Ethical Implications for the Individual and Society according to the Ren Principle

Answer

Ethical Implications for the Individual and Society according to the Ren Principle

The principle of ren or Jen happens to be among the widely explored areas in theology and religion. Whereas Wu Wei is associated with the Taoist tradition, ren or Jen is associated with Confucianism (Personal Growth, n.d.). Jen or ren refers to human-heartedness, benevolence, goodness, or man-to-man-ness. When examined within the context of Confucianism, ren entails what makes man characteristically human. Philosophy.lander.edu (n.d.) considers ren a sense for the dignity or self-worth of human life or self-esteem for oneself and a feeling of kindness towards others. It is significant to note that such feeling is applicable to all men and not just a race or one nation. This feeling forms the base of all human associations (Philosophy.lander.edu, n.d.). This paper discusses the ethical implications for the individual and society according to the ren or Jen principle. The paper champions the thesis that ren bestows on the individuals and society the ethical obligations of pursuing the virtues of virtue, respecting all human associations, and performing rituals as means of character development and sustenance. This argument is justified in the subsequent paragraphs.

Ren advocates for the virtue of virtues, which entails love for fellow humans, species love, unselfishness, and empathy.  In private lives, individuals have an ethical obligation to engage in a constant exercise of self-reflection to endeavor for diligence in adhering to ren as a guiding philosophy in life. For instance, a king has a responsibility of ensuring the welfare of his subordinates or subjects. Such an undertaking by a king is considered a long-term goal aimed at the realization of the benefit for the society, as opposed to a short-term goal aimed at realizing a personal gain. Projects such as the Great Wall of China are perfect examples of the ethical responsibility of an individual (king) to ensure the welfare of the society (subjects) (Philosophy.lander.edu, n.d.). Individuals should often strive for being an ideal hostess or host with their focus shifted away from any self-serving ends or personal gains, but the accommodation, welfare, or comfort of others. Such an act is exemplified in the notion of two Confucians involved in a car accident on the highway, both focusing more on the inconvenience and pain of the other (Philosophy.lander.edu, n.d).

According to the Confucius’ view of ren, individuals have an ethical responsibility of acting in good faith (Philosophy.lander.edu, n.d.). Such an action is accomplished by adhering to the Golden Rule of not wishing for others what an individual does not wish for himself. Van Vorst Supports this argument by referring to the scriptural texts of Mathew Matthew 19:18 and Exodus 20: 15, which are against stealing or doing harm. Acting in good faith can be accomplished when individuals embrace the concepts of service to others and hospitality, as well as helping others to bring out the best in them. As such, the societal members and society have an ethical responsibility to focus on society-writ large, as opposed to themselves or their immediate concerns. Personal immediate interests may be compromised for the attainment of a greater social benefit, as well as long-term social good.

The individual and society possess an ethical obligation to revere all human relationships. Ren, which is also known as kindness or love, is not considered a single virtue, but the origin of all virtues. The principle of ren requires that the society or individual should live together in a humane manner, as opposed to scrapping like beasts or birds (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2018). ren protects ritual forms from being hollow by nurturing a person’s inner character and furthering the ethical maturation of an individual. As such, if the external component of Confucianism is aimed at ensuring acceptance of and conformity with the social role, the inner part is focused on cultivating character and conscience. Cultivation takes into consideration the reflection and broad education on a person’s actions.  It serves as a lifetime dedication to establishing character by polishing and carving the stone of an individual’s character until it transforms into a lustrous gem (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2018). Such a character is considered essential for a peaceful coexistence of individuals with the society and societal members with one another.

According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2018), the inner pole associated with Confucianism is reformist, spiritual, and idealistic and generates a high ideal needed for family interaction. As such, by embracing ren as the guiding principle, individuals or societal members are required to treat one another with respect, love, and consideration for requirements or needs of all (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2018). Ren prescribes a lofty ideal for the society and individuals whereby the ruler or leader has an ethical duty to act as a father to the subjects and ensure their welfare such as availability of basic needs (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2018). This principle also bestows the ethical obligation of criticizing rulers and refusing to serve corrupt leaders on the officials or individuals. It is vital to note that this ideal was responsible for the emergence of social philosophers, reformers, dedicated officials and teachers, and philanthropists from the 11th century to the 19th century (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2018).

Jen bestows upon individuals and society the ethical obligation of executing rituals or ritual performance as a mechanism of nurturing character. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2018), the centrality of ritual execution within the ethical cultivation of behavior or character is considered one of the most notable aspects of Confucian ethics. The complete definition of self-cultivation must take into consideration the role of traditionally or culturally developed customs that outline what it implies to express reverence for another individual in different social contexts (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2018). The significance or performing rituals lies in the fact that ritual acts as a mechanism of developing and demonstrating a ren, which exists in the individual in an unrefined or raw state.

The significance of ritual execution is in line with the passages found in Analects in which Confucius demonstrates flexibility on the query of whether to adhere to established ritual practice (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2018). In this scenario, Confucius embraces the modern practice of dressing a cheaper silk ceremonial hat, as opposed to the conventional linen caps (). In addition, Confucius denounces the modern custom of bowing after a person ascends the staircases leading up to the dais of the rule and upholds the conventional practice of bowing prior to ascending the stairways. The connotation of Confucius view is that the modern custom demonstrates the inappropriate attitude towards the leader, as it shows presumptuousness in assuming consent to ascend. As such, a ritual is perceived as a means of cultivating and demonstrating the right attitude and the key to attaining ren. For instance, prominent translation of 12.1 in Analects has Confucius informing his preferred scholar Yan Hui that “Restraining yourself and returning to the rites constitutes ren. If for one day you managed to restrain yourself and return to the rites, in this way you could lead the entire world back to ren (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).

Ritual constitutes a significant component of ren and is not merely a mechanism for refining the materialness of ren. In his text, Van Voorst alludes to the scriptural acknowledgment of the aspect of ritual, which in this case is Baptism, by quoting Mathew 28:19. This verse “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Van Voorst proceeds to quote Romans 6:4, which states, “Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the gory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” The newness of life signifies the realization of the ren within the context of Confucanism. Therefore, it can be noted that ren emphasizes the execution of ritual as an ethical responsibility of the society and individual within the context of Confucianism.

In conclusion, ren bestows on the society and individual the ethical duty of performing rituals as means of developing and sustaining character, pursuing the virtues of virtues, and respecting all human associations. Pursuing the virtues of virtues is accomplished when the society and individual put others’ interests over the interest of the self by being kind to others and showing dignity to human life. On the other hand, revering all human associations contributes to peaceful coexistence and separation of humans from beasts and birds, whereas the performance of a ritual helps to nurture, establish, and develop character of the ren person. By embracing these obligations, the individual and society can transform into a ren character.