Defining Junzi and Ren: Confucius as the Father of Professionalism
定義“君子”和 “仁”: 孔子系專業精神之父
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Author: Gang Xu 徐罡
Date of Original Release: 2018-04-10 Site of Original Release: http://er4a2.net/bsc2019041002.html |
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ABSTRACT. Confucius (552–479 B.C.) is a symbol of Chinese civilization. Despite his influence in the past two and a half thousand years, many of his ideas remain poorly defined, rendering them vulnerable to exploitation and abuse by Chinese rulers domestically and to misreading and critiques by international communities globally. Among those ambiguities are the notions Junzi 君子and Ren仁, generically referring to a man of perfect virtue and his benevolent quality, respectively. In this article, the author examines the early experience of Confucius, analyzes his affiliation with Ru 儒, a social category with their origin from religious practitioners shamans, and sorts through various attributes that are associated with Junzi and Ren. He concludes that Confucius first and foremost was a private educator and an entrepreneur. Confucius lived in a time when there were market demands for quality education and training on state administration, arising from rivalries among numerous political powers at the time that in turn opened up the opportunity for upward mobility for common people. He started a private school that was accessible to all the people, regardless of their family backgrounds, as long as they could afford his tuition. In his teaching, Confucius developed and refined a set of values that correspond to the modern-day professionalism in the western society; he transformed the notion Ren, originally denoting a practice of sacrifice and martyrdom, to a professional quality, rejecting insignificant sacrifice in civil services and politics. His ideal personality, i.e. Junzi, was a professional in government administration, matching the very criteria specified by the definitions of
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profession and professionalism. Ren, the founding pillar of his ethics, gained the meaning that represents the ability or action to feel, vicariously, the feeling and needs of another and respond accordingly; it is the concept “empathy” in today’s terms, a cornerstone of professional conducts. Regrettably, China took a different course from what Confucius would presumably expect after the State of Qin conquered other states and set up China into a centralized empire in 221 B.C. Professions and Professionalism had since lost its social environment to evolve further. Although professionalism as a social norm remain ill appreciated and barely practiced in China even today, Confucianism does potentiate Chinese with the quality and aspiration