Interpreting the contemporary understanding of the symbols of gentleman culture

The concept of "gentleman" is a cultural symbol polished and shaped by Confucianism, especially in the Analects, where Confucius ponders and goes into detail; the beginning and the end echo, explaining its meaning. It can be said that the concept of "gentleman" highly condenses the value and purpose of Confucianism and profoundly reflects the spiritual pursuit of the Chinese nation. It can be said that the continuation of Chinese culture is the continuation of the gentleman's personality; the rigidity of Chinese culture is the robustness of the gentleman's personality; the renewal of Chinese culture is the renewal of the gentleman's culture.

1

The core essence: for people to seek the foundation

The concept of "gentleman" has been widely spread in early Chinese civilization. The concept of "gentleman" has appeared in the Shang Shu, Zhou Yi, and The Book of Poetry, but only through the meticulous elaboration of Confucius, the image of a gentleman who is self-denying, polite, keen and wise, and self-reliant begins to shine - completing the gorgeous transformation from social identity to cultural symbol.

(1) Human nature is inherently good. The problem of human nature is an age-old problem that has been facing mankind for eternity. In the era of world strife, right and wrong are uncertain, there is no evidence, order collapses, and disasters continue. The harsh social reality inspired Confucius to care deeply for life, and he thought of "what people need" from "what people lack" and insisted on "seeking the foundation for people". Good is the most precious treasure, and prudence is the beginning, then there is no failure. Confucius "looked at the body with his body" and "looked at the family from the family", starting from the "inherent goodness of human nature", fully affirmed the "moral force" contained in human nature. Confucius said, "A gentleman is a gentleman who is born in the tao." "Gentleman's duty is to establish the principle of "human nature is inherently good" - following the principle of "goodness" is a gentleman, and violating the principle of "goodness" is a villain. On the basis of fully respecting the natural attributes of human beings, Confucius laid the humanistic feelings of "gentleman's personality" through the empirical statement of "human nature is inherently good", and opened up a cultural journey of understanding the human nature of the Chinese nation.

(2) Act in benevolence. "Benevolence" is the core concept of "gentleman's personality", which means mutual consideration and love between people. "Ren, pro also." From people from two. "Benevolence" is the basic principle given by Confucius for the "gentleman" to act. The concept of "benevolence" appears 109 times in the Analects. Through the interpretation of "benevolence", Confucius eloquently expressed his profound understanding of human nature. Things are generated in human relations and develop in human relations. If people can show their sincerity and benevolence to each other in their interactions, then the world can be governed. Confucius said, "Is there anyone who can use its power for a day?" I don't see those who are weak" is all in it. In Confucius's view, "benevolence" is the fundamental dependence of "gentleman's personality". He stressed that "people with lofty ideals are benevolent, there is no survival to harm benevolence, and there is killing to become benevolent." Therefore, Lin Yutang believes that as long as you act from "benevolence", it is the "way of a gentleman". Confucius, with the feeling of "benevolent", used the method of dialogue to dispel the complex elements of strangeness step by step, clarified the real causes of social chaos, and found the basic principle of "gentleman's personality". Since then, Mencius's "Benevolence", Zhu Xi's "Rensheng", Kang Youwei's "Renben", and Tan Sitong's "Rentong" have all revolved around Confucius's "benevolence".

(3) Serving the government with virtue. At the level of moral meaning, "benevolence" is the most critical element of human nature. In a nakedly violent society, it is universally accepted because "benevolence" is full of the meaning of "equality" - in the face of benevolence, everyone is equal. As Mencius said, "Everyone can be Yao Shun." The "University" says that from the Son of Heaven to the common people, they are all based on self-cultivation. Tan Sitong said, "The benevolent one, the equal, the undifferentiated." Confucius took "benevolence" as the basic moral character and opened up the gap between politics and ethics. No matter how high or low, nobility or inferiority, they must be tested by human nature; no matter who they are, they must bear moral responsibility. Confucius said: "For the government to be virtuous, such as the North Star, dwell in its place and the stars arch." ”

