Dear Confucius

Dear Confucius

II.10 The Master said, Look closely into his aims, observe the means by which he pursues them, discover what brings him content- and can the man's real worth remain hidden from you, can it remain hidden from you?

Confucius seems to give some really good advice. You shouldn't trust someone who lies (II.22), be polite in a new country and get to know their ways (I.10), politicians can get the support of the common people by not being crooks (II.19), et cetera. Confucius is concerned with an overall "Good" and being a "gentleman," and these things have some specific and special meaning, to be sure. But by and large, being a good gentleman seems to involve being good in and for society (and Waley on "Jen" talks about the social aspect of the word).

This is neither an ethics interested in the fate of the soul or in "Society" as a Utilitarian might conceive of it. Instead he seems to be interested in a person's role in society, in conjunction with their inner demeanor. He is giving advice, good advice, for the here and now. What is the nature of his "system," if so it may be called, and what are its goals? If its goals are governmental or practical, what does that mean for what he says on non-recognition and/or inner feeling? If its goals are to instruct gentlemen, does that teaching have a further, societal end?