The Analects of Confucius, Book II
What timeless and universal values exist in Confucianism that can inform teaching and learning in my life and classroom?
Book II of the Analects brought me back to my time living and teaching in South Korea. Confucianism is embedded in the culture there. In Korea, many adults explained to me that while many Koreans may identify as being Buddhist, Christian, or Agnostic, nearly everyone considers themselves to follow Confucianism. As I wrote in an earlier post, this Confucianism should not be considered a religious practice; instead, it can stand for cultural principles, beliefs, and practices that should be honored and practiced in order to maintain harmony in relationships and society.
In Book II, the following themes stood out to me: Governance and Leadership, Lifelong Learning, Filial Piety, and Integrity. Here is a breakdown of where I interpreted these themes:
Governance and Leadership: 1, 3, 10, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21
Lifelong Learning: 4, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 20, 21
Integrity: 9, 10, 13, 16, 17, 18, 22, 24
Filial Piety: 5, 6, 7, 8, 20, 24
Analysis of Filial Piety within the Context of Governance and Leadership:
I began this post by pointing out the connection of Korean culture to Confucianism. Four analects in a row (5-8), are direct questions posed to Confucius about the proper treatment of parents. Each of these analects emphasize a deep respect of your parents from deep inside your heart. The treatment of parents cannot just reside in outward practice and deference to them; it must be part of your intrinsic demeanor. For example, II:7 states:
"Tzu-yu asked about the treatment of parents. The Master said, 'Filial sons' nowadays are people who see to it that their parents get enough to eat. But even dogs and horses are cared for to that extent. If there is no feeling of respect, wherein lies the difference?"
Therefore, adults in a community that are deeply entrenched in Confucianism expect this respect and deference from those who are younger and less experienced than them. The family, to Confucius, is a microcosm for wider society, which is why so much emphasis is placed upon the harmonious practices of a well-functioning family. To illustrate this, I return to I:2:
"Master Yu said, Those who in private life behave well towards their parents and elder brothers, in public life seldom show a disposition to resist the authority of their superiors. And as for such men starting a revolution, no instance of it has ever occurred. It is upon the trunk that a gentleman works. When that is firmly set up, the Way grows. And surely proper behavior towards parents and elder brothers is the trunk of Goodness?"
"The trunk" refers to that which is fundamental, as opposed to the twigs, which would be considered smaller tasks in society. Therefore, from this analect, we can see how the cultivation of good moral citizenship begins at home for Confucius. However, in order to fully understand filial piety within this Confucianist context, it is important to also pay close attention to the Master's statements on governance and leadership. If it is so crucial for the younger generation to be pious in respect of their elders, then the elders and leaders of this society must be worthy of this respect. For those in positions of leadership and governance (and I feel strongly that these values and directions can be extended to parents and teachers), they must know how to lead from their foundation of integrity and morality rather than fear and chastisement, as II:3 explains:
"The Master said, Govern the people by regulations, keep order among them by chastisement, and they will flee from you, and lose all self-respect. Govern them by moral force, keep order among them by ritual and they will keep their self respect and come to you of their own accord."
Likewise, in II:20:
"Chi K'ang-tzu asked whether there were any forms of encouragement by which he could induce the common people to be respectful and loyal. The Master said, Approach them with dignity, and they will respect you. Show piety towards your parents and kindness toward your children, and they will be loyal to you. Promote those who are worthy, train those who are incompetent; that is the best form of encouragement."
Confucius has an extremely high standard for adults and leaders to not abuse the respect that is afforded to them from the virtues of filial piety. He disdains those who do not have the values and moral foundation upon which Confucianism is dependent upon. In II:22, it is written:
"The Master said, I do not see what use a man can be put to, whose word cannot be trusted. How can a wagon be made to go if it has no yoke-bar or a carriage, if it has no collar bar?"
As a teacher, there are innumerable potential connections to how I cultivate relationships with my students and run my classroom. A quote from Parker Palmer's The Courage to Teach is fundamentally, "We teach who we are." Regardless of what subject and content we teach in the classroom, our values and moral character shine through in how we balance our responsibilities and treat the children who we teach.
