AS 201 Confucius as Seen by Herbert Fingarette in his book, The Secular as Sacred

I. Emphasizes the importance of “magical power” as the very essence, the core of human virtue, or De 德. This allows Kongzi to find “Holiness” in the basics of the human eperience.  This goes against a long tradition of reading of the Analects as “empiricist, this worldly teaching," or a parallel to Platonist-rationalist doctrines.  Emphasis is always placed on the rejection of superstition, the world of spirits and deities—“You are not yet able to serve people—how can you be able to serve ghosts and spirits?  You do not yet understand life—how could you possibly understand death?” (11.12)

This is supposedly why the Analects focuses primarily on human nature and reflected in our conduct, our comportment, and our relationships. The focus is on the here and now, not the eternal, not the afterlife. We study and learn in order to KNOW what the right or correct thing to do is. Fingarette even uses the example of how we greet each other every day: maybe we extend a hand, maybe we embrace, and we inquire after the well being of the other person. It's a simple act, a gesture and we can do it in an off-hand, casual manner with no thought or meaning behind it...Or it can be something genuine and real.

All the things talked about in the Analects—Li, Ren, Reciprocity, Loyalty, Correctness, Appropriateness, Learning, Music – are all things we do in this world and we do them in the context of familial and social relationships. 

But clearly, Spiritual Nobility calls for persistence and effort.

See 8.7: “A scholar official (士) must be strong and resolute, for his burden is heavy and his way (dao, 道) is long.  He takes up Ren (仁) has his own personal burden—is it not heavy?  His way ends only with death—is it not long?” (24) 

And also 6.22: “One who is Ren sees as his first priority the hardship of self-cultivation, and only after thinks about results or rewards.  Yes, this is what we might call Ren.” (18) In a word, the Scholar-official takes up the difficult first; she cannot shrink from this.

The typical "take" (and knock!) on Confucianism is that it is great for drilling into people how to behave, how to conduct oneself during Rituals and by extension in Society as a whole, but it does not address larger, more metaphysical questions about Life--what it means, where we come from, why we are here, what happens to us after we die. People always quote the Master's dismissive comments about "Learn how to behave in the here and now; don't worry about the after life. It'll ake care of itself."

But Fingarette isn't satisfied with this interpretation. He reminds us that we can find many references in the Analects to a belief in magical powers of a profound importance.  i.e., the abilities of persons to accomplish their will directly and effortlessly through ritual, gesture and incantation. 

In the proper ritual setting and with the proper ritual gesture and word, s/he wills the end to come about and the deed is accomplished.  So some fundamental magical power, something like a form of charisma, is central to the Confucian Way. This is De 徳 - Excellence, Vitue, Power, Charisma - and it can be argued that in Confucius' day, this term did imply some sort highly charismatic, special spiritual or magical powers. Not tricks, not miracles; but the ability to radiate and emanate a powerful, charismatic energy that draws others to the person and makes them want to emulate and follow that person's "Way" or Teachings. Kind of like a Wise Person, a Sage.

This interpretation is what sets Fingarette apart from many other scholars.

See 12.1: “Restraining yourself and returning to the Rites (Li) constitutes Ren….the key to achieving Ren lies within yourself—how could it come from others?”  You must turn inward and engage in practices of self-cultivation. There is no easy way, so shortcuts.

So Fingarette would have master Kong working with Li as a metaphor based on the imagery of sacred ceremony, the Holy Rite. The ability to act according to Li and also the willingness to submit to Li are essential to achieving Ren.  So he called on people to look at the entire body of tradition and convention, absorb its truths, and act thereon. 

The Junzi labors at the alchemy of fusing social forms and Ritual with raw personal existence (Native Substance?) in such a way that they Transmute into a Way of Being that realizes 徳 = "Excellence" (at becoming one's own person) – formerly "Virtue, Power, Charisma," etc. or that distinctly human “virtue” or “power.” 

In other words, People become truly human when their raw impulses are shaped by Li.  So Li or Ritual is not a formalistic dehumanization, but it is a humanizing form of the dynamic relationship between one human and another. 

There seems to be a dynamic, intereactive relationship between Ren and Li. It all starts with Li; Li is the basis, the ground, the starting point for embarking on the Path of Self-cultivation. But Ren 仁 is the goal. 

