Confuciuss Virtues and their tendencies to the modern American society - Essay Example

April 1st, Confucius’s Virtues and their tendencies to the modern American society Great Chinese thinker and social philosopher, Confucius’s ideas in ethics and politics have deeply shaped the Chinese belief system. His philosophy is mainly concerned with concepts like morality in interpersonal relations and politics, rightness, sincerity and justice which from a strong sense of practical wisdom to help one cultivate his personal character. When talking about Confucian ethics, it is central to analyze the five fundamental virtues which Confucius identified based on the fundamental relationships that people establish among each other, such as love, friendship, dedication, loyalty, respect and others.

One of these fundamental virtues is Ren, the virtue of humaneness and goodness; it is based on compassion and understanding others and it represents the most important Confucian principle. “People cultivated by it are humane individuals who exhibit benevolence and care toward others. They are motivated by a deep empathy for others - what might be called human-heartedness” (Carroll). This particular virtue reflects the Confucian view upon the human nature, that is, the fact that all people are essentially born to be good and that they can automatically demonstrate care, respect and kindness one to another.

However, when the human nature is not cultivated and educated in the right way and when it is exposed to outside detrimental influences, people can lose this basic quality and become mean, aggressive, irritated, hateful and undisciplined. Therefore, the virtue of Ren advises people to appeal to their good, kind, emphatic and well balanced self and by cultivating their mind and spirit in order to avoid a destructive and bad version of themselves. This is why, by following and truly embracing the Ren virtue people can transcend to be a superior human being, “a truly perfected person” (Carroll).

I believe that this concept, even if it has some imperfections, such as the fact that it does not admit making mistakes, it teaches important values that can be applied in the modern American society. First of all, I am sure that the virtue of Ren, and the humanness and kindness that it implies, could significantly improve the relationship between children and their parents and fix several problems in many dysfunctional families. If taught to children at an early age, Ren can teach them about respect and empathy, core values that in our rushed society based on consumerism and materialism have often been forgotten.

At the same time, the principles of Ren can inspire children to be more disciplined and more focused, therefore achieve a higher level of personal development when growing up, especially among teenagers. Obviously, parents should also embrace and encourage the philosophy of Ren in order to improve their relationship with their children. Thinking outside of the family boundaries, the virtue of Ren can improve our relationships with the people surrounding us, such as friends and co-workers, by showing respect, kindness and empathy towards them.

When treated this way, people will hopefully respond back in the same manner and therefore make the environment we live in a better place. Another way to integrate the principle of Ren within the American society is to constantly try to cultivate in people the spirit of altruism and selflessness, by volunteering in different public projects and therefore, increasing the level of social responsibility and involvement. Therefore, I strongly believe that excepting its certain flaws, the virtue of Ren can be a very benefic principle, which applied can bring people together and help them better interact with each other, as well as determine them to always seek for a better and kinder version of themselves.

Sources: Carroll, Jill. "Jen & Li - Confucian Virtues." World Religions Professor. 27 March 2011 .