Western Tradition

It is important to understand that the ideas of Western ethics and morality do not match up with Eastern philosophy. In Western ideas there is an abstract idea of what is wrong, right, good, and bad that concretely drives out decisions to do things. These ethical ideas are embodied in very special moments in our decision making such as whether to murder or not, or to steal or not. However, other decisions such as crossing the street or not, or making the bed or not, how we talk with friends, are not weights on the ethical scale. These actions are wholly outside of the system. The idea of what is good or bad, ethically right or ethically wrong, is mainly driven by society. For example, murder is ethically wrong, most people with agree with that. However, as a society, America has murdered many people, innocent and not, in war, put criminals to death, and euthanized brain dead patients. If the American ideal stuck with “Murder is always wrong”, then murder would never happen. However, because ethics is a social construct, the idea is ever-changing, and always has exceptions.

Confucius and Naturalness

Confucius believed that everyone has their own desires. This can range from the simplicity of wanting a meal to wanting a house. It is true that if everyone started to express their different desires that society would become loud and dangerous, but Confucius was not thinking about this consequence. Rather, he believed that the “naturalness” of these emotions should not be expressed because it would taint the integrity of the person.

“By nature men nearly resemble each other; in practice they grow wide apart” (Confucius Book 17,2).

As a teacher, Confucius placed great emphasis on training, culture, and intelligence that could not be part of that “naturalness” that everyone has. In this, he believed that though everyone is almost the same, education can make them wholly different people with different functions.