for a professional life, as evidenced by Chinese immigrants and their descendants in America where many of them unleash their potentials and flourish in professional fields. For his pioneering role in developing the critical concepts of professionalism, as well as for his lifelong pursuit of professionalism, Confucius deserves a position as the father of professionalism. The author projects that professionalism, the true heritage of Confucius, would eventually serve to walk China out of its dynasty cycle and offer a common ground for the nation to merge with the rest of world.
KEYWORDS. Confucius, Confucianism, Confucian, Junzi君子, Ren仁, De 德, Dao 道, Shi 士, Ru儒, professionalism, professional, profession, empathy, self-interest |
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Defining Junzi and Ren: Confucius as the Father of Professionalism
定義“君子”和 “仁”: 孔子系專業精神之父 作者：徐罡 摘要：孔子(前552年–前479 年)是中華文明的象徵 。儘管過去二千五百年里他產生了巨大的影響，他的許多想法至今仍然只被粗略定義。這使得它們在中國極易受到統治者利用和濫用、在世界範圍極易招致國際社會誤讀和批評。“君子”和“仁”就屬於這類含糊定義的概念；它們分別泛指道德完人極其善良的品格。在本文中，作者研究了孔子的早年經歷，分析了他和源自神職人員巫師的社會群體“儒”的關係，並對與“君子”及“仁”有關的特徵做了梳理，得出一個結論：孔子首先是個私人教育家和企業家。孔子生活在這樣的一個時代：由於當時各種政治勢力的競爭，形成了對政府管理方面的優質教育和培訓的市場需求，同時也促成了普通平民向上流動的機會。他創辦了一所私立學校，無論學生家庭背景如何，只要他們繳得起他的學費，他一律接收。 在他的教學中，他開發完善了一套價值標準，相當於現代西方社會的“專業精神（或專業主義）”。他將原義為犧牲和殉道的“仁”， 轉換成一個專業品質的概念，拒絕了從政及文職人員的無謂犧牲。他理想中的完人暨君子，是行政管理的專業人士，與“專業”及“專業精神”的定義所設定的標準吻合。作為其價值體系支柱的“仁”，獲得了新的含義，變成了替入式體會別人的感受及需求並作出相應回應的能力或行為，按當代術語，即英文的“empathy”，而empathy是專業行為的基石。遺憾的是，自秦國征服其它諸侯並於公元前221年創立中央集權的中華帝國之後，中國走上了一條不同於孔子應該期望的道路，專業與專業精神失去了向前進化的社會環境。時至今日，雖然專業精神作為一種社會規範在中國仍然幾無重視且很少實踐，但儒學確實給中國人賦予了追求專業生活的渴望和潛能，這點明顯反映在美國的中國移民和他們的後代身上：他們中的很多人在美國釋放了他們的潛力並活躍在專業領域。鑒於孔子一生追求專業精神，並且開創性地提出了專業精神的關鍵概念，孔子應該享有“專業精神之父”的地位。本文作者預測，專業精神作為孔子的真正遺產，將最終幫助中國走出其朝代循環，並為其和世界其它國家融合提供一個共同基礎。 關鍵詞：孔子, 儒學, 儒, 君子, 仁, 德, 道, 士, 專業精神, 專業, 專業人士, empathy, 自身利益 |
Defining Junzi and Ren: Confucius as the Father of Professionalism
定义“君子”和 “仁”: 孔子系专业精神之父 作者：徐罡 摘要：孔子(前552年–前479 年)是中华文明的象征 。尽管过去二千五百年里他产生了巨大的影响，他的许多想法至今仍然只被粗略定义。这使得它们在中国极易受到统治者利用和滥用、在世界范围极易招致国际社会误读和批评。“君子”和“仁”就属于这类含糊定义的概念；它们分别泛指道德完人极其善良的品格。在本文中，作者研究了孔子的早年经历，分析了他和源自神职人员巫师的社会群体“儒”的关系，并对与“君子”及“仁”有关的特征做了梳理，得出一个结论：孔子首先是个私人教育家和企业家。孔子生活在这样的一个时代：由于当时各种政治势力的竞争，形成了对政府管理方面的优质教育和培训的市场需求，同时也促成了普通平民向上流动的机会。他创办了一所私立学校，无论学生家庭背景如何，只要他们缴得起他的学费，他一律接收。 在他的教学中，他开发完善了一套价值标准，相当于现代西方社会的“专业精神（或专业主义）”。他将原义为牺牲和殉道的“仁”， 转换成一个专业品质的概念，拒绝了从政及文职人员的无谓牺牲。他理想中的完人暨君子，是行政管理的专业人士，与“专业”及“专业精神”的定义所设定的标准吻合。作为其价值体系支柱的“仁”，获得了新的含义，变成了替入式体会别人的感受及需求并作出相应回应的能力或行为，按当代术语，即英文的“empathy”，而empathy是专业行为的基石。遗憾的是，自秦国征服其它诸侯并于公元前221年创立中央集权的中华帝国之后，中国走上了一条不同于孔子应该期望的道路，专业与专业精神失去了向前进化的社会环境。时至今日，虽然专业精神作为一种社会规范在中国仍然几无重视且很少实践，但儒学确实给中国人赋予了追求专业生活的渴望和潜能，这点明显反映在美国的中国移民和他们的后代身上：他们中的很多人在美国释放了他们的潜力并活跃在专业领域。鉴于孔子一生追求专业精神，并且开创性地提出了专业精神的关键概念，孔子应该享有“专业精神之父”的地位。本文作者预测，专业精神作为孔子的真正遗产，将最终帮助中国走出其朝代循环，并为其和世界其它国家融合提供一个共同基础。 关键词：孔子, 儒学, 儒，君子, 仁, 德, 道, 士, 专业精神, 专业, 专业人士, empathy, 自身利益 |
