How Could They Have Helped Rulers To Become Great Kings By Compromising Their Values?

By Author: Mark Gary
Total Articles: 61

How could they have helped the rulers to become great kings by compromising their own values? By quoting Confucius's rectification of names, Wenxue not only debunked Daifu's interpretation of the two historical figures, but more important, he refused to compromise his values in order to become a government official. In this particular example, rectification of names was used not only to Juicy Couture Watch
regulate human relationships, but also to argue for a particular interpretation of the past, which certainly influenced the present.

Often the Confucian debaters slyly used the rectification of names to criticize the pro-Legalist perspective on government and to gain moral high ground. Although both groups shared the same moral values, they interpreted them differently. Employing the rectification of names, the Confucian debaters not only defended the Confucian interpretation of these values, but also demonstrated their moral superiority, thus strengthening their ethos. For example, when Daifu argued that mutilation and law could stop violence and assist the ruler in governing his subjects, Wenxue sneered at such a Legalist position: "The Emperor of Qin Junior was misled by Zhao Gao's approach, believing in severe mutilating punishments and law. Mutilated people were seen everywhere and the number of executed people increased daily. Those who killed the most were considered loyal and those who severely harmed people were considered capable ". In response, Daifu argued that times had changed. Officials could not use an approach developed in an era of Juicy Couture Necklaces natural simplicity and kindness to govern the cunning people of the present age.

Wenxue refuted the argument, stressing the cultivation of a humane and kind character among the people rather than depending on mutilating punishments and laws to manage them: "When one does not tackle the major cause but the minor cause of an issue, he would be called stupid in the past but is called wise now. When one flogs violators gravely with a stick to stop chaos or scratches off words on the bamboo slips with a knife, he would be considered unjust but is called virtuous now". Wenxue believed that in those instances, terms such as loyal, capable, wise, and virtuous were used erratically to embellish pro-Legalist acts. To rectify these terms meant to prioritize humanity and justice over severe laws and mutilating punishments in governing the Han people.