Yang Guorong, professor of the Department of Philosophy of East China Normal University: ZengZi Thought Exploring Micro One, Cautious Pursuit of Distance Two, Group Self Three, Gentleman as an Ethical Subject

Abstract: As a disciple of Confucius, Zengzi had an important position in the evolution of Confucianism. Zeng Zi first put forward the idea of "cautiously pursuing the far away", which not only embodies the historical consciousness of succession before and after, but also contains the concept of filial piety. Filial piety is not only an intrinsic virtue, but also a norm of behavior, and at the latter level, its significance is not only embodied in family morality, but also in the process of government (political practice). Affirming family ethics and the norms associated with it (filial piety), Zengzi further directs his attention to the wider social humanity. In the proposition of "three provinces and one body", although the subject of reflection is the self (I), the object of concern is the other person or group, which already contains an understanding of the relationship between the group and the group, and its internal orientation is from the self to others and groups. For ZengZi, as a member of society, the individual bears the corresponding social responsibility, and consciously assumes the above responsibilities, which shows the loftiness of the individual's existence. The so-called "long way to go" and "death is long" emphasize this point. The faithfulness and forgiveness that ZengZi identified with embodied the promotion of oneself to others, which is related to both the relationship between the self and the group and the rational inference. Filial piety and social humanity involve the subject of ethics, and in Zengzi, this subject has acquired the form of a gentleman, and in the Analects and other related literature, we can see Zengzi's multifaceted understanding of the personality of a gentleman.

Keywords: cautious and ultimate pursuit of the distance; group of self; gentleman

<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="16" ></h1>

From the perspective of social humanity, the parent-child relationship has a certain original meaning, which is further reflected in the continuation and relationship between the previous generation and the future generations. According to Zengzi's understanding, properly handling the above relationships will have positive social effects. The Analects contain the following record:

Zeng Ziyi said: "Cautiously pursue the distance in the end, and the people's morality returns to the thick." ”2

"Prudent ending" involves parent-child relationship and is premised on the end of the life of the predecessor. The cautious treatment of the end of the lives of the predecessors reflects the emphasis on funeral rites, but this emphasis itself shows that the end of life does not mean the end of the meaning of existence: the real meaning of the end of the prudent ending is to allow the spiritual life of the predecessors to be continued in the future. "Chasing the Distance" reflects the relationship between the previous generation and the future generations, and is embodied in the remembrance of the ancestors, which shows that the existential value of the ancestors has neither been nor forgotten in the continuation of time. The correlation between prudence and the pursuit of distance not only reflects the historical consciousness of succession, but also contains the respect of future generations for their predecessors, and its positive significance lies in promoting the improvement of social morality, which is the so-called "return of people's morality to houyi".

In terms of value orientation, "cautiously pursuing the far end" contains the concept of filial piety. When talking about what filial piety is, the Analects record the following dialogue between Confucius and Meng Yizi, the grand master of the State of Lu:

Meng Yizi asked filial piety. Zi Yue: "No violation." Fan Chiyu told him: "Meng Sun asked filial piety to me, and I have no violation of yue.' Fan Chi yue: "What is also?" The Son said, "Birth, deeds are courtesy; death, burial is ceremonial, and sacrifice is courtesy." ”3

According to Confucius's understanding, "filial piety" contains two aspects, which are related to life and death, respectively, "funeral ceremony, sacrifice ceremony" that is, "filial piety" in the latter sense. As a concrete embodiment of "filial piety", the "death, burial with ceremony, and sacrifice with ceremony" here is undoubtedly consistent with ZengZi's "cautious pursuit of the end". It can be said that by proposing the concept of "cautiously pursuing the far away", ZengZi developed Confucius's understanding of "filial piety" from one aspect. In fact, later, when Mencius talked about "filial piety", he regarded the above views of Confucius as Zengzi's thought: "Zengzi said: 'Birth, deeds are courtesy; death, burial is ceremonial, sacrifice is courtesy, can be described as filial piety.'" 4 Whether Zengzi has ever expressed the above expression similar to Confucius is naturally difficult to verify now, but it can be roughly inferred that Zengzi gave "filial piety" a connotation similar to Confucius.

