In this episode, Justin and Richard discuss how historical Confucian philosophers have proposed to recognize people of good moral character (virtue). How, exactly, did they think that we could tell the real virtues apart from the phony ones? And what did the historical Confucians think about the use of written examination essays to “test” for virtue?
Key passages
Analects 2.9
子曰：「吾與回言終日，不違如愚。退而省其私，亦足以發。回也，不愚。」
The Master said, “I can talk all day long with Yan Hui without him once disagreeing with me. In this way, he seems a bit stupid. And yet when we retire and I observe his private behavior, I see that it is in fact worthy to serve as an illustration of what I have taught. Hui is not stupid at all.”
(Analects 2.9, Edward Slingerland’s translation)
Analects 2.10
子曰：「視其所以，觀其所由，察其所安。人焉廋哉？人焉廋哉？」
The Master said, “Look at the means that a person employs, observe the basis from which he acts, and discover where it is that he feels at ease. Where can he hide? Where can he hide?”
(Analects 2.10, Edward Slingerland’s translation)
Sources and phrases mentioned
- Yan Hui 顏回 (Confucius’s star student, late 6th and early 5th-century BCE)
- Analects 5.9 (passage in which Confucius suggests that Yan Hui is more gifted at understanding the Confucian Way than Confucius himself…maybe)
- Analects 11.9-11.10 (Confucius seems overcome with grief at the death of Yan Hui)
- si 私 (privacy, private, “private behavior”)
- Zhu Xi 朱熹 (1130-1200, Song-dynasty Confucian philosopher and influential commentator)
- yu 愚 (stupid, foolish, lacking in wisdom)
- xue 學 (learning)
- ren yan sou zai 人焉廋哉? (“where can a person hide?”)
- guan 觀 (“observe”)
- junzi 君子 (superior person, gentleman)
- shengren 聖人 (sage)
- Analects 6.20 (“Knowing it is not as good as loving it, and loving it is not as good as taking joy in it”)
- Analects 7.34
- Justin Tiwald and Jeremy Reid, “Meritocracy and the Tests of Virtue in Greek and Confucian Political Thought“
- “indefatigable” (said of true virtue, within a certain range of normal or reasonable activity — in contrast, false virtue can be tiring)
- Han Yu 韓愈 (768-824 CE, Tang-dynasty Confucian)
- Analects 14.24 (learning for one’s own sake vs. learning for the sake of impressing others)
- Yi Hwang 李滉, Toegye 退溪 (1501–1570, influential Korean Confucian philosopher who condemned examination culture)
