Erudition Against Evil
In Hsun Tzu’s essay “Encouraging Learning,” Tzu not only emphasizes the importance of education but also the value of pursuing a path that leads to wisdom, a path that continues until death. Philosopher Tzu believes that human nature resides in evil and is part of a primitive corrupt instinct, a vice, found within the human soul, however Tzu argues that learning drives this naive “evil” away creating peace and understanding among us. Hsun Tzu’s essay reveals the true value of continuous learning not only one that steers us away from our human nature, but also one that guides us on the right path towards moral perfection, one that teaches us to become “gentlemen”. He writes:
“The gentleman knows that what lacks completeness
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However, an educated man is “truly human,” someone connected with his morals, an understanding of their self values something that truly is beautiful, that not only seeks wisdom but also true happiness. Tzu states 3 stages of learning each one leading closer to the last, which is the “sage” defined as someone who has found the right “way” through following right thoughts and lessons that leads us to a virtuous life, but also someone who continuously follows this teaching “to the end of his life.” A gentleman is exactly this, with one minor difference, the path that is traveled. Tzu constantly speaks of a journey towards self discovery, the goal being to reach “moral perfection,” but the only way to do so is by following the “right” path, one that is abundant in learning, one that teaches us how to make use of our values; a ritual. This is what sets the gentleman apart from the rest, he “blinds himself to oneness” uncovering Tzu truth that “two roads at once will arrive nowhere.” This emphasizes Tzu’s belief that to flee from the primitive evil within us, we must follow one path that is rich in knowledge and personal growth but trying to follow two paths is both literally and figuratively impossible, this will eventually lead to oneself following their natural instincts. Impurely
middle of paper ... ... de. Those who face their weaknesses and accept themselves are successful in the manner that they obtain complete control of their lives instead of letting society influence their decisions. Rebelliousness of this force results in complications and dissatisfaction of those who uphold its values. A choice must be made whether to walk in that straight line of society or branch out to the new world.
Becoming Evil is such a valuable resource and has helped further understand the societal, cultural and psychological aspects of genocide and mass killings. However, it also provides further insight on why people do evil. Becoming Evil is separated into three parts which allows the reader to develop their own thoughts while Waller provides his opinions and the opinions of others on certain situations. The person writing this paper believes that Becoming Evil can be integrated into the course material to give students another viewpoint on the forces of evil that have plagued our world for the last
Shows how Confucius teaches individuals of both high and low birth to strive for success in their lifetime.
Carus, Paul. "The Philosophical Problem of Good and Evil." The History of the Devil: With 350
“Knowledge is power. Power to do evil...or power to do good. Power itself is not evil. So knowledge itself is not evil.” - Veronica Roth, Allegiant
...ce eaten, man became “fallen” and subject to the struggles of Earthly life. Similarly, knowledge and all other pursuits are tempting, yet dangerous as they often lead us to unpleasant truths.
The problem of evil is inescapable in this fallen world. From worldwide terror like the Holocaust to individual evils like abuse, evil touches every life. However, evil is not a creation of God, nor was it in His perfect will. As Aleksandr
For those individuals that choose to look into the philosophy of Confucius, Confucianism recognizes that the quest for virtue is ordinary and providential. However, in this quest of moral aptness Confucius tried to offer other people the fervent self love that he had greatly embodied. To actually make oneself as perfect as possible was the central concern of life. Al...
Following the Way in the pursuit of goodness leads people to the status of “gentleman.” However, this status can only be achieved from a lifelong pursuit, which if accomplished by many, will eventually lead to innate goodness within the entire society. Confucius reveals the amount of learning and time required for achieving such status of “gentleman” in book two, chapter four, where he states, “At fifteen, I set my mind upon learning. At thirty, I took my stand. At forty, I had no doubts. At fifty, I knew the will of Heaven. At sixty, my ear was attuned. At seventy, I follow all the desires of my heart without breaking any rule” (Analects, in NAWL, eds. Martin Puchner, et al., 3rd edition, vol. A, 1335). Confucius presents the achievement of the “gentleman” status in a superior, yet moderate manner. He does not motivate by promising personal gain or achievement; he instead teaches to always place what is right and morally correct as top priority. It was believed by Confucius that moderation led
"Thinking and moral considerations: A lecture. " Social Research (1984): 7-37. Miller, Stephen. " A Note on the Banality of Evil." Wilson Quarterly 22 (1998): 54-59.
There are several common themes running through the primary work of compiled sayings attributed to Confucius: emphasis on gentlemanly conduct, pursuit of humbleness among fellow man, and a search for a proper ruler who is in accordance with “the Way.” Running throughout the entire book of “The Analects”, Confucius makes reference to many characteristics that a gentleman should possess. Even beginning in the first chapter of Book One, Confucius is attributed with saying, “Is it not gentlemanly not to take offence when others fail to appreciate your abilities?” Other characteristics Confucius attributed to gentlemanly conduct include studying the rites and “The Odes”, humbleness, lack of desire for places of position, unbending in moral conduct, and many other factors. By laying out a basis upon which a gentleman should act, Confucius establishes a standard to measure the quality of all men. Setting a standard implies that there are men above and below this set, desired point, and the word standard also indicates a measure of quantitative or qualitative value. By creating such a standard, Confucius is immediately able to begin causing social reform and progress. However, this progress, though achieved through concentration on social values, never reaches the capacity to which Confucius desires it to reach. Several sayings within The Analects indicate that Confucius is unable to see an accumulation of all desire...
Another strategy of Tzu’s goes like this :”when he concentrates, prepare against him; where he is strong, avoid him.” (Tzu 67). This means that you shouldn’t attack your enemy where they are the strongest, but wait until he’s pushed into a state of desperate concentration, which leaves him vulnerable in that spot (this would allow an easy victory as you would be fully prepared, and they would be left in a sort of wounded/disoriented state). In a way, this could be what to do and what not to do. You could avoid a large problem but then it could just become even larger and even more of an inconvenience, but it’s not meant in that way in the modified version. The modified version states that you should clean small objects or messes first in order to work your way up to the larger ones. This way, you’ll be more mentally prepared for what's up ahead, or in this case, the so-called enemy. This helps me determine what should be done first all the
Philip J. Ivanhoe. Confucian moral self cultivation. New York : P. Lang, vol. 3, 1993.
The Chinese philosopher, teacher and politician, Confucius, highlighted the importance of personal morality and the ability to think for one’s self during the failure of imperial rule. His teachings became an orthodox philosophy in which followers realize the prominence of higher thinking and how one can achieve personal junzi, or “the gentleman”, through Confucius’ lessons. Throughout much of The Analects of Confucius, the master lists many ways to achieve junzi, such as book XII, chapter 16. The gentleman theme appears multiple times during the book to emphasize what Confucius believes a superior man should strive to achieve in his lifetime so as to reach Heaven. His goal in writing down his lessons was to produce moral men to think, speak
"Since good and evil seem to be inextricably bound, it is not surprising that many of the characters in Such a Long Journey end up doing evil in trying to do good, or conversely, that some of the good deeds have their origins in evil actions or events."