Historically, Zengzi not only paid attention to filial piety, but also was also known for his filial piety. The Six Books of Confucius's Sayings once recorded related events: "Zeng Zi Yungua, mistakenly cut off its roots, once became angry, built a large staff to hit his back, and Zeng Zi served the ground without knowing the people, for a long time." There was a moment when Nai Su rose up happily and entered Zeng Yaoyue: "Xiang Ye also sinned against the adults, and the adults taught the ginseng with all their might, and there was no disease?" 'Retreat to the house, help the piano and sing, so that Zeng Hao can hear it and know his health. Similar narratives are found in Shuoyuan and Hanshi Wai biography5. Of course, it is impossible to determine whether these records are completely reliable, but it can be seen from the account in the "Records of History" that Confucius thought that Zengzi "could pass through filial piety"6, and its content is not unfounded. After being treated violently by his father and fainting, he not only did not complain at all, but also cared about whether his father hurt his body when he used violence against himself, and through "singing with the help of the piano" to show that he was unharmed, so as not to prevent his father from feeling guilty for excessive use of violence. From the perspective of parent-child relationship, Zengzi's above reaction has surpassed ordinary people in filial piety. Although, according to the same account, Confucius was dissatisfied with this, believing that excessive obedience could lead to the loss of his father's hand and thus his father's injustice, Zengzi's behavior itself undoubtedly reflected the inherent intention of filial piety. It is the above character of attaching importance to "filial piety" embodied by Zengzi that makes Zengzi form an indissoluble relationship with "filial piety" in the history of thought: the "Filial Piety Classic" with "filial piety" as the content is classified as Zengzi's work. 7 Of course, this view is not well founded.

Although Zeng Zi's "Filial Piety" may not be credible, his concern for filial piety seems to be difficult to deny. Judging from Zengzi's understanding of filial piety, his focus is first reflected in the inner aspect. The Analects record:

Zeng Zi said, "I have heard of the masters, and those who have not attained self-help will also be killed!" ”8

As mentioned earlier, according to the understanding of Confucius and Zengzi, "filial piety" involves two aspects: "birth" and "death", and "funeral" is mainly related to the dimension related to filial piety and "death", which leads to "prudent ending". The "self-ence" mentioned here is associated with the natural flow of emotions. After the death of a parent, the mourning of children is often difficult to help themselves, which is a natural expression of true feelings and the original embodiment of filial piety. Only when "mourning" is "self-inflicted", the funeral is not only in the external form, but based on the inner emotions, the so-called "prudent ending", it is manifested as the unity of external forms and internal emotions. Although the above views are "smelled of the masters", they also express Zengzi's own understanding of "filial piety". The Book of the Great Dai Li once contains the following view of Zengzi: "If there is no respect for the situation, no mourning for mourning, no fear for sacrifice, and no respect for the imperial court, then I have no reason to know." 9 "Mourning" and "fear" here all involve the dimension of emotion, and "mourning without mourning, sacrifice without fear" means that this emotion is lacking, and it is obviously inconsistent with the requirement of "cautiously pursuing the distance", so ZengZi expressed a negative view on this. Although the words of ZengZi described in the Book of Dai Li may not be entirely from the mouth of Zengzi, it is undoubtedly consistent with what Zengzi said in the Analects.

As the embodiment of "filial piety", the emotions contained in the level of "birth, deeds and courtesy" are embodied in the sincere concern for parents. Speaking of the "book of filial piety", the Book of Dai Li quotes Zengzi as follows: "Zengzi said: 'The loyal one, the basis of filial piety and the one who is loyal? Filial piety does not ascend to the heights, does not perform dangers, and is not paralyzed; does not laugh, does not covet, does not hide, does not point. Therefore, it is not in you. 10 The "loyalty" referred to here is not "loyalty" ("loyalty" in the political field), but a sign of sincerity, dedication, and best effort, and the "loyalty" in "seeking for others and not being loyal" discussed later also has a similar meaning. Taking "loyalty" as the basis of "filial piety" shows that filial piety should be embodied in the sincere concern for the dedication and strength of "relatives" (parents). The "do not ascend to the heights, do not perform the danger" mentioned later, etc., are mainly from the perspective of parents, and avoid parents' worries by staying away from danger. In the following discussion, this point is more clearly elaborated: "Therefore, the matter of filial piety is relatives, and it is easy to live with one's life, and it is not to be happy to be happy; filial piety travels, and the tyrants violate it; when one goes out, it does not take it, or worries about one's parents; it is dangerous to paint the alley, not to seek the first, to love one's body, so as not to dare to forget one's relatives." 11 The "easy to live", "not to be happy and dangerous" and so on, mentioned here, ultimately point to "worrying about parents", which embodies "not daring to forget their relatives". As quoted above, these views expressed in the name of Zengzi also show an ideological orientation similar to that of Zengzi contained in the Analects.

