Talk-on-Confucius孔子英文介绍

ConfuciusHisLife,TeachingsandInfluenceWhoisConfucius?Greateducator,philosopherandthinkerinChinesehistoryThegreatestrepresentativeoftheancientChinesecultureandcivilizationFounderofConfucianismTheforemostsage,anationalidealandexampleLikenedtoChina’sSocrates,PlatoorinasenseJesusChristConfucius’ChinesenamesConfucius:thenamehavingnothingtodowith“confuse”;amannotconfusingatall;histeachingsneverdifficulttounderstand.NotanabstractphilosopherbutateacherofeasymorallessonsConfucius,LatinizedformofKongFuziinChinese.Kong,hisfamilyname;FuziorZi,meaningGreatMaster,honorifictitlesinancientChinaforfamousscholars,statesmenorteachers.Hisoriginalname,KongQiu,whichcommonChinesepeopleneveruse.NotrespectfultocalltheMasterbyit.KongZi:themostcommonreferenceinChinaI.Confucius’LifeConfucius’owncommentonhislife:TheMastersaid,“AtfifteenIbentmymindonlearning.Atthirty,Iwasfirmlyestablished.Atforty,Iwasfreefromdelusion.Atfifty,Iknewmydestiny.Atsixty,IwasabletotellrightfromwrongineverythingIheard.Atseventy,Icouldfollowmyheart’sdesirewithoutoversteppingtherulesofpropriety.”—TheAnalectsageofestablishment(theageof30)ageoffreedomfromdelusion(theageof40)ageofknowingone’sowndestiny(theageof50)Hisearlylife1.BorninahillcaveinQufuin551B.C.,“atimeofchaosunderthesun”2.Hisfatherdiedwhenhewasonly3.3.Fondoflearninghardandthinkingrationally4.Hismarriage,familyandchildren5.TakingvarioushumblejobsThefirstprivateschoolteacherEstablishedasafamousscholararound30FoundingthefirstprivateschoolinthehistoryofChineseeducationOpeningthedoorofschooltoordinarypeopleandbreakingthemonopolyofeducationbythenobles.“Inmyclassroomthereisnoclassdistinction.”Theteacherofteachers,“theGreatestandForemostTeacher”Abenevolentgovernmentofficial1.Hislifepurpose:totakeupagovernmentposttoputhisideasintopractice2.AppointedtheMinisterofJustice3.Successintheposition;“Peopleneednotlocktheirdoorsatnight.”4.Hisresignationand14-yeartravelamongotherstatesHisfinaldays1.Hisreturntohisnativestate,respectedastheFatheroftheState2.Continuinghisteachingcareerwhileeditingseveralancientclassics3.Hisdeathin479B.C.attheageof73Hisworks1.“I’mnotaninventorofnewideasbutatransmitterofancientwisdom”,nowritingbyhimlefttous2.TheAnalects,editedbyhisdisciplesafterhisdeath,themostreliablebookforstudyingConfucius3.Chinesepeople’sBible,oneofthemostquotedbookinChineseclassics,therichestsourceofChinesemottosandproverbsII.Confucius’Teachings1.AbelieverofHeavenbutnotareligiousfounderandleader,oftenavoidingtalkingaboutreligioussubjects2.Confucianism,thoughtreatedbysomepeopleasasortofreligion,havingnothingtodowithreligion3.Agreat,wiseteacheronpersonalandpublicmoralityandvirtue1.Confucius’teachingsonren（仁）Ren,themostimportantconceptinConfucius’thought,thecentralcoreofhisphilosophyEnglishwordsforren:love,goodness,kindness,friendliness,human-heartedness,benevolence(benevolent),humanity1)Whatisren?Whatisitsmeaning?Chinesecharacterofren:a.Ren,denotinggoodrelationshipbetweentwopersonsoramongpeople,harmonioushumanrelations.Confuciusonren:“Donotdotootherswhatyoudonotwantotherstodotoyou.Thisisren.”(cf.Kant’ssaying)“Renistoloveothermen,tolovethepeopleextensively.”“Iwoulddescriberenlikethis:Ifyouwishtoestablishyourselfyoushouldalsoassistotherstoestablish.Ifyouwishtobesuccessfulyoushouldalsohelpotherstobesuccessful.”“Myaspirationtoattainrenisthattheagedliveaneasylife,friendshavefaithineachotherandchildrenbewellcared.”2)TheimportanceofrenConfuciussaid,“Tohaveren(tobebenevolent)istobeaman.”“Onlyamanofreniscapableofdistinguishinggoodpeopleandbadpeopleandknowingwhotoloveandwhotohate.”Thefundamentalqualityofman,thehigheststandardofone’smorals3)Howtoacquireren?Confuciussaid,“Isrenfaraway?No.IfIaspireforrenitisrighthere!”Theachievementofrenisinourownhand.2.Confucius’teachingsonli（礼）1.Englishwordsforli2.Whatisli?3.Theimportanceofliinone’smoralcultivationandconduct4.Theidealcombinationandembodimentofrenandli:Junzi3.Confucius’teachingsonjunzi（君子）1.Junzi：arighteousman,amaninwhomrenisharmoniouslyblendedwithli2.Junzivs.pettyman3.Junzi,themostimportantbasisforaharmoniouscountryandsociety4.Howcanamanbecomeajunzi?5.Fourstepsbywhichamanbecomesafulljunzi:cultivatingoneselfforgoodness,managingone’sfamilywell,runone’sstatewellandbringingpeacetothewholecountry4.Confucius’teachingsongoodgovernment(仁政)1.“Hewhorulesbyvirtueandbenevolenceislikeapole-star,whichremainsinitsplacewhilealltheotherstarssurroundit.”2.Therighttogoverndependsupontherulers’andgovernmentofficials’abilityandvirtuetomakethegovernedhappy.(cf.Therighttogoverndependsupontheconsentofthegoverned.)3.Therulers’constantself-rectificationoferrorsandself-cultivationofvirtuesarethekeytobenevolentgovernment.5.Confucius’teachingsonlearningandeducation(1)Theonlywaytogainknowledgeistolearn.(2)Intellectualhonestyisimportant.(3)Learningandpracticeareinseparable.III.Confucius’Influence1.HisinfluenceinChina(1)Greatstressonmoralcultivation(2)Moralrestrictionsongovernmentofficials(3)Stressuponsocialharmony(4)Theimportantroleofritesinsociallife(5)Specialemphasisonchildren’seducation(