Analects of confucius

Confucius - True Superiority and Society

Of all the great philosophers throughout history , very few have been as influential as Confucius . There are a great many reasons for his popularity , but probably the most significant reason that his works and theories still resonate with people many centuries after he left this earth . This is due to the fact that mostly all of Confucius 's work is based on a humanism that is centered into a common everyday reality That is to say , Confucius 's work is not based on metaphysics or pseudo-logic . He

was not a false prophet who was promoting a flawed ideology . He was a common individual who took a common sense approach to life and then devised unique insights into human beings and their follies with the intention of pointing out to people that the proverbial errors of their ways so as to stimulate a change in their thinking and their perspective . This approach is evident in a number of passages in Confucius ' Analects and several of the specific analects that he devised will be examined in detail so as to show how Confucius attempted to make people look beyond the surface and , instead , towards a clear understanding of their very being and how this being related to society in general

As such , three of the analects have been selected and they will be examined and analyzed . From this , one can see how Confucius attempted to provide a clear insight into humanity and society and what lessons are found within these excerpts . Additionally , the modern day relevance of these quotes will be examined in detail as well

Consider the following statement The Master said , `The determined scholar and the man of virtue will not seek to live at the expense of humanity . They will even sacrifice their lives to preserve their humanity

Confucius - True Superiority and Society Page 2

That is to say the ultimate goal of a virtuous man is to seek the aims that benefit all of humanity . The goal of a leader or even a common person should be the establishment of a collective good that aids and helps others in society . The goal of individuals should not be to harm or exploit others , but to seek a greater good that aids and helps all in society . This is the true mark of a virtuous person and it is a difficult virtue to possess much less put into action

In Confucius ' time as well as today , there is a constant competitive need to succeed and while there is nothing wrong with success - in fact this is a goal that all should seek to achieve - there can not be a desire for winning at all costs and at the detriment of society as a whole . This is not the action of a virtuous man or the actions of scholar . This is the attitude of the selfish and this will ultimately not only harm society , but it will also bring down the individual himself as such actions...