In connection with "loyalty" (dedication) as the basis of filial piety, having love and respect for parents does not mean unconditional obedience, on the contrary, words and deeds that are not in line with parents need to be advised. The Book of The Great Dai Li records the following conversation between Zeng Zi and his students: "Alone and away from Zeng Zi, I asked Zeng Zi: 'Do the parents have a way?'" Zeng Zi said: "Yes." Love and respect. If the parents' deeds are in the middle way, they are from them; if they are not in the middle way, they are advised; they are not used, and they are acted as if they were by themselves. Thus there is no advice, not filial piety, and no filial piety. 12 What is involved here is the way of filial piety, and the essence of it is the interaction between "advice" and "obedience." "Advice" is also exhortation, which refers to the "wrong way" of parents. When you see that your parents' behavior is not in line with the Tao, you can neither turn a blind eye nor blindly obey, but need to be advised and reminded; however, if your parents still insist on their own way of behaving, they should choose to obey. Filial piety is embodied in the unity of "advice" and "obedience", and the so-called "thus not advising, not filial piety; advising without following, nor filial piety", shows this. The above understanding of "filial piety" is roughly the same as that of Confucius. When talking about how to "do things to parents", Confucius once pointed out: "Parents have a few advices. Seeing that the will is not obeyed, and respecting is not violated, and laboring is not complaining. 13 The relationship between "admonition" and "conformity" is also involved here, and "admonition" and "from" constitute an internal tendency.

Filial piety is both an intrinsic virtue and a norm of behavior. As a code of conduct, its significance is not only reflected in family ethics. The Analects contain the following record:

Zeng Zi said: "I have heard of the masters, the filial piety of Meng Zhuangzi, and other possibilities; it is difficult for him not to change the father's subjects and the father's government." ”14

Meng Zhuangzi is the Doctor of Lu Guo, and what is important here is not the evaluation of Meng Zhuangzi and his people, but the further understanding of filial piety that emanates from it. The direct meaning of "not changing the father's subjects and the father's government" is to continue the father's personnel arrangements and political strategies, as a representation of "filial piety", which means that "filial piety" is not only embodied in family ethics, nor is it only manifested in the regulation of parent-child relations, but also points to a wider cultural field and is related to the process of government (political practice). ZengZi believed that this view came from Confucius ("Wen Zhufuzi"), and indeed, Confucius expressed a similar view, and in explaining the meaning of filial piety, Confucius pointed out:

"The Father is there, and he looks at his will; if the Father is not, watch his deeds." Three years without changing the way of the Father can be described as filial piety. ”15

The so-called "father's way" is no longer limited to simple relatives, but shows a broader cultural significance: "Tao" is not only manifested in a narrow sense of the way of governing the family, but also related to the broad sense of cultural ideals, "three years without changing the father's way" means inheriting this ideal of the father's (predecessors), and The Meng Zhuangzi's affirmation of Meng Zhuangzi's "not changing the father's subjects and the father's government" mainly reflects this point from the political field.

In the above vision, "filial piety" communicates between home and country, ethics and politics. In Zengzi's understanding, family ethics and political ethics are not isolated from each other, and there is no gap between the father and the king: "The father can serve the king, the brother can serve the master, the son can make the subject, the brother can make the heir, the friend can also take the government; the palace is also rewarded by the state; and the angry concubine is also punished by the people." [16 It is not difficult to note that here the cultural significance of "filial piety" is embodied in the possibility of the connection between the ethical and political spheres and the transformation of ethical behavior and political practice (for government). By extension, the normative meaning of "filial piety" is universally embodied in all fields of society: "The former residence is not solemn, not filial piety; the matter is disloyal, not filial piety; the officials are disrespectful, not filial piety; friends do not believe, non-filial piety; Zhan Chen Wuyong, non-filial piety." If the five fail, the disaster will affect the body, dare to be disrespectful? 17 The above views quoted in the Book of Dai Li undoubtedly have a theoretical connection with the sayings of Confucius of Zengzi and Zengzi Shangcheng, from not changing from filial piety to "disloyalty to the king, not filial piety", and indeed can be regarded as a logical deduction, and "friends do not believe, not filial piety; zhan Chen wuyong, non-filial piety", etc., is manifested as an extension of the normative meaning of "filial piety", which of course does not honor all others as "relatives" (parents), but generally implements "loyalty" in the process of interacting with people. (Dedication) and other "filial piety" spirit.

