Study On Thoughts About The Virtue Of Yi Of The Pre-Qin Dynasty Confucian

From the Perspective of virtue ethics, the pre-Qin Dynasty Confucianism includes great and deep thoughts about the virtue of Yi. The virtue of Yi is a practical virtue, which can be devided into three aspects:value, moral emotions and practical wisdom.On the aspect of value, the dialectical relation of Ren and Yi is the base, which includes the realm-distinction of Ren and Yi, the compromisition of Ren and Yi, and the mutual assistance of Ren and Yi. What constitute the value are class-role(分义), righteousness(公义) and justice(正义). The thoughts of class-role were born in the Spring-Autumn and Warring Kingdoms ages, which bodied Confucian pursuit of order. In addition to the High-Low(尊卑) thought, the idea of class-role is of universal significance, including the status of individuals, role, social division of labor, class and other content. The pre-Qin Confucian concept of righteousness includes the following aspects:Firstly, the ruling class is called for restraining desires to serve and achieve righteousness. Secondly, from the perspective of overall social interest, excessive pursuit of self-interest is regarded as preventing the public interest. Thirdly, state-dominated welfare including the well-being of the common people should be maintained. Fourthly, the public enemy of state and ethnic groups is opposed, the home stability and international peace is strived for. Righteousness worships the virtues of the sense of responsibility, loyalty, brave, service and sacrifice etc. The theory of justice includes interpersonal justice, international justice, distributive justice, legitimacy and justification of power, political order, public welfare and other important topics.Emotions of the virtue of Yi is the marking of that truthes and rules of Yi being conversed inside, and is the main structure of moral personality. Emotions of the virtue of Yi can be divided into four aspects:Xiu(羞) and shame, Wu(恶) and hate, Jing(敬, respect) and dignity, Zhong-Shu(忠恕) and the sense of justice. Xiu means a feeling commences from examining one’s own faults to cause a strong wish to improve oneself. Xiu can be divided into several types, such as shame, disgrace, humiliate, ashamed, sorry and regret etc. the contents of Xiu in the level of gentleman virtues differ from that in the level of the custom morals. Wu means a feeling commences from criticizing others fault to cause a impulse of revengement or recovering to justice. Wu can be divided into several types, such as disgust, indignation, resentment and old grudge etc. Guilt is a feeling lies between Xiu and Wu. Respect is a feeling comes from those religion respects to gods, and develops to role-respect, affair-respect and human-respect. Respect contributes to the maintenance of class-role and responsibility, and the growth of humbleness. Mencius theory of connate feudal title(天爵) supports that common personal dignity grows from respecting each other. The sense of justice has the mind of mercy and the selfish mind as its dual motives, and has Zhong-Shu as its way to constitute itself. The growth of the sense of justice is divided into three stages.On the aspect of practical wisdom, the virtue of Yi mainly includes three kinds of thought:Li(理) and Yi(宜) of the pre-Qin Confucian, Jing-Quan(经权) of the pre-Qin Confucian, Zhi-Lu-Wei(知-虑-伪) of Xun Zi. Without human’s intelligence, the virtue of Yi can’t produce and grow up. The idea of Yi experienced a process of development from heavenliness, legitimacy to rationality."Proper"(宜) means that a gentleman use practical reason to place the Liyi(礼义) principle in particular society and ages, so as to increase or decrease old Li(礼) and produce new Li(礼) according to its application. Jing(经) have some characters such as abstraction, principle, stability and common. Quan(权) have some characters such as particular, vivid, variety, abnormal. The doctrine of the mean(中庸) is a complete theory about moral practice, which covers two sides of Jing(经) and Quan(权). As methods, the doctrine of the mean includs Use-medium(用中) and Quan. Use-medium follows the principle of appropriation. It includes two key points:"don’t exceed or be shortage" and "catch both ends and use medium". Quan can be divided into three methods:Quanyi(权宜), Quanheng(权衡) and Quanbian(权变). Morals conflict can be divided into three kinds, which make use of three Quan methods above respectively. Through its dealting with morals conflict, we can see that pre-Qin Confucian Jing-Quan wisdom has not been inferior to any western wisdom, but has already been very near to the limit of mankind’s intelligence. The virtue of Yi of Xun Zi can be followed by three steps: Zhi(知), Lu(虑) and Wei(伪). Among them Lu is completely equal with practical wisdom. Zhi is the foundation and the preparation of Lu. Wei is the implementation of Lu and it means to become virtuous. Lu can manage the feeling and limit the desire. Lu is a wisdom of prudence that pursues careful and attentive, farsighted, deeply and considerate, clear and improvising decisions or actions.