harmony between the individual and society.
There is no direct evidence to suggest that Professor Fei Xiaotong's concept of "differentiated love" aligns specifically with the idea that Confucians claim a stronger love toward one's own family while the love grows thinner toward others. However, it is important to understand the extension of love in Confucianism separately to address the second part of your question.
In Confucianism, the concept of love is often expressed through the principles of "ren" (benevolence) and "li" (ritual propriety). While Confucianism emphasizes the importance of family and filial piety, it also advocates a broader love and concern for others. This extension of love can be understood in several ways:
Love within the Family: Confucianism values harmony within the family and emphasizes respect for elders, love for children, and loyalty to one's spouse. This is seen as the foundation for a stable and orderly society.
Love Extending to Society: Beyond the family, Confucianism teaches that individuals should extend their love and concern to others in society. This includes showing respect and kindness to neighbors, friends, and even strangers.
Universal Love: In a broader sense, Confucianism promotes a universal love that transcends social boundaries. This is reflected in the idea of "ren," which encourages individuals to cultivate a sense of empathy and compassion for all beings.
In terms of the extension of love in Confucianism, it is not a matter of love becoming thinner as it extends to others. Rather, it is about cultivating a sense of love and concern that can encompass all aspects of one's life, from the immediate family to the wider society and beyond.
Regarding Professor Fei Xiaotong's concept of "differentiated love," it may refer to a more nuanced understanding of love that takes into account different relationships and contexts. However, it is important to note that this concept is not universally accepted within Confucianism or Chinese culture, and it should be understood in the context of Professor Fei's own academic and personal perspectives.
In summary, the extension of love in Confucianism is not about love becoming thinner as it extends to others, but rather about cultivating a sense of love and concern that can encompass all aspects of one's life. The concept of "differentiated love" may offer a unique perspective on love, but it should be understood in the context of the individual's own academic and personal views.
"Benevolence" in Confucianism is not limited to blood love within the family, but emphasizes "universal love", that is, love for all people. "Benevolence" in Confucian thought is a kind of universal love, the highest level of which should be love for all people, not just within the family . Therefore, the "differential pattern" proposed by Fei Xiaotong is not contradictory to the Confucian thought of "benevolence", but a specific description and explanation of Confucianism.
In Confucianism, love indeed starts from the family and extends outward. Confucianism advocates "benevolence," which means loving others. This love originates from loving one's family and then extends to society at large. It emphasizes loving one's parents, siblings, and spouse, and further encourages individuals to extend this love to others, including friends, neighbors, and even strangers. This is a gradual process of extending love from the familiar to the unfamiliar.
Professor Fei Xiaotong viewed love as an integral part of social life, emphasizing its role in creating social relationships and maintaining social stability. He believed that love was not just about personal feelings but also about social responsibility. Although he didn't directly propose "differentiated love," his views on love being interwoven with social relationships are somewhat similar to the extension of love in Confucianism.
As for the extension of love in Confucianism, it's not that the love for family members is stronger, while the love for others is weaker. Rather, it's a matter of degree and sequence. Confucianism emphasizes starting with loving one's family and gradually extending this love to others. This is a process of cultivating one's moral character and achieving social harmony.
In summary, the extension of love in Confucianism is a gradual process from the family to society, emphasizing the cultivation of moral character and social responsibility. It doesn't mean that love diminishes as it extends to others but rather that it grows and expands, encompassing more and more people.
Differentiated benevolence refers to showing different degrees or types of kindness and care.It might imply that benevolence is not uniformly distributed but is adjusted according to specific circumstances, relationships, or qualities of the recipients.For example, one might show more benevolence to family members than to strangers, which could be an instance of differentiated benevolence.
In Confucianism, the extension of love is mainly reflected in the following aspects: from blood family love to interpersonal love, from interpersonal love to natural love, from personal love to social love.
Fei Xiaotong's concept of "differentiated love" in Confucianism is often misinterpreted as suggesting a stronger love only towards one's own family with diminishing love for others. In fact, this is a misunderstanding.
Confucian "differentiated love" does start from the family unit. For example, one naturally has a closer emotional bond with one's parents and siblings due to the close kinship within the family. This is a normal manifestation of human nature. However, it does not mean that love stops at the family or becomes thinner for outsiders in a negative sense.
Although Confucian love is "differentiated," it also has an aspect of universality. It is different from the concept of "universal love" in some Western philosophies in form, but in essence, it also aims at the well - being of all. For example, through the education and moral influence of individuals within the family and society, the positive values of love, respect, and harmony can gradually spread, ultimately having a positive impact on a larger scale, even if not in the form of equal and direct "universal love" at the very beginning.
Fei Xiaotong's concept of "different love" definitely does not mean a totally different love for one's own family and another's family. Confucian love is more like a kind of great love, caring for the old in our own families and the old in others' families, and the young in our own families and the young in others' families.
Confucianism doesn't imply that love is stronger for one's own family and thinner for others in a way that discounts the importance of others.Confucianism starts love from family with filial piety and fraternal love as roots. But it also has “Ren” (benevolence), which extends care from family to society like concentric circles. It's not that love for others is thin; rather, it begins in family and expands morally and inclusively.
Attaching importance to family ethics and the meaning of human relations is certainly an important tendency of Confucianism, but in the history of the development of Confucianism, benevolence was not limited to the scope of "family", and human beings should extend benevolence from blood love to all groups. Love is not simply the love of blood, its highest level should be love for all people.
Professor Fei Xiaotong's concept of "differentiated love" suggests that love and responsibility are strongest within the family and diminish as they extend to others. This aligns with Confucian values of filial piety and family bonds. However, Confucianism also emphasizes extending love beyond the family. The core concept of "ren" encourages individuals to expand their care from family to friends, community, and all people. While love for family is the strongest, it should still grow and extend outward as a moral duty. Thus, "differentiated love" recognizes the natural layers of emotional and social responsibility but does not diminish the importance of caring for others outside the family.
The concept of "unequal love" proposed by Mr. Fei Xiaotong does not mean that Confucian love for one's own family is a narrow and stronger love that is completely opposite to love for others. The Confucian concept of 'unequal love' is an extension of natural emotions based on human relationships. For example, in the family, people have the closest relationship with their parents and children, which makes the expression of love more direct and profound in form and degree. But this does not mean a lack of love for others.
Confucian love is centered around oneself and spreads outward like water waves. Starting from family relationships, such as filial piety to parents and brotherly love, this is the starting point of love. Then this kind of love will extend to a larger scope such as family, neighborhood, and society. At the societal level, Confucianism advocates for "benevolence in loving others", which encompasses respect, care, and goodwill towards all individuals. Although the specific behavior and emotional investment may vary depending on the distance of the relationship, they are fundamentally based on the concept of "love"
Fei Xiaotong's view does not reflect that Confucius's benevolence decreases with intimacy. Confucius's benevolence is based on the kind of love for those closest to you, and then radiates love to others in turn
As far as I am concerned, the differentiated love is normal. Family is the foundation of this kind of benevolence. We love our parents, siblings. Other people expecting our family is different from this love.
Confucian love starts with the family and extends to society at large, with the strength of love varying according to the closeness of the relationship. This is not to say that Confucians do not value love towards others; rather, they emphasize the importance of starting with the most immediate and influential relationships and then gradually extending that love to encompass a broader community.