Discuss the five cardinal principles of Confucius
Answers
“To be able under all circumstances to practice five things constitutes perfect virtue; these five things are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness.”
Confucius taught five virtues a gentleman should practice every day to live a healthy, harmonious life:
Ren, is the virtue of benevolence, charity, and humanity;
Yi, of honesty and uprightness;
Yì may be broken down into zhong, doing one’s best, conscientiousness, loyalty; and
shù, reciprocity, altruism, consideration for others, and Confucius’ early version of the Golden Rule, “what you don’t want yourself, don’t do to others.”
Zhi , knowledge;
Xin,the virtue of faithfulness and integrity; and,
Li, , correct behavior, or propriety, good manners, politeness, ceremony, worship.
Explanation:
The five cardinal principles of Confucious are principles by Confucius on how one should live to be called an ‘ideal man’ or ‘perfect man’. They include self-restraint, loyalty, kind, honesty, and love.
1. Loyalty (Chung) is being loyal to one's family, and their country thus unifies the country.
2. Kind (Jen) is the ability of an individual to be humane and kind to others by understanding others and not being overly judgemental.
3. Honesty (Xin) is being honest with oneself and the people around you, which builds their trust and confidence.
4. Love (Hsiao) which is love for an individual's immediate family, and society.
5. Self-restraint (Li) is a sense of prosperity that should be taught within an individual thus one is expected to be loyal to their elders, family, and leaders.