Confucianism/ Caleb Hoey

In Confucianism, the human condition is split between two outlooks. There are Realists and Mohim. The Realists believe that people are naturally bad. They have to be controlled with consequences for their actions. The Realists also believe that people are logical and act in their own best interests. However, the Realists say that we only rationalize in the present and do not account for the future, and this is what leads to problems. The opposite of the Realists is the Mohim. They feel that people are generally good and can be left alone. They think that people can’t be forced to do anything. They say people should feel towards other people how they feel towards their own people. Ironically, Confucius himself did not follow either school. The solution to the human condition is to follow five steps. Jen(Ren), Chun Tzu, Li, Te, and Wen. Jen is being well intentioned and to do good deeds. This is how you make your choices and live your life. Chun Tzu means the mature person. It means to not be vain, and have a big heart. Li is the order in which things should be done. Every process has a set of steps that should be followed. It also means “constant”, referring to the five relationships in life: Parent to child, husband to wife, older sibling to younger sibling, older friend to younger friend, and ruler to subject. Te refers to power, and respecting the parties in power. It also reminds you to be virtuous and righteous. Wen is the arts of peace, like music and art and literature. Learning these arts helps your mind in Confucianism, and makes you higher in the Confucian order. These five steps are the way to solve the human condition. There is no afterlife in Confucian beliefs. So your entire life is just order and law until death. There is no ultimate goal, only to go day to day with good intentions. This is not something I necessarily agree with. I feel like there is something more than just this material world. I do, however, understand all the structure in the relationships. Things like parent-child and sibling-sibling interactions can get confusing and Confucianism helps give order to that. I also respect the mental discipline and concentration that comes with Confucian philosophy. The golden rule also is a key component of Confucianism that I agree with. That really puts the rest of its ideas on a base of solidarity that many of us can understand.