By expanding the normative meaning of "filial piety", Zeng Zi further tended to unify the various virtues with "filial piety": "Those who are benevolent, benevolent; those who are righteous, those who proclaim this; those who are loyal, those who are in the middle; those who believe in this; those who believe in this; those who are rites, those who embody this; those who walk, those who do this; those who do this; those who do this; those 18 Benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, and faith can be regarded as both the inner character of man and the general code of ethics, affirming that benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, and faith are all based on filial piety, which means that people's inner character and the general provisions of society are subject to "filial piety." It is in this sense that Zeng Zi emphasized: "The husband and the filial piety, the great scripture of the world." 19 This view highlights the primordial nature of family ethical relations and the norms that regulate them, and at the same time shows the intrinsic characteristics of the Confucian value system founded by Confucius.

<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="189" > between the group and the group</h1>

Taking family ethical relations as its origin does not mean that it is limited to this area. Affirming family ethics and the norms associated with it (filial piety), Zengzi further directs his attention to the wider social humanity. The Analects record:

Zeng Ziyi: "My Three Provinces and My Body: Seeking For Others and Not Being Loyal?" Friends and not convinced? Can't get used to it? ”20

"Province" is introspection or introspection, is the Confucian emphasis on the way of cultivation, from a logical point of view, "three provinces" can refer to both the object of reflection, but also the frequency (frequency) of reflection, the two are not mutually exclusive. Here, the subject of reflection is the individual or the self (I), but the process and content of reflection point to objects outside the self: "seeking for others" is to consider or plan for others, "loyalty" is consistent with the aforementioned loyalty as the "basis of filial piety", indicating that the consideration or planning of others is serious and dedicated; "faith" takes sincerity or honesty as the connotation, and by extension, makes friends and believes, that is, sincerely and pays attention to integrity in the process of interacting with people; the direct reference of "transmission" is the knowledge and learning taught by the teacher. Extending to the cultural ideas accumulated by predecessors, "Xi" refers to both review and practice, and in general, the practice of transmission means the review and practice of the knowledge and ideas of teachers and predecessors. It can be noted that the three aspects mentioned here are all related to the realm of the self or the existence of the individual, and correspondingly, although the subject of reflection is the self, the object of concern is the other person or group: after the "three provinces and my body", it actually contains an understanding of the relationship between the group and the self, and its internal orientation is from the self to others and groups.

Broadly speaking, in the process of interpersonal interaction, "seeking loyalty for others" is embodied in all aspects: "Although a gentleman is not subject to his words, he will be loyal, and he will be loyal; although he will not do what he does, he will be loyal, and he will be benevolent; although he will not be advised, he will be loyal, and he will be wise." 21 "Loyalty" here also refers primarily to dedication. As a code of conduct, "loyalty" is mainly directed to others, and its role is to coordinate the relationship between oneself and others by treating others with dedication, thereby establishing a harmonious social ethics. In the above discussion, the principle of "loyalty" is given a multifaceted meaning, and its core point is that even if the individual's words and deeds have not been understood and accepted by others, they still unswervingly treat others with "loyalty", and "loyalty" in this sense is also regarded as the embodiment of value principles such as "Tao", "benevolence" and "wisdom".

The relationship between the self and others, the individual and the group unfolds in different aspects, both internal and external, intimate, and more extensive. The following record can be seen in the "Han Shi Wai Biography": "Zeng Zi said: 'A gentleman has three words to follow and admire: one is: there is no internal neglect and external relatives, the second is: the body is not good and complains about others, and the third is: suffering to the end and then calling out to heaven. Zi Gong Yue: "What is it?" Zeng Zi said: "Alienation from the inside and relatives from the outside, not the opposite!" To be unkind and to blame others is not far away! Isn't it too late to cry out to the heavens? 22 Whether zengzi and zigong had the above dialogue is of course difficult to determine now, but the ideas expressed by zengzi are indeed consistent with his previous thoughts. There is no internal and external relatives, focusing on the social interaction between the family and outside the family, and its main tendency is to highlight the priority of family ethics. Being unkind and not complaining about others involves the group-self relationship of the dimension of negation: one's own situation is not good enough to blame others. Not waiting for suffering to be called to heaven involves, in a broader sense, the relationship between the individual and the forces outside the individual, and its emphasis is on emphasizing the fate of the individual, which is determined by the individual itself, and cannot be attributed to the forces outside the individual. If it is said that the above-mentioned treatment of others with "loyalty" mainly affirms from the positive side how individuals can promote the perfection of the group through their own efforts, then the concept expressed here is more manifested as the perfection of the individual himself cannot rely on external forces (including social groups). It can be seen that for Zengzi, the individual should bear the obligation for the group, and cannot, in turn, make the group responsible for the individual.