2

Cultivation path: unity of knowledge and action

Traditional Chinese society is the sage who governs the country, and Confucius regards the "gentleman" as an important carrier for practicing the idea of "benevolence". Confucius said: "Eagerness to learn is almost knowledge, practice is almost benevolent, and shame is almost courageous." Confucius took "human nature is inherently good" as the moral starting point, outlined the practical path of "unity of knowledge and action" cultivated by gentlemen, that is, with "benevolence" and "righteousness" as the cornerstone of morality, the expression of "people-oriented" and "public opinion" as the fundamental aspirations, "wisdom" and "courage" as behavioral representations, and "harmony without flowing" and "harmony and difference" as independent characters, and finally growing into a true gentleman who "establishes the world as a man". Xun Zi once said when constructing the system of ritual law: "The law cannot be independent, the class cannot be on its own, and those who gain it will exist, and those who lose it will die." The Dharma, the Ruler, the Gentleman, the Dharma. In Xun Zi's view, a gentleman of high moral character was an important foundation of a ceremonial society.

(1) Moral cornerstone. Confucius spoke of "benevolence", and Mencius emphasized "righteousness". "Benevolence" is gentle and "righteousness" is strong. Mencius believed that a gentleman was "gentle in benevolence and softness, and also rigid in righteousness", and that rigidity and softness combined to synthesize morality. "Benevolence" and "righteousness" are the moral basis of the gentleman, that is, the achievement of oneself and the achievement of society through the moral activity of the gentleman - through the moral erection, the moral value and meaning of life of the gentleman are highlighted. The way of a gentleman is to "establish the right position of the world and walk the road of the world." To have the will is to be with the people; not to be ambitious, to go it alone. The rich and the noble cannot be adulterous, the poor cannot be moved, and the mighty cannot be bent." As Wen Tianxiang said: "Kong Yue Chengren, Meng Yue takes righteousness, but its righteousness is exhausted, so renzhi." Read the books of the sages, what you learned, and now and then, you are almost worthy. ”

(2) Behavioral characterization. The characteristic of a gentleman's behavior is that he must achieve "wisdom" in cognition and "courage" in will. "Wisdom" and "courage" are the cognition and will that modern psychology talks about—factual judgment and behavioral performance. Among them, behavioral performance is the highest stage of cognitive process, and it is a behavioral choice based on factual judgments and value judgments. Before the choice of behavior, Confucius said that a gentleman has nine thoughts, that is, seeing Siming, listening to Si Cong, Se Siwen, Maung Sigong, Yan Sizhong, Thinking respectfully, doubting questions, thinking about difficulties, seeing Si Yi, and then "forming in the middle and originating outside." "Courage" is a concentrated embodiment of the characteristics of a gentleman's behavior.

(3) Gentleman's standards. Confucius gave a special mark of a gentleman through the comparison of the humanity of a gentleman and a villain. He proposed "Gentleman Huaide", "The Beauty of a Gentleman's Adulthood", "Gentleman Is More Than Careful", "Gentleman Is Frank", "Gentleman Seeks Self", "Gentleman is Moderate", "Gentleman is Courteous", "Gentleman is Pertinent in Words and Deeds", and "Gentleman moves the world for the world's way, the world is the law of the world, and the world is the world's rule". And those who deviate from these moral principles naturally become the negative example of a gentleman. That is to say, a gentleman and a villain have no normality, and those who do good deeds are gentlemen, and those who do evil deeds are villains.

(4) Gentleman's character. Confucianism often uses the word "alone" to express the independent personality of a gentleman, emphasizing that a gentleman should be "harmonious and not flowing" and "harmonious but different" for people. "Gentlemen are cautious and independent" and "benevolent to themselves" have always been consistent. As the Zhongyong says, "The Destiny of Heaven is sex, the willfulness is the Tao, and the monasticism is teaching." He who is also the Tao must not be separated from the Tao; he who can be separated from the Tao is not the Tao. It is therefore the gentleman who is wary of what he does not see, and who is afraid of what he does not hear. Mo sees hidden, Mo is microscopic, so the gentleman is cautious and independent. This means that a person of low moral character indulges himself in private and does no evil, and a person of high moral character should be cautious even if he is alone. "Xunzi" said: "Those who are good are the Tao, and those who are not sincere are not alone, and those who are not alone are not formless." Obviously, "prudence and independence" identifies both a person's intrinsic nature and a person's openness. In the interaction between the two poles, it is possible to achieve the true self, to achieve the completion and realization of the individual personality. In the Book of Rites, Lu Aigong asked Confucius about the style of confucianism, and Confucius replied: "The body can be in danger, but the will cannot be seized." ”

3

Social value: gentlemanly

At the critical moment of China's social development, Confucius, with a sense of mission to save the people from water and fire, integrated reasonable humanistic values from traditional culture, and laid a profound cultural foundation for "gentleman's personality".

