©1996, Richard Hooker
For information contact: Richard Hines
Updated 7-14-1999
|
When asked to summarize the teachings of Confucius, Tseng Tzu,as recorded in the |
|
The word shu is devastatingly difficult to render in English; the most common translation is "reciprocity," though "analogy" or "self-analogy" comes closer. In substance, shu is very similar to our concept of the "golden rule": do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In Confucius, however, shu is more a means for thinking out what your obligations to others should be: you should use yourself as an analogy when determing what would be beneficial to others. What you perceive as beneficial to yourself you may reasonably conclude would be beneficial to others; what you perceive as harmful to yourself, you may reasonably conclude would harm others. This is how you think through moral questions.
Confucius himself defines shu alternatively as "Do not impose on others what you do not wish imposed on yourself" (Analects XII.2, XV.23) and "To judge of others by using yourself as an analogy is the way to achieve jen " (Analects VI.28). |
|
This knowledge of how one should act isn't enough though; as an immensely practical person, Confucius was concerned only with what people do, not necessarily with what they think they should do. For shu to have any value, therefore, one must put it into practice to the best of one's abilities, which is the meaning of Richard Hooker |