中国文化.孔子

Page3Unit1ConfucianThoughtonHeavenandHumanity1Confucius1(551-479BC),knowninChinaasKongzi,givennameQiuandaliasZhongni,wasanativeofZouyi(present-dayQufuinShandongProvince)oftheStateofLuduringtheSpringandAutumnPeriod2(770-476BC).Agreatthinker,educatorandfounderofConfucianism,Confuciusisanancientsage(圣人)totheChinesepeople.Hiswordsandlifestorywererecordedbyhisdisciples(弟子)andtheirstudentsinTheAnalects3(Lunyu).2AnenduringclassicofChineseculture,TheAnalectshasinfluencedallthinkers,writersandpoliticiansintheover-2,000-year-longhistoryofChinaafterConfucius.Noscholarcouldtrulyunderstandthislong-standingcultureortheinnerworldoftheancientChinesewithoutthisbook.3MuchofConfucianthoughtonHeavenandpeoplerepresentsuniversalhumanvalues.ThisisperhapswhyConfucianthoughtinthe21stcenturystillretainstheinterestofnotonlytheChinesebutalsopeopleinotherpartsoftheworld.-------------------------------------1Confucius:孔子。名丘，字仲尼，春秋时期鲁国人.伟大的思想家，教育家，儒家学派创始人.2theSpringandAutumnPeriod：春秋时期.简称春秋，东周的一个时期，因鲁国编年史《春秋》而得名.3TheAnalects:《论语》.儒家经典之一，由孔子门徒及再传弟子编纂，主要记载了孔子及其弟子的言行。Page4ConfuciusonHeaven:theSourceofEverything4IntheShang(1600-1046BC)andZhou1(1046-256BC)dynasties,theprevalentconceptofHeavenwasthatofapersonifiedgod,whichinfluencedConfucius.Generally,however,ConfuciusregardedHeavenasnature.Hesaid,Heavendoesnotspeakinwords.Itspeaksthroughtherotationofthefourseasonsandthegrowthofalllivingthings.Obviously,Heavenequalednature,intheeyesofConfucius.Moreover,naturewasnotalifelessmechanismseparatefromhumans;instead,itwasthegreatworldoflifeandtheprocessofcreationoflife.Humanlifewaspartandparcelofnatureasawhole.5Confucius'equationofHeavenwiththecreationoflifewasaninnovative(革新的)ideainhistime.ThenaturalprocessoflifecreationwasthewayofHeaven.ThisideawaslaterdevelopedinTheBookofChanges2(Yijing),asitstatedContinuouscreationoflifeischange.6Asthenaturalprocessofcreationoflife,Heavenwasthesourceofalllivingthingsandthesourceofallvalues.ThiswasthevirtueofHeaven.Thus,TheBookofChangessaid,ThegreatvirtueofHeavenandEarthiscreatinglife.7Inthenaturalprocessofcreationoflife,Heavenhaditsinnerpurposeincreatingallthingsaswellasprotectingandimprovinglife.Heavenhadoriginatedhumanity,andhumanswereobligedtoaccomplishthispurpose.Inotherwords,humansarebornwithasenseofheavenlymission.andthisisthemeaningofhumanlife.8ConfucianHeavenalsohadacertainsacredelement,whichwasrelatedtoitsbeingthesourceoflife.ThusConfuciusrequiredpeopletoholdHeaveninawe.Hesaidthatapersonofvirtuemustrespecthisheavenlymission,listentoandliveoutthepurposeofHeavenbycaringforandimprovinglife9UndertheinfluenceofConfucius,theancientChinesedevelopedasenseofaweandbeliefe--------------------------------------1Zhou:周朝.中国历史上继商朝之后的朝代，可分为西周和东周两个时期，其中东周时期又称“春秋战国”，分为“春秋”及“战国”两部分。2TheBookofChanges:《易经》.也称《周易》，儒家重要经典，包括《经》和《传》两部分，通八卦的形式，推测自然和社会的变化.提出了若干富有朴素辨证法的观点page5inHeaven.Tothen,Heavenwasthehighestsacredbeing,withitsprofoundmysterynevertobefullyunderstoodbymortals.Itwasnotasupernatural,personifieddeity(神),butwastheworldofever-generatinglife.Asthemostintelligentofallbeings,humansshouldtaketoheartthepurposeofHeavenbycherishinglife.Ifoneremainedignorantanddisrespectfulofone'sheavenlymissionbykillingormaiming(残害)life,onewouldbepunishedbyHeaven.Confuciussaid,HewhooffendsagainstHeavenhasnonetowhomhecanpray.TheConfucianrespectforandbeliefinHeavenrepresentedaformofreligiousspiritualismoftheancientChinese.10Inthe21stcentury,theConfuciancaveat(告诫)ofstandinginaweoftheordinancesofHeavenstillholdstrue,ashumansocietybeginstopaygreaterattentiontoecologicalcivilization.Humansshouldindeedlistentothevoiceofnature,respectingandlovingitastheworldoflife.Thisisoursacredmissionandgivesvaluetoallhumanlife.ConfuciusonPeople:ren(仁)andli(礼)1RenandliarethetwocoreconceptsofConfucius'doctrineaboutpeople.2WhenhisstudentFanChiaskedhimaboutren,Confuciusreplied,“Lovepeople.”ThisisConfucius'mostimportantinterpretationofren.Loveforthepeopleisuniversallove,Confuciusfurtheremphasizedthatthiskindofloveshouldbeginwiththeloveforone’sparents.Hebelievednoonecouldlovepeopleingeneraliftheydidnotevenlovetheirownparents.Confuciusregardedfilial(子女的)pietyandfraternal(兄弟的)dutyastheessenceofren.TheDoctrineoftheMean1(Zhongyong)quotesConfuciusassaying,Thegreatestloveforpeopleistheloveforone'sparents.Healsosaid,Childrenshouldnottravelfarwhiletheirparentsarealive.Iftheyhavenochoicebuttodoso,theymustretainsomerestraint.Hedidnotmeanthatchildrenshouldnotleavetheirparentsatall.Whathemeantwasthatchildrenshouldnotmaketheirparentsanxiousaboutthemwhileawayfromhome.Confuciussaidagain,Childrenshouldthinkoftenoftheageoftheirparents.Theyshouldfeelhappyforthehealthandlongevityoftheirparents.Theyshouldalsofeelconcernfortheagingoftheirparents.------------------------------------------------1TheDoctrineoftheMean:《中庸》。儒家经典之一，原属《礼记》的一篇，宋代把它和《礼记》中的《大学》独立出来，同《论语》、《孟子》合称“四书”。Page6丹枫呦鹿图CryofDeerinaRedMapleForest(detail),unknownartist,SongDynasty,asceneofcontentmentandharmony,asvaluedbyConfucianscholarsByren,Confuciusmeantuniversallovebasedonloveforone'sparents.Howshouldpeopleloveoneanotherthen?