Corresponding to the above value orientation, Zeng Zi paid special attention to the social responsibility of individuals, and his relevant views are recorded in the Analects:

Zeng Zi said: "A soldier cannot fail to carry out his duties, and the task is heavy and the road is long." Isn't it important to be benevolent? After death, isn't it far away? ”23

As a member of society, each individual bears the corresponding social responsibility, the "benevolence" here can be regarded as a broad humanitarian principle, the essence of which lies in the recognition of the intrinsic value of man different from things, to achieve the meaning of human existence corresponding to the difference between man and fowl, the so-called "benevolence as one's own responsibility, not also heavy", is also in this regard. The "weight" here is both important and solemn, and consciously assuming the above responsibilities shows the loftiness of individual existence. The social responsibility of the individual is not only a specific obligation of one time and one place, but is expressed in his lifelong mission, which is emphasized by the so-called "death after death, not far away".

This social character of the individual's existence also determines that its growth and cultivation are difficult to limit to the realm of the self, but to unfold in a certain social community. Zengzi's relevant discourse can be seen in the Analects:

Zeng Ziyi said: "A gentleman will be a friend with a text, and a friend will be a friend." ”24

The "friend" mentioned here is neither an individual himself nor a member of the family, but a certain social space, in fact, in traditional society, the interaction between friends constitutes an important form of social interaction in the public space, and in ZengZi's view, this public space provides conditions for cultural communication (making it possible to "meet friends with literature"), which in turn becomes a social way of moral cultivation: the so-called "friendship with friends" embodies this. In this way, the interaction of the self with others, individuals and groups is not only related to social communication, but also means the cultivation of human virtue in the social community. Broadly speaking, what the individual thinks and does in the social sphere is based on his position in the social space, "Zeng Zi said: 'A gentleman cannot think of his place.'" 25 The "bit" here involves both a certain social structure and the process of interaction between the individual and society, thus essentially using the group-self relationship as its background.

From the perspective of values, the interaction between the self and society is intrinsically directed by the concerns of the group, and the above concerns are concretely demonstrated on the issue of how to treat the "people". The Analects contain the following record:

Meng Shi made Yang Pi a scholar and asked Yu Zengzi. Zeng Zi said: "The people have lost their way, and the people have been scattered for a long time." If you get it, mourn and don't rejoice! ”26

Yang Fu was Zengzi's student, and Shi Shi was an official in charge of judicial criminal law. Law enforcement inevitably involves conviction and imprisonment, during which it is necessary to understand the circumstances of the violation. In Zeng Zi's view, the rulers at that time did not implement the legitimate social and political principles well, the people also failed to obtain good social guidance, the failure of the rulers always led to the people's failure to be out of line, improper behavior is often inevitable, in this context, even if you understand the relevant truth of the law, you should also treat it with sympathy and compassion, and can not be so happy, the so-called "if you get the affection, then mourn and do not rejoice", this point is emphasized. This concept embodies a sincere concern for the people, and it embodies the value orientation in the relationship between the group and the self in one aspect.

ZengZi's above views roughly continue Confucius's Confucian thought. When talking about the relationship between himself and others, Confucius's focus is always on the latter. The Analects contain the following record:

Zilu asked the gentleman. Zi Yue: "Cultivate yourself with respect." "Just like that?" "Cultivate oneself to appease others." "Just like that?" "Cultivate yourself to appease the people." ”27

Self-cultivation is connotated by the cultivation of the self, but although it constitutes the starting point for regulating the relationship between the group and the self, the self-cultivation itself finally points to the perfection of the group, and the so-called "An people" and "An people" show this. In the process of "cultivating oneself" and "settling the people" and "settling the people", the starting point is certainly "self", but the end point is "people", and this thinking trend is similar to that of "my three provinces and my body", and its concern is to others and groups. In terms of group-self relationship, Confucianism pays attention to the improvement of individual personality and the realization of group values, from Confucius to Zengzi, which reflects this tendency to communicate between the self and the group.

