“The Five Aspects of Conduct” Introduction and Translation

Abstract

In 1973 a cache of silk manuscripts was discovered in Mawangdui tomb number three in Hunan province. This was the first extensive collection of silk manuscripts unearthed from such an early period: 168 BCE, during the Han dynasty (202 BCE – 202 CE). Guodian village in the province of Hubei was the site of another exciting discovery in October of 1993. Here archaeologists uncovered a tomb they labelled M1 from 300 BCE in the pre-Qin state of Chu that contained texts written on 804 bamboo strips. These two tombs are separated by one of the most significant period-defining events in ancient history, Qin Shihuang's unification of China. Excavated manuscripts now bridge this historic divide. Some are early editions of major works known from the received tradition. Others were previously unknown having been lost for over two millennia. Of the received texts, the Daodejing has been translated into English based on each of the editions found in Mawangdui and Guodian. The only other text that appears in both of these tombs is “The Five Aspects of Conduct”, which will be made widely available to an English speaking audience for the first time at the end of this article.

Friendship in the Confucian Tradition

“…An important feature of harmony in Confucian thought concerns how participants in an event or interaction are aff ected when harmony is achieved. This is described in emotional or aff ective terms, as the generation of delight-like states ( le 樂 ) ( Analects 6.11, 6.20, 7.19, 16.5;Holloway 2005 ;Nylan 2018 ;Lambert 2020 ). These can best be understood by analogy to the experience of participating in the making of music.…”

Pragmatist Aesthetics and Confucianism

“…Let me offer a short passage from the recently excavated (1993) Guodian text of "The Five Aspects of Conduct" that exemplifies this intimate linkage: Humane (ren) thoughts are clear; being clear you will have keen insight; having keen insight you will be at ease; being at ease you will be gentle; being gentle you will be happy; being happy your demeanor will be pleasant; having a pleasant demeanor you will be intimate; being intimate you will be loving; being loving your countenance will be a jade-like countenance; having a jade-like countenance you will be formed (形 xíng), being formed you will be humane. 11 The work of sculpting the self not only gives direction and fulfillment to the particular philosopher but also serves as an inspiring exemplar to others in their own quest to realize beauty in their lives and their environing social world. Legend tells us that Socrates was the son of a sculptor and that he wondered why artists spent so much care and effort shaping wood and marble but let their own selves remain as misshapen objects, haphazard products of chance, blind habit, and neglect.…”