In a well-learned ceremony, each person does what s/he is supposed to do according to a pattern. Gestures are coordinated harmoniously with others.  15.5: "Is Shun not an example of someone who ruled by wu-wei or non-coercive action?  What did he do?  He made himself reverent and took the proper ritual position facing south.  That is all.” (45)

Remember back in 3.12 – Sacrifice as if the spirits were present.  “If I am not fully present at the sacrifice, it is as if I did not sacrifice at all. (8-9) This is not "empty" or vapid Ritual Practice, this is an intense, highly disciplined, "centering" practice. All the time.

An interesting point to remember is that Li depends on prior learning; it is not inborn. So it is part of a network of spiritual practices; from the practice of Li comes self-discipline and deep insights into the world of human experience.

For now, Omit Reading II.

(The Locus of the Personal) Mainly about Ren.

 

III. Ch. 4.     Traditionalist or Visionary?

This is an important question: How should we see Confucius? He tells us that he only "Transmits," and does not "Innovate"...but is it that simple, that cut and dried?

Fingarette argues that Confucius’ teachings were an imaginative and creative response to social conflict and turmoil.  This turmoil was the result of moral-philosophical degeneration over time of the original, perfect Li of the Ancients.

So he is not just a genteel, stubbornly nostalgic apologist for the status quo ante.  He transformed the whole concept of human society. Yes, he called upon people to restore an ancient harmony, but at the same time, he encouraged them to look for new ways of interpreting and refashioning local traditions in order to bring into being a universal or order to replace contemporary disorder. (60)  He did this by dedicating himself and his students to the emerging widely shared literary forms, musical forms, legal and political forms that appeared during the Warring States Period. 

He actually codified and organized some basic texts into the curriculum for his Academy. These were his MOIs, his Gen Ed program, if you will. Look t the areas covered: Literature, History, Politics, "Understanding Society,"(primitive) Natural Science, Music, the Arts, including "Reasoning, Arguments and Values." It's really not too far off from that we strive to do today.

And, remember, he did not deny anyone access to his school, his teachings. So now, becoming a Leader, become a factor in Society and in the times, is a Pathway open to anybody. As long as they were willing to do the work, to do the heavy lifting required to be a Shi (scholar) or a Junzi (authoritative person - used to mean "prince" or aistocrat but now anyone could become one). This is the Innovation, but don't forget, the burden is heavy.

He was aiming for an evolution toward a new and universalistic civilization. His state, Lu was not going to achieve military conquest over the larger, stronger states with which it was competing. But it could achieve a cultural conquest and provide the new basis for order and unity.  His new ideal was a unified and pacific set of humane practices and ideas.  That is why he emphasizes tradition and the Holy Rite of traditional Ceremony.  These ancient rituals were solemn, deeply archaic, and evoked a response in one’s soul.

The content of his proposal was to found the new community as a tradition.  The narrative would be of an ancient past expressed in the old Rites, the Li. But this narrative served a new ideal grounded in a radically new insight into humans and their essential nature and powers.

It is a vision of humanity as sacred and marvelous, residing in community, community as rooted in the inherited forms of life. 

 

Ch. 5.  The Confucian Metaphor – the Holy Vessel

It is not enough to just be a beautiful vessel, a utensil, a tool; you need to become a fully realized, morally and spiritually complete human being.  Fortunately, the family, the society, politics provides the framework in which we can fashion the Way and follow it with a unique dignity and power deriving from and embedded in Li.  We can transform ourselves by participation with others in communal ceremonies, rituals.

“De—excellence, virtue, power---is never solitary. It always has neighbors." (13)  Society is constituted by humans treating each other correctly, in the manner of conducting correct Li, and out of the love, loyalty, respect, and reciprocity.  This conduct is not natural or inevitable, it has to be learned through diligent effort, constant study, and self-discipline.  The mere individual is a tool, a utensil, malleable and breakable—but it can be transformed by Ritual into something Holy and Sacred. Self-cultivation is essential to proper preparation of the vessel, but the Ceremony is the key. 

The Junzi is one who, having given up self, ego, obstinacy and personal pride.  As the Master says in 9.4 (not included in our version) “There were 4 things the master abstained from: he did not speculate (意), he did not demand certainty (必), he was not inflexible (固), and he was not self absorbed (我). 

He follows not Profit but the Way.  S/he comes to fruition has a fully-realized person.  S/he is a Holy Vessel.

 

 

Instructions