The above trend is mainly related to the "of course" in the relationship between the group and the self (how to view and coordinate the relationship between the self and others, the individual and the group), and related to it is the "how" (how to truly reflect the above concerns), and the latter question specifically involves the "way of faithfulness and forgiveness". The following can be found in the Analects:

Zi Yue: "Sam, my way has always been consistent." Zeng Ziyi: "Only." The son came out, and the doorman asked, "What is it?" Zeng Zi said, "The way of the Master is only faithful and forgiving." ”28

The "loyalty and forgiveness" here is not only Confucius's consistent way, but also contains Zengzi's understanding of Confucius's way, in which "loyalty" and the aforementioned "loyalty" have both commonality and broader meaning. Specifically, the so-called "loyalty" is mainly related to what Confucius said about "establishing oneself and standing up for oneself, and attaining one's own desire to attain one's own"29, which not only contains the intention of doing one's own good for others at the substantive level, but also involves pushing oneself and others in terms of form; the related "forgiveness" takes "do not do to others what one does not want"30 as its connotation, which is also related to pushing oneself and others. As a concrete way of practicing the path of benevolence, the self-promotion embodied in loyalty and forgiveness is related to the relationship between the self and others, individuals and groups on the one hand, and rational reasoning on the other hand, so that from self-examination and self-cultivation to the value approach of being a person (for others) and an abomination, a certain rational form has been obtained.

<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="190" > third, a gentleman as an ethical subject</h1>

Filial piety and being a human being involve the subject of action or responsibility, and in Zengzi this subject takes the form of a gentleman. In the Analects and other related literature, zengzi's multifaceted understanding of the gentleman's personality can be seen.

As a concrete personality, a gentleman has a superficial aspect, and the Analects record Zengzi's relevant discussion of this:

Zeng Zi had a disease, Meng Jingzi asked. Zeng Zi said: "When a bird dies, its song will mourn; when a man dies, his words will be good." The gentleman is precious to the Tao Three: moving his appearance, Si Yuan's violent and slow; positive color, Si Close's faith; out of words, Si Yuan despises. The matter of the beans is stored. ”31

Meng Jingzi is a doctor of Lu Guo, and the above is his conversation with Zengzi after his illness. "Moving appearance" is related to external behavior, which is characterized by compliance with etiquette norms, so that it can be kept away from rudeness and contempt; "positive color" is related to the attitude in the process of communication, including earnestly dealing with people, so that it is easy to gain the trust of others; "out of words", it refers to the euphemism of tone of voice when speaking, so that it can be tamed and avoid vulgarity. The above three aspects constitute the external form of the gentleman as understood by Zengzi. In contrast, there is another way of being a person: "Clever words, small deeds, difficult to be benevolent." Drinking alcohol, good acura lane tour, and the country dwellers care? I have no hope! From time to time, in and out, the words are disorderly, the peace is easy and the pleasure is violent, the fear is not afraid, the words are not listened, although there are saints, there is nothing to do. 32 From words to deeds, the above behaviors are opposite to those of gentlemen, appearing rude and hateful, and the so-called "hopelessness" and "nothingness" all show the negation of this.

From the inner aspect, the characteristics of a gentleman are first manifested as humility and studiousness:

Zeng Zi said: "To be able to ask questions is not to be able to ask, to ask more questions is to be widowed; if there is nothing, if it is false, if it is a mistake, it is not a school, and in the past my friends tried to engage in Yu Siyi." ”33

The "WuYou" mentioned here is speculated to be Yan Yuan, but the actual situation is difficult to determine. Of course, what is important here is not what "my friend" is, but the evaluation of the characters in it expresses Zengzi's views on gentlemen. "To be able to ask questions is not to be able to, to ask more questions than to widows" is first manifested as not being ashamed to ask questions, which not only contains the spirit of humility, but also reflects the attitude of studiousness. The latter is more specifically expressed in the following discourse: "If you cannot learn, if you doubt, you ask, and if you want to do it, you are better than a sage, although there is a dangerous way, follow the path." "34" A gentleman learns what he learns, and suffers from his lack of knowledge; he suffers from his knowledge, suffers from his unaccustomedness, and suffers from his ignorance; he knows what he cannot do; he can do what he can do, and he can make it, and the gentleman's learning is only enough for these five. "35 Can not learn, question when doubtful, take the sage as an example, pay attention to both erudition and practice, and at the same time be humble and modest, so that the accumulation of knowledge and the improvement of virtue are unified with each other, and these aspects constitute the inner character of the gentleman.

As mentioned earlier, in the relationship between the self and others, the individual and the group, Zengzi emphasized the social responsibility of the individual and the self, and affirmed that every person with lofty ideals has a long way to go. This character of social responsibility is concentrated above the gentleman:

Zeng Zi said: "You can support the loneliness of six feet, you can send the life of a hundred miles, and you cannot take it away from the great festival." Gentleman man with? Gentleman also. ” 36

Being able to assist the young king, being able to entrust the fate of the country, having a firm festival, all this means trustworthiness, and the gentleman belongs to such a personality. The above character first reflects the sense of concern for others and society, and the "Great Dai Li" records the relevant exposition of Zengzi: "And the husband and gentleman insist on benevolence and determination, first and foremost, thousands of miles away, they are brothers, and if they do not do it, although they are relatives, who can kiss Ruhu?" 37 "Zhi Ren" shows that the above character of the gentleman is based on the principle of benevolence, and the awe-inspiring assumption of social responsibilities by the righteousness does reflect the affirmation of the principle of benevolence to the value of human existence, "first before and after" can be regarded as a portrayal of the gentleman's thick and dedicated deeds, and "thousands of miles away, all are brothers" vividly shows the value relationship of affinity between people.

