The Chun Tzu (Gentleman) of Confucius and the Chen Jen (Perfect Man) of Chuang Tzu PDF

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The Chun Tzu (Gentleman) of Confucius and the Chen Jen (Perfect Man) of Chuang Tzu The historical times that Confucius and Chuang Tzu lived featured violence and chaos with the perceptions that they had toward life and the world differing considerably. The major difference as well as the key reason behind their arguments revolved around Confucius rushi and the Chuang Tzu chuchi. For rushi, it refers to interfering with the affairs of the world whereas chuchi entails refraining from worldly affairs. Rushi entails activities aimed at supporting social change while chuchi encourages the need for adopting a natural, spontaneous, and personal life[CITATION Con16 \p 45 \l 1033 ]. For the paper, therefore, it compares and contrasts the ideal personality in both Confucius’ Analects and Chuang Tzu’s Basic Writings to assist in determining the person that one should become. In the event of Confucius, he served as among the key thinkers in conventional eastern philosophy. He has received popularity owing to the thoughts he availed concerning societal order, ideal interpersonal relationships within the society, and the five key relationships. In this vein, the thoughts he had of the society became the foundation of the eastern society for numerous pears while his philosophy is still evident in the culture that the east practices today. His commentaries and writings, which can be found in the Analects, serve as ideal illustrations of the rhetoric associated with the east[CITATION Shu04 \p 67 \l 1033 ]. It raises arguments from a viewpoint that is uniquely eastern in both pattern and thought.

Last Name 2 Initially, the work itself reveals that the contents inside emerged from an amazing scholar. Nonetheless, Confucius did not author the Analects on his own. They comprise of a combination of his oral teachings and sayings, which his founders compiled after his death. They serve as a reflection of the things he taught together with his ideas, although not his direct words. Nonetheless, in attributing them to Confucius, they realize increased credibility[CITATION Gol05 \p 46 \l 1033 ]. In this manner, people are led to believe that the words originally belonged to Confucius while writing them down aimed at benefiting everyone. According to his work, utilization of the word Master depicts a key issue that the work tries to address. For the first verse, it stipulates that the master said studying and practicing the studied things was not a form of pleasure. It adds that friends emanating from distant regions did not reflect joy. Furthermore, remaining unsoured with his talents not realizing recognition did not depict the traits of a gentleman or moral man. With the use of the word master, the argument becomes stronger in several ways. Firstly, it associates the quote to Confucius. Secondly, it reveals that the man offering the statement serves as the master. However, it does not illustrate who the master is, or the reason as to why he serves as the master[CITATION Yao00 \p 76 \l 1033 ]. Nonetheless, it offers credibility when referred to as “the Master. The utilization of rhetorical questions leads the reader to think. For instance, it raises the question of what people would say to the idea of being rich and not arrogant and being poor and refraining from flattering. For this rhetoric style, it mostly does not appear in the schools of thought of the west. He raises a question that intends to have an obvious answer. This leads the audience to lay emphasis on the question go gaining increased understanding as opposed to expecting the answer to be revealed. This would reflect a similar incidence in which a master would ask a player whether to expect the best, of which the answer would be yes. This is because

Last Name 3 it would lead the players to think of whether they would give their best and avail an honest answer to the coach[CITATION Gol05 \p 67 \l 1033 ]. This serves as the same manner that Confucius raised questions regarding the kind of men that people need to be as opposed to the ones they wish to be. The idea of culture that prevailed at the time also becomes increasingly prevalent in the work of Confucius. The culture that China practiced during the time featured five key relationships, which received tremendous value above everything else, including husbands to their wives, ruler to their subjects, fathers to sons, seniors to seniors, and elder brothers to their younger brothers. For most of the things that Confucius taught during that time, it revolved around these major relationships[CITATION Con16 \p 34 \l 1033 ]. As such, it has a significant influence on learners of the old as opposed to those reading his works in the present society. During the Analects’ initial chapter, the idea here is to emphasize on the society as well as the relationships that prevail within it. He stipulates that it is improbable to find individuals who are filial to their parents and disrespect their elders since no one likes the idea of opposing his superiors. It also questions whether there has been any individual who did not like opposing the rulers who raised rebellions. In this case, Confucius is making a point regarding governance by allowing fathers, sons, ministers, and rulers to play their roles[CITATION Yao00 \p 39 \l 1033 ]. For this emphasis toward the society in line with the relationships that characterized it, it serves as the major focus by Confucius regarding the way a community should live. Overall, Confucius served as a key figure during the historical era of Asia while his influence is apparent during the present day with key powers in Asia, including Korea, China, and Japan adopting his philosophies in distinct ways. Whereas the rhetoric utilized in teaching

Last Name 4 his ideas differs from the conventional style of the west, it appears effective during the many years, hence the reason as to why it is still important to reference it in the current society. With Confucius laying focus on the relationships that characterized the society, Chuang Tzu’s work lays emphasis in the joy that nature offers, and especially the mysterious Dao, which the natural surroundings portray. In the perspective of Chuang Tzu, the mind plays a critical role when it comes to searching for happiness. The work argues that people usually think too much since the rational mind serves as the one steering them away from the instinctive Dao[CITATION Chu00 \p 45 \l 1033 ]. Chuang Tzu, born around 2,300 years ago, at the time that ancient China faced chaotic situations, composed his initial work while focusing on the notion of happiness. In the event of Chuang Tzu, he served as a self-deprecating as well as humorous Laozi follower, the Old Master. He believed in pursuing absolute happiness, which revolves around the skill of following the “Way” (Dao). Chuang Tzu establishes a clear differentiation between two happiness forms. He starts by arguing that a large number derive happiness from fame, wealth, and fame. He then argues that happiness also results from beautiful colors, delicious tastes, music, and beautiful clothing[CITATION Zhu01 \p 28 \l 1033 ]. Once they manage to acquire these things, they embark of efforts aimed at obtaining more, while they show signs of uneasiness in the event that they are incapable of doing so. The Dao, however, which serves as a power that dominates the cosmos while at the same time depicted in nature, such as the originator of a deeper happiness kind. In the event of humans, who are considerably reliant on nature, they serve as part of the Dao, while all they require is to harness the power it offers. This resembles the scenario of a person sitting in a car that has a powerful engine running with the gear in neutral mode. Individuals just need to get the

