Philosophers — Week 3
In continuation from last week, this week I am covering Confucius and Aristotle.
Confucius, also known as Kong Fuzi or Kong Qiu, was a Chinese philosopher and educator whose ideas have deeply influenced Chinese culture, politics, and society for over two millennia.
Confucius was born around 551 BCE in the state of Lu, in present-day Shandong Province. He came from a relatively modest family, which had once been noble but had fallen on hard times by the time of his birth.
Confucius married at a young age and had a son named Kong Li and possibly two daughters. Despite his family’s reduced status, Confucius was proud of his noble heritage. Even in his early years, Confucius displayed a passion for learning. He studied music, history, and poetry and was known for his dedication to the classics.
Confucius began his career as a tutor, and over time, he garnered a significant number of students. His teachings emphasized personal morality, the correctness of social relationships, justice, and sincerity.
Confucius sought to promote his ideas of good governance and virtuous leadership by taking up various official roles in the state of Lu. He often found himself at odds with the existing power structures and corrupt officials.
Disillusioned with the politics of Lu, Confucius left the state and traveled extensively through various Chinese states for around 13 years, hoping to find a ruler who would appreciate and implement his ideas. Despite facing various hardships during these travels, his teachings attracted a substantial following. Eventually, Confucius returned to Lu, where he spent his last years teaching, editing, and commenting on the classic texts.
Philosophy and Teachings:
Confucius’s ideas, later codified by his followers, are primarily recorded in the “Analects.” Some of the core tenets of his philosophy include:
Ren (仁): Often translated as “benevolence” or “humaneness”, it is the central virtue in Confucianism. It represents compassion, kindness, and empathy toward others.
Yi (义): Righteousness or moral disposition to do good.
Li (礼): Refers to ritual, propriety, or the right way of doing things in both social and religious contexts.
Zhi (智): Wisdom.
Xin (信): Honesty and faithfulness.
Confucius believed that a ruler should lead by example and that virtuous leadership would naturally lead to a harmonious and well-ordered society.
Confucius passed away in 479 BCE, but his ideas lived on and were further developed by his followers, notably Mencius and Xunzi. Over time, Confucianism became the dominant philosophical and ethical system in China, deeply influencing its education, politics, and society. Confucian values became an integral part of the Chinese identity. Confucianism faced challenges, especially during the 20th century and the Cultural Revolution, but its influence remains. Today, Confucius Institutes around the world promote Chinese language and culture, showcasing the lasting impact of this great philosopher. There are more than 560 such institutes around the world. [[ I often visit the local institute at the University of Dallas]]
Confucius’s teachings have not only shaped China but have also had a profound impact on East Asian countries like Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. His emphasis on family, respect for elders, and the importance of education remain deeply embedded in these cultures.
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Aristotle, a towering figure in ancient Greek philosophy, was known for his extensive contributions across a myriad of disciplines, from biology to ethics, politics to metaphysics. His works have had a profound and lasting impact on Western philosophical thought and the development of various academic disciplines.
Aristotle was born in 384 BCE in Stagira, a small town on the northern coast of Greece. This earned him the nickname “Stagirite.” Aristotle’s father, Nicomachus, was a physician to the king of Macedon, which might have influenced Aristotle’s interest in natural philosophy and observation. At the age of seventeen, Aristotle moved to Athens to join Plato’s Academy, where he remained for about twenty years. Under Plato, he was both a student and later a teacher. Though he respected his mentor, he also voiced disagreements with some of Plato’s philosophical positions. After Plato’s death, Aristotle left Athens, and in 343 BCE, he was summoned to tutor Alexander the Great. This association would later provide him with vast resources for his studies and ensure his works’ preservation and dissemination.
In 335 BCE, after Alexander ascended to the throne, Aristotle returned to Athens and established his own school, the Lyceum. Here, he conducted most of his later research and wrote many of his treatises. His teaching method involved walking about the Lyceum’s covered walkways with his students, earning them the name “Peripatetics” or “people who wander about.” Aristotle wrote on a vast range of subjects, and his works can be broadly categorized:
Logic: He formulated a system known as syllogistic logic, which became the dominant form of Western logic until the modern era.
Metaphysics: Aristotle’s “Metaphysics” delves into the nature of reality, examining cause and effect, form and matter, and potentiality and actuality.
Ethics: In “Nicomachean Ethics”, named after his son Nicomachus, Aristotle explores the concept of eudaimonia (often translated as “happiness” or “flourishing”) and the virtues required for a good life.
Politics: Aristotle believed that man is a “political animal” and explored various forms of governance and their merits in his work “Politics.”
Biology: Aristotle was a keen observer of the natural world, and his biological writings include observations and classifications of animals and discussions on reproduction and inheritance.
Rhetoric and Poetics: He penned works on the art of persuasion and the nature of tragedy and epic poetry.
Aristotle died in 322 BCE in Euboea, Greece. Although there were periods when Aristotle's works were lost or overshadowed, his philosophy was rediscovered and became a foundational component of medieval scholasticism. His works, translated into Arabic, played a significant role in the Islamic Golden Age, and later, Christian scholastics like Thomas Aquinas sought to reconcile Aristotelian philosophy with Christian theology.
Today, Aristotle’s influence remains pervasive across various disciplines, from literature to natural sciences. He is often referred to as the “First Teacher” in the Arab world and holds a place of esteem in Western philosophical traditions. His methods of observation and classification paved the way for the empirical approach that is foundational to modern science.