(1) The "gentleman's personality" has been internalized as the "natural tendency" of the Chinese nation. According to Confucius, the "I" as an individual can only live in the "we" of the group. The interdependence of people constitutes the "symbiosis" of "our" group. In the words of Liang Shuming, "benevolence" means "mutual importance." In Confucius's view, the most basic thing in human life experience is to cultivate oneself, respect for the elders, respect for others, be friendly, learn, and socialize in people's "symbiotic" relationships, cultivate people-oriented concepts, and then realize their own life value in the efforts of others and society. Along with the daily spread of gentleman's culture, the "gentleman's personality" has not only been recognized by generations of thinkers and literati doctors, but also widely recognized by people from all walks of life, including ordinary people, and has been transformed into folk customs and people's hearts, imitating each other, looking at each other and being good. In this way, the gentleman's culture is gradually internalized into the "natural return" of people's psychology.

(2) The "gentleman's ideal" has been precipitated into the "psychological map" of the Chinese nation. The way of a gentleman focuses on self-cultivation. Regarding the specific path of the growth of a gentleman, Confucius's design is briefly expressed in the "University" - "Those who want to be clear and virtuous in the world in ancient times will first govern their country; those who want to govern their country, first qi their home; those who want to cultivate their home, first cultivate their body; those who want to cultivate their body, first correct their heart; those who want to correct their heart, first be sincere in their intentions; those who want to be sincere in their intentions, first give their knowledge; and those who want to know what is in the grid." ...... After knowing the qualities, knowing and then knowing the sincerity, sincerity and then the heart, the heart and then the body cultivation, the body cultivation and then the family Qi, the family Qi and then the country rule, the country rule and then the world is peaceful. Just as Mencius said: "The heavens will descend on people, so they must first suffer their hearts, strain their bones, starve their bodies, empty their bodies, and act in a chaotic manner, so they are moved to endure, and have benefited what they can't ..." The practice of gentleman culture has made the gentleman's personality the most shining life coordinate of the Chinese nation.

(3) "Gentleman figures" have converged into the "group force" of the Chinese nation. In the Chinese nation, the influence of Confucius is as majestic as a mountain. Qian Niansun summarized the personality of a gentleman into three major qualities, namely, "the spirit of responsibility and the feeling of home and country with the rise and fall of the world and the responsibility of the husband as the focus, the concept of mutual assistance and social care with benevolence and righteousness and self-reliance as the focus, and the self-cultivation requirements and pursuit of goodness with the focus on righteousness and dedication and reverence for virtue and perseverance." Whenever the social situation is touched, the gentleman's spirit can be aroused. As Liang Qichao said: "Therefore, although the way of Confucius did not fade away in a chaotic world, the society of thousands of years was maintained, and the so-called Qiankun was endless." ”

In modern times, at the critical moment of major changes in China's history, the gentleman's culture has once again demonstrated the cultural temperament of "strong and healthy". Especially after the founding of the Communist Party of China, the culture of gentlemen has shone brightly in the feelings of the Chinese Communists and the national responsibility. When the nation and the country called for it, the Chinese Communists took the initiative and integrated the spiritual core of the gentleman's culture with the spiritual essence of Marxism into a value consensus -- from the spiritual core of the gentleman's culture, they confirmed the value of China's revolutionary road, confirmed the direction of China's social development from the spiritual essence of Marxism, perfectly realized the "creative transformation" of the gentleman's culture, and opened up a broad passage for carrying forward the excellent traditional Chinese culture in the process of consolidating the foundation and innovating.

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