PrefaceConfucius 551-479 BC is the most influential sage in China. This book is a record of the dialogues between the sage and his disciples. In answering their questions, he does not tell them what the answer is, but how he would solve the question, so his answer has an everlasting transcendental value. He teaches his disciples how to cultivate the mind and thinks it a delight to acquire knowledge and to behave in accordance with what is right. In this book politics, ethics and religion are combined into one, but he replaces religion by aesthetics or the sense of delight, which becomes the essence of life. His way of thinking might not be logical, deductive or inductive but intuitive, associative and analogical. He has exercised great influence on forming and molding national character and social behavior, and given guidance to public and private life.Seventy-five Nobel Prize winners who gathered together at Paris in 1988 made a statement to the effect that mankind should seek wisdom from Confucius if they wished to live a peaceful and happy life in the 21st century. What is the widom of Confucius? It consists in the maxim saying, Do not do to others what you would not have others do to you. There is a similar maxim in the Bible, saying, Do to others what you would have others do to youorDo as you would be done by. What is the difference between these two maxims? The Biblical maxim is positive, while the Confucian is negative. For instance, in the Middle Ages, religious wars between the Catholics and the Protestants lasted for long, long years, because the Catholics believed in Catholicism and the Protestants in Protestantism, the former called the latter pagans and would put some of them to death. Here we see the influence of this Biblical maxim. As the Catholics believed in Catholicism and would have the Protestants believe in Catholicism too, so war broke out. On the other hand, in ancient China Confucianism co-existed with Buddhism and Taoism peacefully for thousands of years, because Chinese emperors would not convert Buddhists nor Taoists into Confucians, so no religious war ever broke out in China. Here we see the influence of this Confucian maxim and the wisdom of Confucius.Confucius was a great master in ancient China. He taught his disciples to be good men. What was a good man? It is said in this book that a good man should cultivate and develop five qualities, that is, reverence, lenience, confidence, diligence and benevolence. What do they mean? It is meant by reverence that a man should respect others as himself; by lenience one should understand and tolerate others; by confidence one should believe in others and be trustworthy; by diligence one should be devoted to others heart and soul; and by benevolence one should do good to others. In a word, a good man should do to others what he would do to himself and would not force others to do what they will not.Confucius also taught his disciples ritual and music. Ritual would bring order and music would afford delight; ritual imitated the order of the