Analect 8.2-Ritual as a means of living? (ES)

     Confucius's analect 8.2 is a fascinating analect in the regards of both ritual itself and as a means to live 

one's life, or at least ought to live their life. It seems to Confucius that adhering to ritual is equivalent to or

paramount to simply living one's life. I am puzzled and not perfectly convinced of such a lofty thought. In 

this analect Confucius says, "If you are respectful but lack ritual you will become exasperating; if you are 

careful but lack ritual you will become timid; if you are courageous but lack ritual you will become 

unruly; and if you are upright but lack ritual you will become inflexible". It seems like it be nearly

impossible under this system of ritual to live any kind of life at least a good and fulfilling one without

following and practicing ritual, but is this really true? 

    Back in book 7 in analect 7.30 Confucius tells us when speaking about Goodness(Ren), "Is Goodness 

really so far away? If I simply desire Goodness, I will find that it is already here". It seems here that 

desires and Goodness does not require ritual. Yet,at the same time in accordance with analect 8.2, without 

ritual you will be timid and inflexible and I'm not sure how one would be able to properly recognize 

Goodness in themselves or anyone else even if all you supposedly need is just to desire it. Therefore the 

exact role or power ritual holds and plays is not fully clear to me and I question it? In analect 8.13 

Confucius related to us that we should, "Be sincerely trustworthy and love learning, and hold fast to the

good Way until death". I wonder is ritual not truly separate from the Way and thus it works and affects

one's entire life? But regardless of any questions and worries, they do not seem to be answered here by

Confucius, and I am curious and how he will answer these deep seated questions of mine. 

Comments

  1. Krishnan VenkateshFebruary 18, 2022 at 1:40 PM

    See if you can answer this one -- with the kind of reflection on the broad meaning of ritual we've been doing in class. For example, regarding daily regular hygiene standards as they are minutely cultivated in the first half of life -- to what extent is this also moral cultivation and development of the heart?

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