The Ancient World (HUM 124 - UNC Asheville)/Texts/Analects/Gentleman

Ambiguous Definition

Gentlemen (junzi), translates in Chinese to literally mean “rulers son”, but in the Analects the connotation can make the definition closer to one of two things. One definition is just a person of a high social class, while the other definition is more complex, and refers to behaving like an “upstanding citizen” or like an upper class person should. A lot of the analects that incorporate the term gentlemen are trying to say that if you are of a high social standing, your behavior should reflect that. For example, one Analect says “If the gentleman is not grave, then he does not inspire awe”(1.8), and in this specific Analect it is clear that he is talking about the term gentleman in the social sense. However, the term gentleman is also used with people that are not necessarily of noble lineage and it simply refers to how one should behave. In book 1 section 14, he states “A gentleman avoids seeking to satisfy his appetite to the full when he eats and avoid seeking comfort when he is at home”. In this case, the term gentleman is not referring to a social standing, but rather how an individual behaves.

How is This Relevant to Modern Society

This idea of behaving like a gentleman seems to be reversed in modern society. Confucius talks about how gentleman (in this case the high social standing connotation) should behave with compassion, but in todays society rich people often behave like they are superior to people in a lower class. In book 2 section 14, it says “the gentleman has universal sympathies”,  in this instance saying that a person of nobility should have sympathies toward all of those around them. In todays society this is simply not the case as the term “the rich get richer” shows that economically and socially, people of a higher class often only seek to better themselves. An analect that nails this point down further is book 4 section 5 which starts off by saying “Riches and honours-- these are what men desire, but if this is not achieved in accordance with the appropriate principles, one does not cling to them”, and then goes on to say “the gentleman never shuns humaness”. I think this point can be closely contrasted with how a lot of people only gain riches through the exploitation of their workers. Confucius tells us that these riches are not honorable as they are not made with solid principles and compassion in mind.