The Social Nature of Confucian Values

If you’ve ever studied Chinese philosophy even briefly, you’ve probably encountered the five Confucian virtues: 仁 (benevolence), 义 (righteousness), 礼 (propriety), 智 (wisdom), and 信 (trustworthiness). But here’s something interesting – we often misunderstand what these actually mean, especially 智 (wisdom).

Many of us assume 智 refers to intelligence or being smart. But looking at what Confucius actually said reveals something quite different:

樊迟问仁。子曰：“爱人。“问知。子曰：“知人。”

Translation: Fan Chi asked about benevolence. The Master said: “Love others.” He asked about wisdom. The Master said: “Know others.”

Notice that? When asked about wisdom (智), Confucius didn’t say “be smart” or “acquire knowledge.” He said “know others.” This isn’t about intellectual prowess – it’s about understanding people.

In fact, all five core Confucian virtues are fundamentally social in nature:

• 仁 (benevolence): Loving others
• 义 (righteousness): Doing what’s right in relation to others
• 礼 (propriety): Following proper social protocols
• 智 (wisdom): Understanding others
• 信 (trustworthiness): Being reliable in your relationships

This realization leads to an important conclusion: Confucian philosophy is fundamentally about citizenship – how to be a good member of society. It’s not primarily concerned with individual enlightenment or personal intelligence divorced from social context.

The Art of Being Before Appearing

Another fascinating aspect of Confucian thought appears in this exchange between the Master and his student Zixia:

子夏问曰："‘巧笑倩兮，美目盼兮，素以为绚兮。‘何谓也？“子曰：“绘事后素。“曰：“礼后乎？“子曰：“起予者商也！始可与言诗已矣。”

Translation: Zixia asked: “What is meant by the lines ‘Charming is her smile, beautiful are her eyes, and plain colors become adorned’?” The Master replied: “In painting, one adds color after establishing the plain background.” Zixia asked: “So ritual comes afterward?” The Master exclaimed: “Shang (Zixia) truly inspires me! Now I can discuss poetry with him.”

The phrase “绘事后素” (painting comes after the plain background) is particularly revealing. Think about traditional Chinese painting – artists first outline the essential spirit and form of their subject before adding color. Without capturing the essence first, no amount of brilliant coloring will create a good painting.

This serves as a metaphor for human development. The inner qualities (like the five virtues) must be established before external displays (like ritual performances) have any meaning. Fancy ceremonies without genuine virtue are as hollow as splashes of color without proper form.

As I see it, this is like learning to code. You can add all the fancy frameworks and libraries you want, but if you don’t understand the basic logic and algorithms first, your code will be a mess. The fundamentals must come before the embellishments.

Poetry as a Vehicle for Social Values

Perhaps most surprising is Confucius’s view on poetry. The Book of Poetry (诗经) contains many beautiful verses that seem to be about romance, nature, or everyday life. But Confucius saw them differently – as vehicles for moral teaching.

When he said “诗三百，一言以蔽之，曰：思无邪” (“The three hundred poems can be summed up in one phrase: ’thinking without deviation’”), he was suggesting that all these poems ultimately promote proper values aligned with social harmony.

Let’s look at a few examples:

1. 《关雎》(The Ospreys)

   关关雎鸠，在河之洲。窈窕淑女，君子好逑。

   Appears to be about: Birds and romantic attraction Actually about: Proper courtship and marriage practices that maintain social harmony

2. 《硕鼠》(The Large Rats)

   硕鼠硕鼠，无食我黍。三岁贯汝，莫我肯顾。

   Appears to be about: Complaining about rats eating grain Actually about: Criticizing corrupt officials who exploit the common people

3. 《蒹葭》(The Reeds)

   蒹葭苍苍，白露为霜。所谓伊人，在水一方。

   Appears to be about: Someone gazing at reeds, looking for a person across the water Actually about: The quest for worthy people to serve in government, or pursuing lofty ideals

These poems use concrete, relatable imagery to teach abstract moral principles. It’s like using a story about fixing a bug in your code to actually teach about project management or teamwork – the surface narrative is just a vehicle for deeper lessons.

Why This Matters Today

The Confucian approach to values offers something we often miss in modern society: the understanding that intelligence and knowledge aren’t ends in themselves, but tools for building better relationships and communities.

In our AI-obsessed world, where we increasingly value raw computational power and data processing, Confucius reminds us that true wisdom lies in understanding people, not just concepts or information.

Similarly, his view that substance must precede appearance challenges our image-focused culture. In an era of carefully curated social media presences, Confucius would probably suggest spending more time developing genuine virtue before worrying about how we appear to others.

And his approach to poetry reveals how art can subtly transmit values without heavy-handed preaching. Good stories, films, and yes, even memes can carry profound messages while entertaining us.

What do you think? Does Confucius’s social interpretation of wisdom resonate with you? Have you noticed other examples where we’ve misunderstood ancient concepts by viewing them through modern lenses?