World History In 15:38 of the Analects, \"Master said, \'In education there shou
ID: 153429 • Letter: W
Question
World History
In 15:38 of the Analects, "Master said, 'In education there should be no class distinctions,' " meaning education should be available to anyone who is willing to learn, regardless of who they are. One's eagerness to learn should not be limited, nor should one be denied access of education by the cause of their wealth, and among other social classifications. In Confucius's time, only the rich could afford to go to school, and many of the poor were not able to receive an education. Confucius himself was raised in poverty; without the help of his wealthy friend, he would not have the opportunity to study at the Royal Archives. It seems to me that he recognized how greatly education had influenced his life, and he wanted that for others. We now have free education up until high school, but I believe this is still relevant today because there are many high school graduates who are not able to attend college because of financial problems. I personally have several friends who had taken time off school because they could not afford it anymore. Certainly, there are loans and scholarships available; however, students should not have to go into debt because school. In 2:17, "The Master said, 'You, shall I teach you what knowledge is? When you know something, to know that you know it. When you do not know, toknow that you do not know it. This is knowledge.” I understand this as knowing what you know, and not pretending to know what you don't know. You also have to realize what you do not know in order to learn more. I think Confucius propounded this idea because he recognized that knowledge is understanding the whole picture, and you have to be aware to have growth. This can still be applied today as the rise of the internet and social media has made everyone an "expert" on topics they may not know a whole lot about. People feel the need to have an opinion on everything and express them on social media. However, with so much false and biased information online, they may not actually know what they are speaking on. This quote from 2:17 has especially caught my eyes. It says, "Ziyou asked about filial devotion. The Master said, 'Nowadays filial devotion means being able to provide nourishment. But dogs and horses too can provide nourishment. Unless one is reverent, where is the difference?' " Confucius's teachings emphasize on family values. In this particular teaching, he was saying filial devotion should not be only providing for their parents, but taking care of them and respecting them because they have raised you. He often spoke about humaneness, and being humane consists of more than nourishment for the parents, as dogs and horses can do the same. This teaching caught my eyes because I see more and more families send their elders to nursing homes and send them money, but they rarely call or visit. Filial devotion should not be "out of sight, out of mind"
Norden, Bryan W. Van. "Who was Confucius?" Oct 27, 2015.
Online video. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=wFt_VGG0kJU. The Analects, 2nd ed., vol. 1, New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.
Read and comment on this posts whether or not you think they have accurately interpreted a passage and its relevance.
Explanation / Answer
Norden, Bryan W. Van. "Who was Confucius?" Oct 27, 2015
We all know that the professionalization of philosophy in the West has been a relatively recent phenomenon, with both good and bad consequences. On the good side, anyone can now be philosophers, even though they are not independently wealthy, because they can get paid by a college or university for doing it. However, as others have pointed out, the professionalization of the field has led philosophers to increasingly write just for other philosophers, and has sometimes made us tone-deaf to real world problems and needs.
This is a long-winded way of saying that philosophers should strive to be more accessible and relevant to larger community. This video was aimed primarily at secondary students and some college freshmen or community college students, so it was written for that level. However, one can also do philosophy in a way that is highly rigorous while maintaining accessibility and relevance. According to students, both Western and Chinese philosophy can effectively help students to be engaged with and address real-world issues.
The Analects, 2nd ed., vol. 1, New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.
The importance of education and study is a fundamental theme of the Analects. For Confucius, a good student respects and learns from the words and deeds of his teacher, and a good teacher is someone older who is familiar with the ways of the past and the practices of antiquity (Analects 7.22). Confucius emphasized the need to find balance between formal study and intuitive self-reflection (Analects 2.15). When teaching he is never cited in the Analects as lecturing at length about any subject, but instead challenges his students to discover the truth through asking direct questions, citing passages from the classics, and using analogies (Analects 7.8). He sometimes required his students to demonstrate their understanding of subjects by making intuitive conceptual leaps before accepting their understanding and discussing those subjects at greater levels of depth. (Analects 3.8)
His primary goal in educating his students was to produce ethically well-cultivated men who would carry themselves with gravity, speak correctly, and demonstrate consummate integrity in all things (Analects 12.11). He was willing to teach anyone regardless of social class, as long as they were sincere, eager, and tireless to learn (Analects 7.7). He is traditionally credited with teaching three thousand students, though only seventy are said to have mastered what he taught. He taught practical skills, but regarded moral self-cultivation as his most important subject.
They have accurately interpreted the passage and it is very much relevant in this modern time. Moral teaching is highly required in students.
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