Confucius
The Five Basic Confucian Relations Today 1) Parent - child 2) Older - younger sibling (relation) 3) Partner - Partner 4) Official - citizen 5) Person - Person
Confucius

Li draws our attention more to the
social or conventional aspects of benevolent human conduct Ren draws our attention more to the moral and spiritual aspects of that conduct Together, they comprise a social moral - spiritual human phenomena that can only be reduced for the


Tian: “Heaven” Ren: Humanity Kun: Earth
The way of heaven (tiandao), the way of humanity (rendao), and the way of earth (kundao), are different -more or less rarified -- aspects of the same “universe”, more accurately conceived as a way of change.
normative conduct, civility) Ren: the goodness of the human spirit expressed by li (ren is also benevolence, nobility, authority, ideal humanity) De: the power of the human spirit to create goodness in the world (a moral/spiritual force) Rendao: The way of humanity is noble or great to the degree that it is aligned with


Confucius



What it means to be a person: a relational or social reality that begins with “what is near” (see 6:28 of the Analects, the Confucian “Golden Rule”) To be an “individual” is to be a locus or starting point for developing humanity Not to be an autonomous, independent, self-legislating (exclusively
ongfuzi) of the
Analects (Lunyu)
Just as the way of heaven, humanity, and earth are different aspects of the same “way” or “ultimate reality”, li and ren are different aspects of the same ideal human reality: that of harmonious interaction.
The Dao of Confucianism, Daoism, and Chinese Buddhism
Professor of Philosophy Humboldt State University Arcata, California 95521 U.S.A.
12.25.07
The Traditional Tri-part Chinese Dao: The Way of Heaven, Humanity, & Earth
The Rendao of Confucius: A Spiritual Account of Humanity

Li: the rituals, customs, or conventions that serve as vehicles for ren or human goodness (li is also rites, propriety,
Confucius
The Five Basic Confucian Relations 1) Father - son 2) Older - younger brother 3) Husband - wife 4) Ruler - subject 5) Benefactor - beneficiary (teacher student)
Confucius




To be a person is to stand in meaningful relation with others; to increase humanity through one’s aims, actions, and interactions with others A function of development or cultivation; a social achievement that points to our interdependency as persons To be a good person is to align one’s will with the greater way of heaven, and to act as a vessel of that greatness; we can make the way great! To be a person is to be responsible to others, and to the great way of heaven