Authoritative Master Kong (Confucius) in An Authoritarian Age

Abstract

Employing the distinction between the authoritarian (based on coercion) and the authoritative (based on excellence), this study of the understanding of authority in the Analects argues against interpretations of Confucianism which cast Confucius himself as advocating authoritarianism. Passages with key notions such as shang 上 and xia 下; fu 服 and cong 從; quan 權 and wei 威, are analyzed to illuminate ideas of hierarchy, obedience, and the nature of authority itself in the text. The evidence pieced together reveals the Master to be authoritative rather than authoritarian; and the social order to which he aspired is one based on excellence rather than on coercion. The article then considers why teachings which present a model of authority as authoritative ended up as often identified with authoritarianism and concludes with some thoughts about how Confucianism might be rescued from authoritarian practice.

Hierarchies and Dignity: A Confucian Communitarian Approach

“…Although many find the Confucian view largely consistent with other communitarian views or Western virtue ethics (Angle & Slote, 2013; Slingerland, 2011; Slote, 2013; Van Norden, 2007), we find it distinctive from them in its “frank acceptance of hierarchy and authority as a necessary and even good aspect of a civilized and harmonious society” (Schwartz, 1985: 68; see also Allan, 2015; Bell, 2008: Ch. 3; Tan, 2010).…”

“…13 Although quanwei is barely used in early Confucian texts, authority is a repeated theme in the transmitted texts (Elstein, 2009; Schwartz, 1985). Indeed, the two characters ( quan and wei ) often appear in the texts, although separately (Tan 2010). For instance, Confucius considers wei as a desirable quality of higher-ranking individuals, writing “If the gentleman ( junzi ) is not grave, then he does not inspire awe ( wei )” ( Analects 1.8) 14 and “Exemplary persons ( junzi ) … are awe-inspring ( wei ) and yet not fierce ( meng 猛)[or bestial]” (20.2).…”

“…The Confucian tradition advises that high-ranking individuals continually remind themselves of the fragility of their authority and devote themselves wholeheartedly to serving others. Acceptable authority cannot be obtained through capability, might, rank, or institutional office alone (Chan, 2014; Elstein, 2009; Ivanhoe, 2007; Tan, 2010; Tiwald, 2008).…”

Hair Cortisol Is Associated With Social Support and Symptoms in Schizophrenia

“…Social support can provide a buffer against psychosocial stressors and protect against the negative effects of SLE in schizophrenia (7,9). Furthermore, the beneficial effects of social support on health can be influenced by culture and race (10,11). The relationship between psychosocial stressors and social support in schizophrenia has seldom been investigated in the Han Chinese population.…”

“Confucianism”, an Alternative Source of Belief in Contemporary Chinese Society: An Empirical Study of the Founding of Xin 信 in a “Confucian” Company

“…Therefore, "Under imperfect circumstances, it is always tempting for governments, even when they professed Confucian ideals, to employ coercion 'for the good' of others". See (Tan 2010). 15 Dutournier and Ji underline the strong moral dimension on which this project is based: "In fact, despite the brandishing of legal statistics, it is not the sense of the lawful and the unlawful that is cultivated in Tangchi, but of the moral and the immoral, which is to say of a norm that is supposed to prevail at all levels of social life, and is established below the level of the law itself."…”