| Junzi | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 君子 | ||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "Son of a Vassal". Later used to indicate someone who acts morally. | ||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Vietnamese name | |||||||||||||||||
| Vietnamese alphabet | quân tử | ||||||||||||||||
| Chữ Hán | 君子 | ||||||||||||||||
| Korean name | |||||||||||||||||
| Hangul | 군자 | ||||||||||||||||
| Hanja | 君子 | ||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Japanese name | |||||||||||||||||
| Kanji | 君子 | ||||||||||||||||
| Kana | くんし | ||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
The wordjunzi (Chinese:君子;pinyin:jūn zǐ;lit. 'person of high stature' or "Son of theVassal, or Monarch") is aChinese philosophical term often translated as "gentleman", "superior person",[1] or "noble man".[2] Since the characters are overtly gendered, the term is frequently translated as "gentleman"; gentry and distinguished/moral person are common gender-neutral translations. Traditionally referring to the "aristocratic nobility of the Zhou",[3]Junzi is employed in theBook of Changes to mean a superior, ideal man who constantly cultivates virtue and improves his character,[4] and byConfucius in his works to describe a virtuous person with noble characters.[3]
InConfucianism, the ideal personality is the 聖shèng, translated as saint orsage. However, since sagehood is unattainable for most people, Confucius articulated a less demanding ideal of a cultured and moral life, using the termjunzi—originally denoting a member of the nobility—to refer to anyone who embodies this ideal, regardless of social status.Junzi acts according toproper conduct (禮,li) to bring about harmony (和,hé), which Confucianism maintains should rule the home, society, and the state.[5]Li primarily has to do with social expectations, both in terms of the formal behavior and the execution of religious rites and imperial ceremonies also proper conduct in human relationships.[5] Confucius considered ajunzi to be someone who embodies humanity – one who possesses a totality of the highest human qualities.[6] He elaborated thatjunzi embody the concept ofren (仁,rén) and outlined specific qualities they have, recorded by his disciples in theAnalects.[6] Ajunzi embodies moral superiority by adhering to the ritual code of the tradition, displaying respect and dignity towards others, and striving for virtues such as humility, sincerity, trustworthiness, righteousness, and compassion.[3]Zhu Xi categorized thejunzi as second only to the sage.
Junzi have many characteristics. Ajunzi does not compromise his virtues even in poverty; ajunzi's actions speaks louder than his words; ajunzi isloyal, obedient and knowledgeable. Ajunzi disciplines himself. According toMencius,ren is the core virtue of ajunzi.[7]
The concept and term ofjunzi were used asChinese proverbs. An example is "君子成人之美" (jūn zǐ chéng rén zhī měi), which roughly means "Ajunzi brings out the best in people".[8][9]
As the potential leader of a nation and country, the son of the ruler is raised to express superior ethical and moral positions while gaining inner peace through virtue. To Confucius, thejunzi sustained the functions of government and social stratification through his ethical values. Despite its literal meaning, any righteous man willing to improve himself can become ajunzi.
Thejunzi rules by acting virtuously himself. It is thought that his purevirtue would lead others to follow his example. The ultimate goal is that government behaves much like family. Thus at all levelsfilial piety promotes harmony and thejunzi acts as a beacon for this piety.
By contrast thexiaoren (小人,xiăorén, "scoundrel, small or petty person") does not grasp the value of virtues and seeks only immediate personal gain. The scoundrel, or petty person, isegotistic and does not consider the consequences of his/her actions. Should the ruler or state be surrounded byxiaoren as opposed tojunzi, governance and the people will suffer due to their selfish small-mindness. Examples of suchxiaoren individuals can range from those who indulge in self-satisfying sensual andemotional pleasures and gains to the careerpolitician who is interested merely inpower andfame rather than the long-term benefit of others. There are many expressions in Confucius' writings that contrast the two, for instance: "君子和而不同，小人同而不和." (jūn zǐ hé ér bù tóng , xiǎo rén tóng ér bù hé); "Thejunzi acts in harmony with others but does not seek to be like them; thexiaoren seeks to be like others and does not act in harmony."[10]
Lunyu 論語,The Analects; the Database of Religious History, athttps://religiondatabase.org/browse/1063/#/