Confucius Philosophy of Man

CONFUCIUS PHILOSOPHY OF MAN

FROM PESSIMISM TO OPTIMISM Despite the many points of agreement in t heir teachings, Confuciu’s philosophy of life strands strikingly in sharp contrast with that of his co -oriental sage, Gautama Buddha. To Confucius, life is not a delusion, a curse and misery as assumed earlier by Buddha, but a living reality, a blessing, a natural priceless right and opportunity to be with your fe llows to work together for your common good and finally attain your destiny: happiness. T Confucius, man’s perfection and happiness is realized is realized and achieved in social life. While Buddha harped on conflicts between, between, say man’s body and his soul, between m an’s individual self  (atman) and his universal Brahman Self, between man’s present state of existence and his future life, Confucius was more concerned with the reconciliation of conflicts and advocated harmony among men in society. The social order envisioned by Confucius is patterned after the natural order of things in the universe and the moral order reflecte d and exemplified in the life of the moral man. Accor ding to Confucius: The life of the moral man is an exemplification of the universal moral order. The life of the vicious man is a contradiction thereof. MAN THE CENTER OF HARMONY In point of size, man is only an infinite atom compared with the seemingly seemingly infinite cosmos of  galaxies and supergalaxies, but to Confucius, man transcends in significance the whole world because of  his moral being. Before the universe, man is just a jot, but he can think and love while the world cannot. Being a part of nature, the moral man lives in accordance with the natural law that governs and guides the movements of all things. (Note that in Orie ntal Ethics, there is no distinction between the moral and the physical law, both being merely two aspects of one and the same broader natural way. In constantly doing what is good as commanded by his nature, man becomes one with the natural law, is attuned to the rhythm of the universe and thus enjoys peace and happiness. Says Confucius: To find the central clue to our moral being that unites us with the universal order – order – herein lies man’s greatest achievement.