CONFUCIUS
• His famous saying
of “Do not do unto
others what you do
not want others to do
unto you”
Centered on
the proper
conduct of a
person in
society
Confucian
Concept
of Human
Cultivation
of human
virtues
Confucius
wanted
his
disciples to be more than
a literati or ju, he wanted
them to be well-rounded
men, men who are not
only literate but also
useful to the state and
society.
The sage or the wise is the
most ideal type of person,
but it is difficult to be one
and not everyone can be a
sage.
Confucius encouraged his
followers to be a jun tzu or
a gentleman. Jun tzu is
second only to sage. A jun
tzu
is
disciplined,
hardworking, and does
not engage in empty talk.
Sage (Wise)
Jun tzu
(Gentleman)
Literati/Ju
(Literate)
Jen
Main Virtues
of
Confucianism
Yi
Li
 Human heartedness, fundamental virtue of the jun
tzu.
 The doctrine of Jen/Ren is the first and foremost of
the virtues in Confucian ethical system
 Jen is the perfect virtue and is the cardinal principle of
humanism
 The man of jen is a man of virtue; for the jun tzu, it is
the supreme virtue
Jen
Main Virtues
of
Confucianism
Yi
Li
Jen
 Yi is ‘’oughtness of a situation’’
 A righteous act is done without
Main Virtues
of
Confucianism
any selfish motive or intention
 Propriety
Yi
Li
 The code of the ritual which embodies the essence of
ancient culture
Yi is a moral disposition to do good without any
ulterior motive. While Li pertains to proper social
behavior or conduct
If one has Yi, then it will be easy for him/her to practice Li.
Hence, a “perfect man” examplifies this virtue
A good description of this is one who “combines the
qualities of saint, scholar, and gentleman”
Expected to act as a model of good and moral conduct
in the society like a saint
Cultivates himself morally and helps in transforming
the society and humanity like a scholar
A great exemplar of the perfect man is Confucius
himself
The opposite of jun tzu
Literally means “small person”
Characterized as having shallowness of thinking,
being egoistic and self-interested, and being
greedy and materialistic
Sage (Wise)
Jun tzu
(Gentleman)
Literati/Ju
(Literate)
Jen
Xiăorén
Main Virtues
of
Confucianism
Yi
Li