Last Name 5 gear working[CITATION Tzu06 \p 43 \l 1033 ]. They would be able to do this through practicing the wewei, which Chuang Tzu describes as the skill of going along with the way that things are flowing. While talking of ‘flow,’ Chuang Tzu likens a sage or a wise individual to a professional swimmer, who is capable of surviving a powerful torrent through swimming with the flow. In this case, Chuang Tzu sages do not attain this form of virtue during birth, but realize it by exercising tremendous effort by exercising the unique skills that they possess. In the event of Butcher Ding, for instance, he realizes a great deal of the happiness that he possesses by perfecting the skills he possesses through chopping up carcasses of oxen[CITATION Zhu03 \p 57 \l 1033 ]. During prehistoric China, this served the skills that people despised the most. Ding, however, progresses with his work while showing pleasure and pride arguing that the more skills he gains in chopping meat, the more proficient he will become in ‘going along with things” and realizing coherence with the Dao. Sages, including P’ien, the cart maker and Ding do not show interest in attaining academic knowledge. The reason for this is that they believe that words do not serve as efficient ways of realizing the Dao and acquiring authentic happiness. By exercising the wuwei practice and ensuring to be in close proximity with the Dao, sages, including P’ien and Dao realize the De or virtue[CITATION Tzu06 \p 55 \l 1033 ]. This serves as a form of indescribable power, while it differs significantly from the virtues that Confucius followed.

When considering both Confucius and Chuang Tzu, they served as two distinct individuals following differing perspectives towards life and the society. In the case of Confucius, he served as an ideologist that emphasized on reforming the social reality. He

Last Name 6 supported the need for individuals to restrain themselves and follow the rites, especially on matters related to governing. This reveals that the exercising virtue rules, such as honoring parents, being loyal to the government, and sustaining one’s place within the society was the ideal practice for people. In this perspective, it can be argued that the idealism by Confucius focused on ensuring to investigate things, cultivating individuals, regulating families, and governing states in the right manner in order to ensure that the world remained peaceful. He aimed at realizing a form of utopic within the society in which the society emerged perfect and remained in perfect harmony. As such, Confucius was driven by the heart for a stable, just, and peaceful society.

Regarding Chuang Tzu, on the other hand, he direct focus toward the value that personal life offered. He believes that meeting the interests of the individual is crucial as opposed to those of the society. The attitude that he directed toward governing is harsh, particularly with the sacred story of the turtle, which reveals ways in which the kingdom of Chu is rejected. He supports the Wuwei’ or non-action, which entails following nature while acting while avoiding to deploy any efforts. The reason for this is that Youwei, which is contrary to non-action, goes against nature. He perceives them as ‘mechanical mind,’ ‘mechanical business,’ mechanical contraptions that lack the capacity of hindering individuals from preserving their simplicity and living a spiritual life in a settled manner, which is harmful[CITATION Zhu01 \p 34 \l 1033 ]. An example in this case revolves around where the center’s emperor who died with the drilling of holes in the body. Chuang Tzu advocates on the need for following the middle line to allow people to protect themselves, raise their families, complete their lives, and end their years[CITATION Chu00 \p 69 \l 1033 ]. This serves as a form of life that Chuang Tzu supports,

Last Name 7 which requires people to consider withdrawing from the society, not show concern for desires, focus on nature, and allow their spirit to be free.

From the perspectives of both Confucius and Chuang Tzu, the one that I would wish to follow is one of Confucius. Confucius shows concern toward the interests of the people as well as their welfare whereas Chuang Tzu seems to support people to exercise selfishness. In the world, people cannot live alone while they are dependent on each other to realize progress make life better for everyone. When people live peacefully while exercising the spirit of justice and harmony, they are able to work together and help each other during trying times. This kind of society would be ideal for everyone. Thus, the ideas by Confucius are more logical.

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Works Cited

Chuang-tzu, Zhuangzi, Zhou Zhuang and Thomas Merton. The Way of Chuang-Tzŭ. New Directions, 2000. Confucius. The Analects (International Student Edition) (Norton Critical Editions). W. W. Norton & Compan, 2016. Goldin, Paul Rakita. After Confucius: Studies in Early Chinese Philosophy. University of Hawaii Press, 2005. Shulman, Frank Joseph. Doctoral Dissertations on Asia, Volume 10. Association for Asian Studies, 2004. Tzu, Chuang. The Book of Chuang Tzu. Penguin Books Limited, 2006. Yao, Xinzhong and Hsin-chung Yao. An Introduction to Confucianism. Cambridge University Press, 2000. Zhuangzi. Zhuangzi: Basic Writings. Columbia University Press, 2003. Zhuangzi, Herbert Allen Giles. Teachings and Sayings of Chuang Tzu. Courier Corporation, 2001....