Confucian Values: Historical Connotations and Modern Significance

The core idea of Confucianism is ren(benevolence) . Unique as they are,Confucian values,based on ren,show positive attitudes towards internal values upon the proposition of what makes a man,which is of great importance for the reconsideration on rights,existence value debates between goodness rights contemporary philosophy. According Confucianism,the principle of renhas more meanings than it appears be,which is well illustrated the notions of to love relatives,to love peopleandto love things,proposed by Mencius. The notion of to love peopleinvolves the relationship between the principle of renand the man,and the application of the principle into mediating the interrelationship among people. The notion of to love thingsmeans extend the principle of renfurther so as handle the relationship between the man the thing. The extension development of to love peopleandto love thingsbrings it a broader value scope,in which the latter is reflected two important concepts of The Doctrine of Mean,namely in the world where everything is germinating without harm and in the universe where everything goes its own way without contradiction. As far as the value goal is concerned,Confucianism proposes the idea of consummating oneself the nature,which becomes of the overall goal of the value.