Ren (Confucianism)

Ren is a Chinese term referring to the primary and foundational virtue of the moral philosophy of Confucianism. While ren is often translated literally as "benevolence," its more accurate meaning reflects a concept of shared humanity exemplified by displaying kindness to the wider human community. In Confucian thought, ren can describe both the source of all human virtues and one of five specific fundamental virtues. Ren is said to spring from kindness toward one's family, as goodwill shown at home is believed to transform into compassion in the community and the world.

Background

The Chinese philosopher Confucius was believed to have been born about 551 Before the Common Era (BCE) in the city of Qufu and died about 479 BCE. Accounts of his life were not recorded in the era in which he lived and were only written down hundreds of years later during the third century BCE. The name Confucius is a seventeenth-century romanization of his Chinese name, Kong Qui or Kongzi, meaning "Master Kong." He was said to be a great teacher who brought the wisdom of the ancients to his students and preached about living a virtuous life. Most of what is known about the teachings of Confucius comes from texts called the Analects. These collections of wisdom, proverbs, and anecdotes were likely compiled by followers of Confucius years after his death and presented as the words of their master. Their true authorship may be unknown, but scholars believe the Analects are reflective of the philosophical ideology of the historical Confucius.

During the time of the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 Common Era [CE]), Confucius's philosophy was installed as the dominant political ideology of the empire. Confucian values such as morality, compassion, and family devotion were promoted by the imperial state in an effort to maintain order. The government published books on Confucian principles and held lectures in villages across the country to spread the ideology. The teachings of Confucius as an ethical and moral philosophy endured in China for centuries and eventually spread to other Asian nations. It was not until nineteenth-century European Christians encountered the teachings and saw them in religious terms that they were labeled as Confucianism.

Overview

The central pillar of the philosophy of Confucius is the concept of a shared human virtue known as ren. The word ren existed long before the time of Confucius and was most often understood as "kindness." Confucius adopted the term to illustrate a new philosophical ideal, giving it several intertwined meanings. To Confucius, a main aspect of ren was that it was the foundation from which all human virtue grew. It is the defining quality that instills compassion, trustworthiness, tolerance, and true humanity into a person. The Chinese character for ren is made up of two elements—the symbol for "human" and the symbol for "two." While the character has commonly been interpreted as "benevolence," "humaneness," or "goodness," scholars believe its true meaning to be one of "co-humanity." Co-humanity, in this sense, is the belief each person is part of a wider human community that should be treated with shared kindness.

Confucius believed this aspect of ren began in the home with obedience and respect for one's ancestors, elders, and parents—an ideal known as filial piety. By providing harmony within a family, the qualities of ren would be able to spill out into the larger world, bringing peace to the village, city, and nation. Confucius referred to a person exemplifying the character of ren as a junzi, a word that originally meant "the lord's son" or an aristocratic "gentleman." Confucius transformed the term to mean any person who possessed noble qualities.

With so many possible interpretations of ren, its meaning is often open to debate among scholars and philosophers. In general, ren can be viewed as exhibiting six basic characteristics:

• an impartial and universal love for all people without limitations
• a permanent extension of Dao—the underlying principles of heaven—in human form
• the creative seeds that give birth to life
• the ability to respond to events in the environment; being susceptible rather than numb to the larger world
• the ability to be flexible when needed but able to stand firm in action
• the desire to protect all persons and all things and a complete rejection of elements that may cause harm, such as war or oppression

The other main aspect of ren is its stature as the highest of all human qualities and the primary of the Five Constant Virtues. In this sense, ren is interpreted as benevolence or compassion; it is the desire to help others without expecting repayment. To practice ren is to treat others in the same manner as one expects to be treated and to do so without complaint.

Of the other Five Constant Virtues, yi is righteousness or justice. In contrast to ren, yi demands a person consider their own point of view before acting in a rational and measured manner to do what is right. Li is the virtue of propriety, the acceptance of ancient customs demanding loyalty, filial piety, and adherence to duty. The concept of zhi refers to knowledge or wisdom, especially the ability to tell good from evil.

While ren is considered the highest value in Confucian thought, zhi is often the first value acquired, as without it, a person cannot discover the moral path to the other values. The fifth value is xin, referring to integrity or fidelity. The public aspect of xin means keeping promises and having one's actions match their words. The internal or private element of xin means ensuring a person's thoughts and words act in unison. Without the virtue of xin, the other four virtues lose their credibility.

Bibliography

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