From the inner aspect, the gentleman is characterized by his emphasis on "zhi". The "zhi" here refers to both ambition and will. In fact, the aforementioned entrustment, destiny, and great knots also include the above two aspects at the same time, and "perseverance and determination" more clearly associates benevolence with "aspiration". In the following discussion, Zeng Zi further elaborated on this: "A gentleman who respects what he hears is highly intelligent; when he does what he hears, he is vast, and he is wise and vast, not in him, but in addition to his aspirations." 38 Wise and vast, it embodies the inner character of a gentleman, and this character is based on "zhi." The above emphasis on "Zhi" embodies the ideological orientation of Confucianism. As we all know, Confucius has proposed "aiming at the Tao" and emphasizing:

The three armies can also seize the marshal, and the piaf cannot seize the will. 39

Here not only highlights the aspiration and righteousness of "Zhi", but also affirms the personality strength embodied in "Zhi", and Zengzi's premise of "Jiazhi" as a gentleman's wisdom and breadth is undoubtedly inherited. It is precisely from the inner will power that a gentleman can adhere to the "way of doing" and "keeping the benevolence" despite the adversity: "Walk the way with a burden, and keep the benevolence when you are hungry, then the righteousness of a gentleman is also." ”40

Of course, as an ethical subject, a gentleman is not only subject to "will", in fact, his standing and acting are always related to "thinking" or "worrying": "A gentleman is worried about victory, thinks and then moves, discusses and then acts, acts must think about words, must think about words, think about what he thinks, thinks about thinking without remorse, and can also be described as prudent." 41 Associated with the embodiment of personality strength, the aforementioned "zhi" is often related to the will of the subject, in Confucianism, the latter is associated with the spiritual level of "qi", later Mencius said that "Haoran qi", it is manifested as the spiritual force related to the will, and the use of "zhi qi", its origin can also be traced back to here. Relatively speaking, the "thought" or "worry" mentioned here is more about rational thinking. The so-called "victorious qi" is mainly manifested as the restriction of rational thinking on the "qi" that is in a similar sequence to the "zhi". In Zeng Zi's view, the gentleman's behavior is based on both "zhi" and guided by "thinking", and "thinking and then moving" embodies the latter aspect.

As far as dealing with the world is concerned, the characteristics of a gentleman are that on the one hand, they keep a distance from "unwholesomeness", and on the other hand, they take pleasure in being good: "A gentleman is not good to be good, and he is not good, he can also do it; he does not do it, it is impossible to do it." Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it, don't do it, don't do it, Too happy to be kind, and secondly to be at peace, and below it can also be self-reliant. The benevolent enjoy the way, the wise man benefits, the fool obeys, and the weak fear. Neither foolish nor weak, but stubbornly strong, can also be said to abandon the people. 42 Here several situations are distinguished: the body does not act (the body is not good), the color does not act (the appearance is not bad), the mind does not act (there is no unwholesome thought at the motive level), and from the perspective of staying away from the unwholesome, there are layers of progression, and the back is more difficult than the front. As a result, Zengzi further associates goodness with happiness, and regards "happiness" as the highest state ("Taishang Happiness"). This view is also intrinsically consistent with Confucius's thought. When talking about how to treat benevolence, Confucius once pointed out:

Those who know are not as good as those who are good, and those who are good are not as good as those who are happy. 43

In the knowledge, the good, and the pleasure, the pleasure is given priority. The so-called "happiness" means that the benevolent path is the object of inner will, voluntarily accepting and practicing. Zengzi's "leshan" embodies a similar value orientation.

