The recently discovered Confucian classic 'The Five Aspects of Conduct' (China)

This dissertation covers the recently excavated Mawangdui and Guodian editions of “The Five Aspects of Conduct” Wuxing. These Aspects of Conduct are: Humanity ren, Righteousness yi, The Rites li, Wisdom zhi, and Sagacity shen. Much of the recent scholarship on this text has sought to identify its affiliation with one of several early Confucian schools. Unfortunately, this debate has overshadowed the central question of what exactly the text has to say. This dissertation is a first step in correcting this oversight. Chapter One provides an overview of recent scholarship. Chapter Two is devoted to an overview of patterns in the text. Chapter Three provides a detailed analysis of these patterns as they pertain to central issues in the text: Noble Man Junzi, cautious when alone shen qi du, Sagacity and Wisdom, sensory acuity, and being adept vs. being virtuous (shan vs. de). Chapter Four develops two experimental means of understanding the unification of key terms in the text. Chapter Five uses the patterns from “The Five Aspects of Conduct” to determine intellectual affinities with other Confucian texts.