Friday, July 11, 2008

Self and the Other


In The Analects (or Lun Yü), one sees Confucius' developing various ideas about the self vs. the other. Here is an example:


The Master said, "If one learns from others but does not think, one will be bewildered. If, on the other hand, one thinks but does not learn from others, one will be in peril."

-The Analects, II.15, trans. by D. C. Lau.


Confucius' Life Through His Own Words



The Master said, "At fifteen I set my heart on learning; at thirty I took my stand; at forty I came to be free from doubts; at fifty I understood the Decree of Heaven; at sixty my ear was atuned; at seventy I followed my heart's desire without overstepping the line."
-The Analects, II.4, trans. by D. C. Lau.




What a glorious life !



References: Confucius, A Great Philosopher-Prophet