Essay on Confucius' Enduring Legacy: Examining the Benefits of Traditional Rites on Individuals and Communities

Introduction

Confucius is known to be one of the most influential and creative thinkers who have ever lived in present-day China (Wang et al. 142). The collection of his thoughts which is based on various topics like leadership and education, are put in a document called 'The Analects.' He points out that the best way of governing any given state is through rituals (Wang et al. 144). It is based on ceremonies, respect for one's respect for one's ancestors, traditions, etiquette modes of eating, loyalty, and the way of addressing others. The Analects quotes, "It is by ritual (or the rites) that a state is administered." These rituals have been commonly practiced in the society till date. Since everyone is associated with the society from which they base their traditions, then there was no means through which a person could escape the performance of the rites in their respective societies. In this assignment, am going to focus on what Confucius says about the importance of rites, the likeliness of communities and individuals to benefit from strong traditions today, and whether those traditions are necessarily damaging the freedom of individuals.

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In a different point of view, Confucius also addresses the importance of these rites. To begin with, he emphasized that these traditions led to the establishment of fellowships (Wang et al. 162). He was visioned to establish this by basing it on the family. Beginning to establish fellowship on a family basis, he maintained social stability and made people live in harmony and prosperity. Through family ethics, he believed that politically, this institution is very infectious. Since the family backs everything in society, the family should be properly established in fellowship so that everything else in society runs easily. If fellowships are well established, individuals will be used to togetherness and actively engage in the tasks issued to them. When Confucius said that taking care of family issues is active participation in the political field (Wang et al. 169), he had already made it clear that family ethics is not only a merely private concern; the goodness of the public is realized by and through it.

Another importance of rites is that they enhance personal discipline. Confucius defines this to be the process of becoming a human being. Social participation alone would enable an individual to be loyal first to him and be considerate to others. In the article, he points out that one should not do to others what he would not want them to do for him (Wang et al. 196). Considering some traditions like respect for elders and ancestors, this equips every individual involved in that practice with adequate discipline, which is very useful in the entire society.

These rites help provide a forum to illustrate role models and appreciate the things that matter a lot in this life. As people conduct community gatherings in their respective communities, they figure out what and how each individual is supposed to adhere. By doing this, awareness is created for the people who might not have any plan in the progress and future of the others. These role models drive one's attention and begin to work hand in hand towards achieving something helpful. Here, many get to know how these role models have been successful in their plans through hard work. Ideally, these forums stimulate many individuals and see the sense of engaging themselves in work which also activates success in society (Wang et al. 212). The chance to say "thank you" is also offered in these forums. It is done via celebrations made when people come together to perform a certain rite.

Traditions reign forces several values, namely; freedom, good education, personal responsibility integrity, a very strong work ethic, and being selfless (Wang et al. 230). By touching on integrity, people learn to be reliable in all circumstances and at all times. Still, people have access to a good education. They get taught in different ways by different lessons of life as they interact with others. Since there are duties to be performed in every tradition, individuals in those societies have no chance to escape these responsibilities, but instead, they accomplish them. By doing this, they exercise selflessness and work. Lastly, these people always practice freedom in a wide diversity throughout the forums created by the ritual leaders.

Traditions contribute to a sense of comfort and belonging (Wang et al. 237). As families and friends reconnect to perform either of their traditions, they have fun together, or even if it is mourning, they do it in one accord. By doing this, people felt that they belonged to one another and were very comfortable. It is also a very clear illustration that everybody has an origin and is related to one another and has a role in defending their fellow brother or sister regardless of the situation they are involved in (Wang et al. 245).

Their traditions are very important in improving the well-being of society. The cause for this is the fact that different communities had and still have their unique and strong traditions which were responsible for shaping their people (Wang et al. 274). When all the lessons are learned throughout the performance of the rites, there will always be a moral lesson after that. With all these lessons combined, the status of other factors like respect, honesty, and transparency improved. In addition to this, the values merge and make society grow positively. In the long run, society finds itself to be in a better and more advanced position than the one it was before practicing certain traditions.