universe and music the harmony of nature. It would be interesting to compare Confucius with Plato in their teachings. Plato said in his Republic that every young man should receive physical and musical education. Here we see both Confucius and Plato thought it necessary to be educated in music, but Confucius lay emphasis on ritual service and Plato on physical education. If music could make man wise, then ritual would make men good and keep society in order, and physical education would make men strong and brave. Here we see the difference between the two sages： one emphsized ritual and order and the other strength and bravery.Platos philosophy reflects the views of Homers epics Iliad and Odyssey： the one extols the strength and bravery of Achilles and Hector, while the other extols the intellect and wisdom of Ulysses. Hectors heroism is typically illustrated by the following verse：Where heroes war, the foremost place I claim.The first in danger as the first in fame.But Confucius did not approve the bravery of his disciples. For instance, when Zi Lu said, If I were entrusted with a state of a thousand war chariots, though situated among big powers and invaded by hostile armies, I would teach its people to be courageous by the end of three years. Confucius laughted at him to show his disapproval of his rash courage.序孔子（公元前551前479年）是中国影响最大的、平凡中见伟大的人物。《论语》是孔子言行的真实记录。孔子在言谈中很少说什么是的问题，总是回答如何做的方法，但却具有超越时空的长久价值。《论语》重视情感教育，以学习本身为乐，从赏心娱目到怡性悦情，从社交行为到礼制道德，都可看出克己复礼的乐感。《论语》重视道德，把政治、伦理、宗教三者结合为一，认为政治是公德，伦理是私德，并以乐感或美感代替宗教，可以在日常生活中体验到超道德的宗教境界，领会到人生的本体是如何生活，为什么活，活得怎样。孔子思想的特点是不重逻辑思维，不重归纳演绎，而重直观联想，重类比关系。结果，《论语》在塑造、构成中华民族文化心理结构方面，成了整个社会言行、公私生活、思想意识的指引规范，渗透在政教体制、社会习俗、心里习惯、人的思想行为、言语活动之中。七十五位荣获诺贝尔奖的科学家1988年在巴黎聚会，发表了一个声明，大意是说：人类如果要过和平幸福的生活，应该回到二千五百年前的孔子那里去寻找智慧。孔子的智慧是什么？如果要用一句话来概括，可以说是：己所不欲，勿施于人。在《圣经》中，也有一句差不多的话，那就是：己之所欲，亦施于人。这两句话有什么不同？《圣经》中的名言是积极的，而孔子的话是消极的。《圣经》说自己相信什么，就要别人也信什么；孔子却说自己不愿意做什么，就不要求别人做什么。如果自己相信自由民主，并且要求别人也相信自由民主，这是符合《圣经》的积极思想；如果自己不相信什么宗教，也不强求别人相信什么宗教，这就符合孔子的消极思想。在中世纪，发生了旧教和新教的长年战争，因为旧教徒信仰旧教，并且把不信旧教的新教徒叫做异教徒，甚至要把他们处死，所以发生了宗教战争。而在中国，两千年来，孔子的思想和佛教道教和平共处，统治者既不要求人信佛教或道教，也不勉强佛教徒或道教徒信仰孔子，所以从来没有发生过宗教战争。由此可以看出孔子思想的影响，也可以看出孔子的智慧。孔子的思想言行，如果要用一个字来概括，那大约是一个仁字。什么是仁？《论语》第十七章中说：子张问仁于孔子，孔子曰：能行五者于天下，为仁矣。请问之。曰：恭、宽、信、敏、惠。恭则不侮，宽则得众，信则人任焉，敏则有功，惠则足以使人。这就是说，仁是尊敬，尊重别人像尊重自己一样；仁是宽厚，要严于责己，宽于待人，容忍不同的意见；仁是诚信，言而有信，才能得到别人信任；仁是敏捷，只有行事迅速灵敏，才能得到成功；仁是恩惠，要为人做好事，决不损人利己。总之，就是仁者爱人，对待别人像对自己一样，将心比心，己所不欲，勿施于人。孔子要行仁政，就是礼乐之治。礼乐是仁的外化。据冯友兰说，礼模仿自然界外在的秩序，乐模仿自然界内在的和谐。礼可以养性，乐可以怡情。做人要重仁义，治国要重礼乐。这是中国传统文化的精神。如果比较一下古代中国和古代希腊的文化教育，就可以发现，在孔子重视礼乐的时候，西方的柏拉图却在《理想国》中强调体育和音乐。由此可见，无论东方还是西方，都很重视音乐教育，也就是乐育。所不同的，中国更重礼教，就是维持社会秩序，处理人与人的关系；西方更重体育，要使人人体力更强，跑得更快，跳得更高更远。如果说乐育使人耳聪目明，成为智者；礼教却使人循规蹈矩，成为好人；体育则使人身强力壮，成为强人。这就是孔子和柏拉图的异同，他们使东西方的教育走上了不同的发展道路：东方要培养智者仁者，西方要培养智者勇者。智仁勇三者的关系，不但表明了中西教育哲学的异同，也表现在中西方的文学作品之中。如西方的荷马史诗，《伊利亚特》歌颂了阿喀琉斯和赫克托耳等的英雄主义。《奥德赛》则赞美了奥德修斯的智慧和勇敢。而赫克托耳离开妻子上战场时的临别赠言是个典型的例子：冲锋陷阵我带头，论功行赏不落后。在中国的《诗经》中，歌颂的是圣君贤臣，对武王伐纣时的军师姜尚，只说了一句：维师尚父，时维鹰扬。把姜尚比作飞扬的雄鹰，和荷马史诗的描写相比，简直不可同日而语。而在《论语》第十一章中子路说：千乘之国，摄乎大国之间，加之以师旅，因之以饥馑，由也为之，比及三年，可使有勇，且知方也。对这样的勇士，孔子只是置之一笑。
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