The basic form of the first question I wrote for my Q&A is: Would Confucius still advocate children following their parents' ways if said parents did not conform to Confucian standards of morality?
Clearly, I can't know what Confucius would have answered, but based off what I have read of his philosophy, I can make an educated guess. I think that in a case such as the one outlined above, Confucius would likely have advised a child (let us say a son, as that is the only kind of child he mentions in reference to this rule) to have followed in his parent's (let us say father's) ways as far as possible without directly flouting the rules of morality. For example, if his father was a farmer who selfishly guarded the best source of water in an area, not letting the neighbors (also farmers) have access to it, then when the son inherited the farm he would continue to farm there, thus following his father's ways in regards to career. However, he would be generous with the water source, thus practicing benevolence towards his neighbors.
When analysing this question, I was at first tempted to say that Confucius would have advised the son to renounce his father's ways completely, and devote himself to practicing benevolence. However, upon further thought I realised that such an answer was really my own opinion, influenced by the modern culture in which I live and my own set of morals, leaking through and contaminating my conjectures about Confucius. Confucius lived in a very, very different culture, one which emphasized respect for elders and obedience to authority. It seems more likely that he would have suggested tempering benevolence with obedience, seeking to strike a balance rather than simply choose one path over another.
No comments:
Post a Comment