How Communities and Individuals Might Benefit From Strong Traditions

Communities might experience many benefits which are as a result of having strong traditions. One of these benefits is good governance (Wang et al. 286). Confucius stresses that the importance of rites is very fundamental to proper governmental skills. Due to their responsibilities when performing traditions, people gain experience and skills. He considered that the feudal lords in China to have adopted the Chinese rite of being just rulers of the Central States (Wang et al. 292). For one to have these skills, they should have learned and practiced them at the social level. Since all members of the society practiced the rites, then it is without a doubt that everybody should have acquired knowledge and skills such that in case they are placed in any leadership.

One of the personal benefits likely to occur is self-confidence. This is one's ability to trust their qualities. Since at different times, these traditions are performed in front of other people, one's fear vanishes when he/she engages him/herself in a different presentation during the performance of those rites (Wang et al. 302). In another perspective of this, people get convinced that whatever they always do when performing these traditions is right and they thus believe that this confidence will keep on multiplying in proportion to how many times they perform them.

These traditions shape an individual's discipline and morals. They were taking, for instance, the tradition of respecting the elderly and that of performing worship ceremonies. During these two ceremonies, people were expected to behave respectfully. For one, in worship ceremonies, people would be expected to be calm. There were no unnecessary movements to be made until the end of the tradition (Wang et al. 321). This made people endure and be patient in that present time and today. The way a young person expresses him/herself before his elders stimulates to morality. The manners obtained from every aspect of tradition are considered to have played an improvement to date. This also helped to shape the community since it began at the personal level and upwards to the entire community.

Another benefit is that it has resulted in a morally organized world. Since Confucius bases his belief on the sense that human beings are good, improvable, teachable, and perfectible at a personal level through self-creation and self-cultivation (Wang et al. 333). When people get educated, they yearn for the betterment of their future reasonably because they are teachable and strictly begin to work towards achieving their target. In the time when they are getting an education, they continue perfecting what they know. This creates a wider diversity of improvement in all the affected sectors. In this process, they get more organized at the personal level, in family ethics, and in the community. When this continues, the world at large becomes morally organized.

Lastly, Confucius has availed education in a broad dimension. This has continued to be a present benefit today. Since the art of teaching as a vocation began long ago, it has been continuous to date. It has led to the establishment of an ethical, moral, and social standard in the current communities. These strong traditions are known to have laid a very strong foundation in the education sector whereby people get taught many things from this platform (Wang et al. 342). This has brought different education systems that are working positively to impart changes in today's society.

Effects of the Traditions on the Freedom of Individuals

The traditions practiced are not necessarily damaging the freedom of the individuals to some extent because for one, in some traditions like respecting the elders, there is no aspect of one interfering with the other one's freedom. It only ensures good relations with the elders. In addition to this, I would say that unless there is direct interference with one's freedom, then there is no way this will coincide with someone's freedom. At times, these traditions are directed to the well-being of the society which governs how the individuals interact with the others. The elders who are made to perform these rites are always very careful such that their freedom will not affect the freedom of other people from any perspective (Wang et al. 351). The likeliness of the traditions to affect other people's freedom is very minimal. Confucius was very keen when dealing with the traditions in society simply because he was educated, and he had moral values.

In another perspective, since these traditions are being abandoned as time erupts, people are gaining more knowledge and skills in various fields (Wang et al. 358). They end up knowing and interpreting things better, and as a result of their understanding, they do not try to come into contact with anyone's freedom. Still, in the entire interaction, people are always free to exercise their freedom in the right way. They are, by traditional means not allowed to demolish other people's freedom.

Conclusion

The main focus is on what Confucius says about the importance of rites, the likeliness of communities and individuals to benefit from strong traditions today, and whether those traditions are necessarily damaging the freedom of individuals. There is much importance in rites as provided by Confucius. This importance is: increase in fellowships beginning from the family level to the society level, improved personal discipline, enhancement of personal discipline, traditions shape individual's discipline and morals, Traditions reign forces several values namely; freedom, good education, personal responsibility integrity, a very strong work ethic, and being selfless. Helpful in providing a forum to illustrate role models and appreciate these models, and improving the well-being of society as a whole. The traditions might affect either community or individuals in different ways. These ways comprise of good governance availed education in a broad dimension, self-confidence, and a morally organized world. I have also included whether those traditions necessarily damage the freedom of individuals or not.