Confucian philosophers often suggest that having good and bad examples plays a critical role in moral education and motivation. How do good examples figure into our ethical education, and how do bad examples help us discover vices or shortcomings in our selves? In this episode, we discuss this wide-ranging issue in connection with the Analects of Confucius, beginning with Confucius’s famous remark that he can find a teacher in just about any social setting (even when out walking with at least two other people chosen at random).
Key passages
Passage 1: When walking with two others…
子曰：「三人行，必有我師焉。擇其善者而從之，其不善者而改之。」
The Master said, “When walking with two other people, I will always find a teacher among them. I focus on those who are good and seek to emulate them, and focus on those who are bad in order to be reminded of what needs to be changed in myself.”
(Analects 7.22, Edward Slingerland’s translation)
Passage 2: In any village of ten households…
子曰：「十室之邑，必有忠信如丘者焉，不如丘之好學也。」
The Master said, “In any village of ten households there are surely those who are as dutiful or trustworthy as I am, but there is no one who matches my love for learning.”
(Analects 5.28, Edward Slingerland’s translation)
Passage 3: Social reinforcement of ethical learning
The Master said, “If a gentleman is not serious, he will not inspire awe, and what he learns will be grasped only superficially. Let your actions be governed by dutifulness and trustworthiness, and do not accept as a friend one who is not your equal. If you have committed a transgression, do not be afraid to change your ways.”
(Analects 1.8, Edward Slingerland’s translation. See also Peimin Ni’s translation of 1.8)
Sources and phrases mentioned
- David Hume, Aristotle, Aquinas, Mengzi 孟子 (Mencius) – philosophers who have really “made a mark,” mentioned by Richard in the opening discussion
- David Lewis (a 20th-century philosopher)
- modal logic (a narrow area of philosophical specialization mentioned by Justin in the opening discussion)
- Xueji 學記, “Record of Learning” or “On Teaching and Learning,” a chapter of the Rites on more formal education and learning, which was historically influential in East Asia
- (Moral) exemplarism – a doctrine or theory about the importance or priority of moral examples for moral theory and moral education
- Linda Zagzebski, Exemplarist Moral Theory – describes and defends moral exemplarism
- Amy Olberding, Moral Exemplars in the Analects: The Good Person is That – defends and richly illustrates a moral exemplarist reading of the Analects of Confucius
- Confucius, Jesus, Socrates – mentioned as moral exemplars by Zagzebski (and discussed by Richard in connection with the 1st passage)
- Richard Kim, “Review of Exemplarist Moral Theory, by Linda Zagzebski”
- The Office (TV Show, discussed at the beginning of episode 34)
- Jonathan Haidt, The Happiness Hypothesis
- “ubiquity,” “ubiquitous” – the state or quality of being present most everywhere, of being easily findable in many places and contexts
- Analects 19.22 – Confucius didn’t learn his Way from any one teacher or master, but pieced it together from multiple good (and bad?) examples
- zhong and xin (忠信, dutiful and trustworthy)
- Xing Bing 邢昺 (932-1010) (a traditional commentator from the Song dynasty)
- passage in the Rites (Liji 禮記) that recommends showing respect as travelers enter small villages, which some commentators link to Analects 5.28
- Analects 1.6
- Dai Zhen 戴震 (1724-1777)
- “the love of learning” (haoxue 好學)
- Plato’s allegory of the cave
- Analects 2.4 – Confucius’s spiritual autobiography (discussed in episode 5)
- shi 實, substance, reality
- gu 固, solid, sometimes the opposite of “superficial”
- Analects 9.25 – also seems to recommend that you make friends with people who are at least as good as yourself
- Aristotle on three types of friendship
- daka 打卡, punching the card, checking in (Richard punches the “Aristotle card” at least once a day)
