Clarifying And Revising On The Confucian Ethics Conception Of "Qin-qin-xiang-yin(Relatives Covering For Each Other)"

Since 2000,the philosophy academic circles begins a Confucian Ethic debate about "qin-qin-xiang-yin(relatives covering for each other)".It widely involves the historical investigation and evaluation,modern interpretation and practical significance of the Confucian Ethics thought of"qin-qin-xiang-yin(relatives covering for each other)",and relate to the theoretical and practical issues of the comparison of Chinese and Western,as well as the change of thought of the ancient and modern.The topic of "analyzing and rectifying the Confucian Ethics conception of’qin-qin-xiang-yin(亲亲相隐 relatives covering for each other)’",in addition to summing up this debate,the paper still need to reveal the real connotation,characteristics,value rationality and realistic significance of this ethics conception,and to objectively analyze the theory and reality issues which may be involved in ancient and modern,Chinese and Western.This paper mainly studies from the following aspects.Firstly,summarizing the main topics of this controversy,explaining the necessity of continuing research and the specific content that needs to be promoted.Secondly,from the perspective of classic annotation history,exploring the connotation and value rationality of the thought of Confucius and Mencius "qin-qin-xiang-yin(relatives covering for each other)",and paying attention to the similarities and differences of conception or theory of thought.At the same time,further exploring the ethics thought foundation of the Confucian Ethics conception of "qin-qin-xiang-yin(relatives covering for each other)",revealing their ethic characteristic and moral value rational.Thirdly,with the analysis of Marx’s theory of human nature and the concept of modern public morality and private morality,exploring the moral attribute and moral value rationality of the Confucian Ethics concept ion of "qin-qin-xiang-yin(relatives covering for each other)".Moreover,on the basis of comparison between the virtue conception of Chinese and Western,exploring the richness virtue connotation,moral value rationality and practical significance of conceptions of ci-xiao-you-ti(慈孝友悌 Tzu piety friendly and filial)and zhi(直 fairness straightforwardness).Finally,reference the framework of Western political philosophy,the paper studies the basic characteristics legitimacy and value meaning of Confucian "qin-qin-xiang-yin(relatives covering for each other)" Ethical Politics culture,the characteristics and public philosophical significance of the Confucian "qin-qin-xiang-yin(relatives covering for each other)" private and public theory;and combining the thought of Western law philosophy,the paper studies the characteristics,legitimacy and value meaning of the Confucian "qin-qin-xiang-yin(relatives covering for each other)" law idea and practice.In these respects,the article draws the following conclusions.Firstly,scholars express themselves in the controversy and show their caring for the times,but because of some scholars’ subjective and form "Western interpretation"and holding the overall counter tradition stance,they are difficult to objectively interpret the connotation,characteristics and value rationality of the Confucian Ethics conception of "qin-qin-xiang-yin(relatives covering for each other)".As an objective academic research,the paper tries to subjective arbitrary,excessive pushing or generalized interpretation,and "affirmation of Western and criticism of China",the overall anti-tradition and specious subjective value judgment,and needs to achieve objective and concrete analysis,so as to rationally criticizing and sublating the traditional Confucian "qin-qin-xiang-yin(relatives covering for each other)"ethical culture.Secondly,the classical annotation thread of Confucius and Mencius"qin-qin-xiang-yin(relatives covering for each other)" thought reflects:Confucius and Mencius reflect on the legitimacy of political domination at their time,and positively ponder individual virtue,ren-lun(人伦)affection,family life community,moral enlightenment and people’s legitimate rights and freedoms,which have positive value to maintain standardization and morality of social order and people’s behavior;the Confucian of Han and Tang Dynasties(and Qing Dynasty)combines rigorous classical interpretation and the construction of ethical value system and laws and regulations,exploring the love of parenthood,ren-yi(responsibility and righteousness)morality and good conscience that have universal ethical value,and having the practice character that tries to popularize them into the social ethical political life;through xing-ming(性命)of moral thought,the Confucian of Song Yuan Ming and Qing Dynasty expounds phase through tian-li(天理 universal moral law)and ren-qing(人情 people’s private relation and rights),depositing the gong-xin(会心 the mind to obey universal moral)of the sages,and social public yi(义 righteousness)and private en(恩 kindness),to through the universal moral law and the subjective moral rationality and the ethical norms,so as to provide the universal moral value basis for the social ethic norm and the people’s life practice.The classical annotation of Confucius and Mencius "qin-qin-xiang-yin(relatives covering for eachother)" shows the concrete implementation to the social ethical life of Confucian universal ren-yi(仁义 responsibility and righteousness)morality and Human Nature(人性).Moreover,behind the Confucian Ethics conception of "qin-qin-xiang-yin(relatives covering for each other)",there are the harmony of qing(情 emotion)and li(理 rationality)metaphysical moral philosophical thinking traits,the thought of ren(仁 responsibility love)combining love relationship and the unity love people,and the quan-bian(权变contingency)thought unifying principle and flexibility.They fully demonstrate the Confucian Ethics character of universal ethical value and concrete moral practice.Thirdly,the Confucian ren-yi(responsibility and righteousness)morality and ci-xiao-you-ti(Tzu piety friendly and filial)have the subjective moral consistency in the social group,and have positive value to the construction of social public morality.In addition to the connotation of the concept of Western virtue,the conception of Confucian virtue also contains a prior moral mind and heart,perfect personality and cultivation of mind.Therefore,the Confucian conception of xioo(孝 filial piety)contains the subject moral self-consciousness,moral emotion and the comprehensive individual virtue practice quality,has important practical significance.In addition to the rich connotation of the Western integrity(fair)virtue concept,the zhi(直 fairness straightforwardness)of the Confucian "qin-qin-xiang-yin(relatives covering for each other)" also includes the innocence heart without prejudice,sincere frankness,and positively correcting other people’s evil spirit and the behavior of the vain,has value rationality and positive practical significance.Fourthly,under the framework of modern Western political philosophy,the Confucian Ethical Politics culture includes,the ideal concept of Ethical Politics,the public character of dao-yi(道义 common ethical politics moral law),li-fa(礼法etiquette)wu-lun(五伦)ethical norm,and their practical application.Unlike the Sovereign Power Politics and the Democratic Right Politics,Confucian Ethical Politics is not only to provide people’s political life practice the general ethical norms of the people(Rule of virtue),but also emphasize the importance of the virtuous of administrative personnel in maintaining the public li-fa(etiquette)system(including the law system),and can actively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of different political entities.The private and public value conception of Confucian"qin-qin-xiang-yin(relatives covering for each other)" includes,both preservation the private en(kindness)and the public righteousness,depositing tian-li-zhi-gong(天理之公 the universal moral law)and getting rid of the private human desires,which provide multiple value standards of universal moral law,subjective moral rationality and social ethical norms,to reasonably coordinate the public and private sector relations in modern common philosophy,and to effectively solve private-public conflict.The Confucian legal system conception of "qin-qin-xiang-yin(relatives covering for each other)" has the legitimacy of natural right and empirical law,as well as legislation characteristics of both emphasize country’s laws and ren-qing(people’s private relation and rights),and the legal essence of the unification of rights and obligation,which has a positive reference significance to the legislative practice.All in all,this paper reveals the rich connotation,characteristics,value rationality and practical significance of Confucian Ethics culture,and clarifies some scholars many misunderstandings of Confucian Ethics.However,due to the complexity of Confucian classics and its interpretation of materials,and the complexities of ethical ideology and humanistic phenomena of Chinese and Western,this paper unavoidably has omissions in the process of finishing and analysis,and some content still can further explore and continue to expand.