Proceeding from the concept of "taishang happiness and kindness", Zeng Zi believes that in the relationship between man and me, the characteristic of a gentleman is that he is happy to see others: "A gentleman does not cease to be happy with people, and does not fulfill the courtesy of others." "Endless joy" is mainly manifested in respecting the wishes of others and becoming an adult with a positive attitude; "unsatisfactory etiquette"44 is to treat others in a tolerant way and avoid blindly restricting people with external etiquette norms. Related to this is: "A gentleman is a good man, and a gentleman is good, and a wicked man is not good, and a man is also a disease." 45 Although a gentleman is good and evil is not good, he does not force people to be good and to be unkind in a coercive way. From this, Zeng Zi further pointed out the following characteristics of a gentleman: "A gentleman is good and enjoys the goodness of others; he can also enjoy the ability of others; although he cannot, he does not help others." 46 It is not difficult to note that what is embodied here is the principle of loyalty and forgiveness that ZengZi understood and agreed upon: "One is good and enjoys the goodness of others, and one can enjoy one's ability", which is consistent with the concept of "loyalty" of "one's own desire to establish oneself, one's own desire to reach one's own"; "although one cannot do so, one does not help others", it can be regarded as the unfolding of the concept of "forgiveness" of "do not do to others what one does not want". Here we can see that the ideas from Confucius to Zengzi are inherited, and it is not difficult to notice that the concept of "pushing oneself and others" and the demand of "thinking and then moving" echo at the rational level. In fact, Zeng Zi did associate the gentleman's above way of being a man with "knowing": "It is not difficult for a gentleman to be respectful, it is not difficult to be at ease, it is inferior but not contemptuous, it is wide but not indulgent, it is beneficial but not thrifty, it is straight but not straight, and it can also be said that it is known." "The treatment of people above 47 is on the one hand the concept of loyalty and forgiveness, and on the other hand, it is in line with the middle way, and the two embody the spirit of reason in different senses.

exegesis:

1. "Analects and Advancement".

2. The Analects of Learning.

3. "Analects of Government".

4. Mencius Teng Wen Gongshang.

5. See Liu Xiang: "Saying Yuan Jianben", Han Bao: "Han Shi Wai Biography", vol. VIII.

6. Sima Qian: The Biography of the Disciples of Shi Ji Zhongni.

7. Sima Qian: "Zeng Shan, a native of Nanwu City, zi zi you." Confucius was forty-six years old. Confucius thought that he could pass through filial piety, so he gave it karma. Be filial piety. See The Chronicle of the Disciples of Jonny.

8. The Analects of Zi Zhang.

9. "The Great Dai Li Ji Zeng Zi Li Zhi Zhi Zhi

10. "The Great Dai Li Ji Zeng Zi Ben Xiao".

11. "The Great Dai Li Ji Zeng Zi Ben Xiao".

12. "The Book of The Great Dai Li: The Great-Day Parents".

13. The Analects of Li Ren.

14. The Analects of Zi Zhang.

15. The Analects of Learning.

16. "The Great Dai Li Ji Zeng Zi Li Zhi Zhi Zhi

17. "The Great Dai Li Ji : Great Filial Piety of Zengzi".

18. "The Great Dai Li Ji : Great Filial Piety of Zengzi".

19. "The Great Dai Li Ji : Great Filial Piety of Zengzi".

20. The Analects of Learning.

21. "The Great Dai Li Ji Zengzi Made Speech".

22. Han Bao: A Biography of Han Shi, Volume II.

23. The Analects of Tabernacle.

24. The Analects of Yan Yuan.

25. The Analects of the Constitution.

26. The Analects of Zi Zhang.

27. The Analects of the Constitution.

28. The Analects of Li Ren.

29. The Analects of Yongye.

30. The Analects of Wei Linggong.

31. The Analects of Tabor.

32. The Great Dai Li Ji Zeng Zi Li Zhi Zhi

33. The Analects of Tabernacle.

34. The Great Dai Li Ji Zengzi Zhiyan (大戴礼記·

35. The Chronicle of the Great Dai Li And The Establishment of Zengzi.

36. The Analects of Tabor.

37. The Great Dai Li Ji Zengzi Zhiyan (大戴礼記·

38. "The Disease of the Great Dai Li Ji Zengzi".

39. See The Analects of Shuer and Analects of Zihan.

40. The Great Dai Li Ji Zengzi Zhi zhi zhi.

41. The Great Dai Li Ji Zeng Zi Li Zhi Zhi

42. The Great Dai Li Ji Zeng Zi Li Shi.

43. The Analects of Yongye.

44. "The Great Dai Li Ji Zeng Zi Li Zhi Zhi Zhi

45. "The Great Dai Li Ji Zeng Zi Li Zhi Zhi Zhi

46. The Great Dai Li Ji Zeng Zi Li Zhi Zhi

47. The Great Dai Li Ji Zeng Zi Li Zhi Zhi

The original article is in: History of Chinese Philosophy, No. 5, 2021. The original article is reproduced from the WeChat public account "Thought and Culture".