Thought Piece: Is knowledge of nature possible?

Thought Piece: Is knowledge of nature possible?

“Master Yu said, In the usages of ritual it is harmony that is prized; the Way of the Former Kings from this got its beauty. Both small matters and great depend upon it. If things go amiss, he who knows the harmony will be able to attune them. But if harmony itself is not modulated by ritual, things will still go amiss” (Confucius 86).

In his twelfth analect, Confucius seems to say that the most essential and valued element of ritual behavior is the promotion of harmony between man and nature. As is the case with many of Confucius’ analects, it is difficult to identify the exact scope of situations to which this particular pearl of wisdom is meant to be applied. However, Confucius does seem to provide us with some guidance, as he notes that, “Both small matters and great depend upon it” (86). This statement seems to indicate that the scope of this analect’s applications is relatively broad. Indeed, perhaps Confucius is loosely classifying all human behaviors as ritualistic. While this would seem to be a rather daring presumption, it may not be far from accurate in light of the highly patterned character of most humans’ daily lives.

In any case, Confucius follows this apparently presumptuous notion with the idea that “if things go amiss, he who knows the harmony will be able to attune them” (86). It seems logical to assume that such a knowledge of the harmony between man and nature would require a knowledge of nature itself. Nevertheless, Confucius’ assertion that “if harmony itself is not modulated by ritual, things will still go amiss,” suggests that our ability to possess knowledge of harmony and nature may be limited, necessitating a ritual process in order to ensure that its application remains within reasonable bounds. Just as there must be a harmonious balance between man and nature, man’s attempts to possess and apply knowledge of nature must be tempered by an awareness of his limited ability to acquire such knowledge. Essentially, Confucius seems to propose that promoting harmony with nature in a ritualistic, regimented fashion will help produce such a necessary moderating effect and prevent the disturbance of the delicate balance in question.

While he seems to place a limit on what man can know about the natural world, Confucius stresses the importance of maintaining a balance with nature, and seems to imply that it is indeed possible to possess some sort of knowledge of it. On the other hand, in his novel War and Peace, Tolstoy generally regards nature as a source of mystery. Many of Tolstoy’s characters, including Andrew, Nicholas and Pierre, experience a certain kind of enlightenment as a result of their interaction with or observation of nature, but do not necessarily acquire what one might consider to be concrete knowledge, as they are incapable of fully grasping and implementing exactly what it is that they have realized or experienced. In light of Tolstoy’s views, one must question whether it is truly possible to possess the sort of concrete, communicable knowledge of nature that Confucius seems to value.

(450 words including internal quotations)