Statement:
According to Confucius, “We are not born perfect, but we can become perfect.” How does the concept of ren (humaneness) and the practice of ritual propriety (li) lead to the development of the ‘superior’ or ‘exemplary’ person? Explain each term (ren, li) and the correlation between them. Analyze how the person of ren can live an ethically fulfilled life and represent the humaneness of an exemplary person.(Write briefly in your own words) 500-700 words.
Solution:
No one is born flawless in this world, but we all strive to be perfect by following certain laws or instructions. An ideal person, on the other hand, is continually striving to be a better version of himself. He strives to improve as a person, and one day he will have attained complete perfection in his character or temperament. He can be described as a flawless person if he cultivates virtue or morals in his character. A flawless person does not come as a gift from God; rather, he earns it by adhering to the laws. "We are not born perfect, but we can become flawless," Confucius said. There are some steps to it, according to Confucius' virtues. Ren (humanity) and ritual propriety are the steps listed (li).
Ren is a Confucian virtue that denotes a virtuous human's positive characteristic of being benevolent. Ren is similar to a human caregiver. It relates to humanity or concern for others, or we might say that it is beneficial to think about others. Li is anything that follows the behavior of a cultural event, such as how to act at what time and place, or we can call it rituality. These two things are interdependent. Li is the outer presentation of Confucian ideas, whereas ren represents both the inward and outward manifestations of those ideals. Ren comes within us to comprehend how to conduct or act in various situations since it alludes to something that can be taught or known.
The phrase gentlemen or superior person is frequently used to describe a superior or excellent individual. We can lead to the growth of the superior person by adopting the concept of ren (humaneness) and exercising ritual property (li). Manliness, ideal virtue, entire virtue, perfect goodness, the essence and ideal root of all kinds of manifestations of all virtues, nobleness, character, self-purification, purity, emancipation, and so on are all attributes that person ren (humaneness) possesses. A ren person can become a great person by following all of this. It is a virtue that denotes a virtuous human's nice qualities. The teachings of Li, on the other hand, promoted concepts such as filial piety, brotherliness, righteousness, good faith, and loyalty. Li demonstrates loyalty to his superiors as well as respect for the community's elders. Superior, according to Confucius, is the perfect guy. It is, nonetheless, an exemplary personality. Confucius was a firm believer that if rulers were better people, the ruled would follow them as well. If someone wants to be superior, they must first establish their priorities. If a person's whole concentration is on wealth and money, he will never be a superior individual. According to Confucius, anyone who can develop all five virtues that he discussed can be a superior person and a gentleman. A superior person is always concerned about his sanctions, whereas a petty person is concerned with personal favors. If a person agrees to become a superior, he or she must establish priorities. If a person's whole focus is on accumulating wealth, he will never achieve superiority. As a result, it is argued that without a strong moral compass, one can quickly fall into the category of the petty. In this way, li leads the growth of the superior person by adhering to the concept of ren (humaneness) and the practice of ritual property.
Men of humanity (Ren): It is an important virtue for all of us, and all humans should practice it. As a result, Ren resembles someone who not only cultivates virtue in himself but also attempts to assist others. Ren is a virtue that represents the ideal human state. In life, cultivating moral qualities isn't enough. We should endeavor to assist people so that they can fulfill their moral identities and reach the stage in life where they can assist others. In our culture, it is very important to make others as virtuous as ourselves, therefore assisting others in cultivating morality and virtue pays off in terms of wellbeing. Ren, on the other hand, is about compassion and kindness rather than action. Ren refers to a human ideal to further clarify his point.
Ritual property (Li): Li is a universal and encyclopedic quality of the human
activity. Although we interact with others to gain some values and build our
community into a melodic and lovely environment, li is essentially social
media. Generally speaking, li refers to an element that brightens features of
Confucius's ethics, and it is regarded as good conduct and cultural practice.
Li can be divided into a variety of categories, including religion, governance,
and occasionally social ethics.
Ren and li are related in that Ren refers to a set of qualities, while li
refers to the accomplishment of how those virtues should be used in our lives.
Ren and Li were reliant on one another. We can already establish a connection
between Ren and Li in this manner. It is mentioned in a saying that virtues
without Li are ineffective. Li, on the other hand, is associated with Ren at
various levels of education. Ren has two reckonings: one is Ren of virtue to attain
it, and the other five moral cultivation of virtues are Ren, Li, Yi, Zhi, and
Xin. As a result, Ren and Li were intertwined and linked in Confucius'
teaching.
It exemplifies complete worth, moral purity, and human greatness while
maintaining the Ten of Virtue. As a result, a person becomes a 'Junzi,' which
signifies he or she is morally faultless. The Rental of Attraction is another
sort of Ren. Ren's explanations fell within the categories of Love,
Benevolence, and Human heartedness. Ren's Affection characterizes Humans'
feelings of benevolence and sensitivity to others. It essentially has two
morals. Chung is one of them. Chang can be defined as someone who goes above
and beyond to help others. Shu is another one. Shu is mostly concerned with
putting yourself in other people's shoes. Shu's core concept is that in order
to gain sagacity, one must first understand what others are going through. With
the guidance of sagacity, one can be wise and act appropriately without causing
harm to others in the community. As a result, a sense of kindness emerges from
the goodness of human nature, and it is commonly referred to as the Ren of
Affection. Furthermore, we can observe that in terms of individual elements
such as human excellence, flawless virtues, and moral perfection, the virtus
that has been earned are the most valuable. We may also see how affection aids
in the maintenance of relationships with others for mutual benefit.
Confucianism's core doctrine supports the function of the self as "
community," placing oneself on various stages of the Spectrum. As a
result, we may conclude that Ten supports both individual and interpersonal
components of human beings.
An excellent example of a "Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, is an "exemplary" individual. Mahatma Gandhi was a well-known Indian politician and lawyer. He began a nonviolent anti-colonial nationalism struggle. Gandhi possesses a wide range of moral attributes, including self-confidence, perseverance, love, and truthfulness. So, in terms of the Analects and cardinal virtues, Gandhi was also a trustworthy person towards himself. The benefit ""Zhang or Chung" signifies "reliable, trustworthy, or loyal." "Men generally become what they perceive themselves to be," Gandhi once said. I'm incapable of achieving something if I believe I can't do it. But when I feel I can, I develop the ability to achieve it, even if I didn't have it before." Zhong/ Chung's additional points of view were trustworthiness and self-respect. It goes without saying that Gandhi believed in the strength of character, which included self-predominance. Gandhi was always willing to serve people. Reciprocity and altruism are the foundations of Shu, as we all know. Gandhi was a firm believer in love and would never stoop to violence. As Ren of Affection, the angle of love is Attendant. "Whenever you are presented with an opponent, conquer him with love," Mahatma Gandhi said. As part of the virtue Xin, a Chun Tzu must be trustworthy. Gandhi began his career as a lawyer before becoming a politician. Gandhi was always loyal, even when it went against his vocation. In addition, Gandhi's autobiography was titled, "Experiments with Truth are something I've been doing for a while now. "Truth stands, even if there is no public backing," Gandhi remarked in that light of truth. It can stand on its own. These are some of the most important attributes Gandhi possessed throughout his life and which are interwoven into Confucianism's teachings. As a result, Gandhi can be described as an "exemplary" leader "individual.