Confucius was a thinker whose concern was humanity, intensely human one may add. He was not propagating a religion, far from it he express no concern on matters of belief. He accepts them as existing as long it served the society and creates code of conduct. He wasn’t going to waste his time on something that one may not definitely know “while you don’t know about life, how can know about death?”. His concerns were practical and existential. For a just society harmony between people is important. Individuals have duty towards society and human beings purpose was to cooperate with others in performing these. He emphasised on rules that needn’t be enforced but followed as matter of etiquette. But the rules need to be specific; following these would show desire for harmony. Only when a person developed his capacity for harmony with his fellow human beings, then can he understand universal harmony. He believed rulers ought to be teachers and be ‘Superior Man’. Anyone can be a Superior Man by cultivating Five Constant Virtues.
Right Attitude-attitude is revealed through conduct, being cooperating and accommodating, an inner law of self control.
Right Procedure-includes applying the code of conduct, emphasising on ceremonies as it institutionalised these conducts
Right Knowledge- education is important to respond in exact way. Social order depends on fundamental morality, the morality of words and action. He emphasised rulers to be an example of conduct.
Right Moral courage-necessary to remain loyal to himself and people around.
Right Persistence- this was needed to achieve constancy in the above. This makes man kind and helpful. He is in harmony with universe. Because he has harmony within himself, he is part of cosmic harmony.
Confucius has been a significant influence on Chinese society for centuries, he is referred to as great teacher. His teaching was an attempt in getting man in line with reality. How much this blogger wish he had spent some time in India. This has been the greatest tragedy the reduced contact between ancient India and China. The problems of Indian society can be traced to amazing incompetent and self serving elite section that can be traced to ancient times (this is not to deny that there have been some exceptional people and civilisation contribution has been significant), the Brahmin class has been quite self serving with almost absent concern for society, love for humanity is different from loving the person next to you. Indeed they created the most inhuman system to deny common people even the basic human rights. As Confucius so rightly says “while you are not able to serve men, how can you serve their spirits”. Brahminical Hinduism has had a significant and vice like hold on Indian society for more than 5000 years so to expect for it to vanish in few decades is wishful. Look around you will see these presences. Lack of civic sense is contribution of elite which has percolated over centuries to Indian psyche (privileges over public property as birthright is what defines, a brahminical understanding that is root of all corruption). It is in the same line rules affecting all members of society are either not enforced or kept subjective. It is a warped sense of individualism and self importance. So there can be no dearth of people adept in the art of discussion but cunningness underlines their action and pursuit. It is Brahminical that you profess presence of god everywhere but charge exorbitant money to skip queue in temple (it is easy money for scoundrels...extend it to all aspect of society-the idea of easy money, the short cuts). While there is emphasis on cleanliness to obsessive level but surrounding is filthy. The list of hypocrisy replacing values, nepotism replacing humanness, fairness replacing acquisitive...is rather long. It is in this context this blogger feels free market is going to have some catastrophic influence on Indian society. Basis of free market is equal access and equal opportunity...that is an ideal. The scams and scandals dealing with huge money is reflection of symptoms that can be traced to values percolated from elite section over the centuries. It is in here what Confucius referred to as “rules” comes in, a system that strives for just society. Democracy in India seems to be at the election level, wherein poor queue up expecting something to happen, and then it is loot by few- whichever government comes to power. Few years back they referred to the then PM Atal Behari Vajpaye as mask (mukhota) for fundamentalism, one wonders what PM Manmohan Singh is mask for?. Both are arguably honest and sincere leaders but did it help the matter?. Confucius suggests ‘moral courage’.
Confucius was an amazing man and his ideas are just and egalitarian. Though he wasn’t bothered about religion his th
oughts were religious. He strived for egalitarian society. But the danger of Confucianism cannot be undermined, these ideas could work even in robotic or insipid society. If not self consuming individuals it could lead to self consuming society. Modern China seems quite close to that. This blogger strongly feels a country as ancient as China and as significant in present times doesn’t deserve the kind of negative situation it presently is in. Chinese rulers could go back to Confucius for more understanding in harmony. Confucius like Tao looked for meanings in Nature. The harmony that exists in nature is what he sought to replicate. Like in nature harmony in human society cannot be really be imposed these are paths shown. So an authoritative society in effect goes against harmony. Harmony in nature is about freedom of self expression
Unlike animals though humans are expected to have self awareness (spirit), this space is lacking in Confucianism. Without an awareness of self these could lead to blind following defeating its purpose. That really was the emphasis of Buddha. So the idea of freedom is understood in the context of awareness(right understanding), this draws the lines of limitations. It is not imposed. That is why societies that though are high on freedom and liberty (read USA) are blatantly consumerist, belligerence defines their approach to issues that plague humanity. The spirit is lacking. Indian PM might say strong American economy is good for the world but this blogger thinks contrary, it undermines humanity. Since human rights are not limited to individual freedom but how the freedom is used, indeed Americans consume many times what is for rest of the world. What at immediate level is lack of basic manners is celebrated as economy model. A strong America undermines Nature.
It is in this context the significance of Confucius increases. There is a need for harmony to s
olve the problems like Global warming. In the meantime Chinese authority should explain what has Liu Xiaobo done that can be construed as anti society. Indeed like Confucius he only sought for betterment of society. Chinese leaders should also explain why are they turning out such a negative force in world affairs right from Burma to North Korea to Africa, why world community looks at rising China with much trepidation?. Hopefully Chinese government realises it is difficult to keep people under authority when they truly aspire for Confucius harmony. 
