思想方面 Aspects of thought
「仁」的人生哲學 The philosophical aspect of life with the concept of benevolence
孔子會針對不同的弟子與不同的時機來講述「仁」，因材施教。大致來說，孔子的「仁」就是曾子所說的「忠恕」二字而已。孔子又說：「剛毅、木訥，近仁」、「巧言令色，鮮矣仁」在告訴我們「仁道」就是真誠踏實，切忌浮誇不實而違逆正道。
Confucius would speak about “benevolence” to different disciples and at different times, and teach according to their abilities. Generally speaking, Confucius’ “ren” is just the word “loyalty and forgiveness” as Zeng Zi said. Confucius also said, “A person who is strong, resolute, simple, and careful with his words is close to benevolence.” And “Those who are flowery and pretentious are rarely benevolent.” This is telling us that “benevolence” means being sincere and down-to-earth, not boasting, not telling lies, and going against the right path.
子貢有一次問孔子：「如有博施於民，而能濟眾，何如？可謂仁乎？」孔子說：「何事於仁，必也聖乎！堯舜其猶病諸！夫仁者，己欲立而立人，己欲達而達人。能近取譬，可謂仁之方也已。」孔子告訴子貢行仁不必好高騖遠，從自身做起，再推己及人。
When Zi Gong asked Confucius, “If a person can give general benefits to the people and help them live well, how would you describe them? Can you say that they have the virtue of benevolence?” Confucius replied, “This is not just the virtue of benevolence. It is likely the virtue of a sage! Yao and Shun might be difficult to excel at! A person with the virtue of benevolence desires to establish himself and also desires to establish others. He desires to have everything run smoothly and also desires to make everything run smoothly for others. To extend oneself to others and consider them as oneself is a way to practice the virtue of benevolence.”Confucius told Zigong that he did not need to be high-minded in practicing benevolence, but to start from himself and then extend himself to others.
顓孫師誌向太高，孔子認為他的個性可能流於偏激，所以孔子告訴顓孫師行仁的方法有五道：「恭、寬、信、敏、惠。恭則不侮，寬則得眾，信則人任焉，敏則有功，惠則足以使人。」孔子告訴顓孫師行仁要從「嚴以律己，寬以待人」著手。對於自己的修養要嚴謹，對待別人則是恭敬寬容，又能厚待別人，如此才是行仁的方法。
Xuansun Shi was overly ambitious, and Confucius believed that his personality may have inclined towards extremism. Therefore, Confucius told Xuansun Shi that there were five ways to practice kindness: “With respect, generosity, honesty, diligence, and charity. If you are respectful, you will not invite insults; if you are generous, you will be supported by the people; if you are honest, you will be appointed by others; if you are diligent and sensitive, you will achieve merit; and if you are merciful, you will be able to call on people.” Confucius told his students to practice benevolence by being “strict with oneself and generous with others. The way to practice benevolence is to be strict in one’s own cultivation, respectful and generous to others, and generous to others.
顏淵是孔門弟子中的模範生，孔子曾稱贊他「其心三月不違仁」。孔子只希望他能用「禮」來進一步約束自己就可以了。《論語·顏淵》一章：「顏淵問仁。子曰：『克己復禮為仁。一日克己復禮，天下歸仁焉。為仁由己，而由人乎哉？』顏淵曰：『請問其目。』子曰：『非禮勿視，非禮勿聽，非禮勿言，非禮勿動。』顏淵曰：『回雖不敏，請事斯語矣。』」
Yan Yuan was an exemplary student among the disciples of Confucius. Confucius once praised him, ‘his heart never leaves benevolence for a long time.’ Confucius only wanted him to use “etiquette” to further discipline himself. (Yan Yuan asked for advice on how to practice benevolence.) Confucius said, “To be able to restrain and restrain one’s selfish desires and return one’s behavior to the requirements of propriety is the practice of benevolence. Once a person has done so, then the people of the world will praise him as a benevolent person. To do benevolent things is to rely entirely on oneself; so how can one rely on others?” Yan Yuan said, “I hope to point out some specific actions to follow.” Confucius said, “Do not look at what is not according to propriety, do not listen to what is not according to propriety, do not say what is not according to propriety, and do not do what is not according to propriety.” Yan Yuan said, “Although I am not intelligent enough, but please allow me to practice what you have said.” 
冉雍品德優良，又有政治才幹，曾任季氏宰。當他問仁時，孔子說：「出門如見大賓，使民如承大祭。己所不欲，勿施於人。在邦無怨，在家無怨。」孔子的回答比較偏向政治層面。孔子告訴冉雍行仁的方法就是待人恭敬，使民寬愛，如此一來，大眾對你都沒有怨恨，就是行仁政。
Ran Yong, who had excellent moral character and was talented in political affairs. He served as the minister of Ji Family. When he asked him about benevolence, Confucius said, “To go out is like going to meet a distinguished guest, and to serve the people is like going to undertake a great ritual. Do not impose on others what you do not want. There is no complaint when you work in a state, nor when you work in the fief of a great minister. Confucius’ answer is more on the political side. Confucius told Ran Yong that the way to practice benevolence is to treat people with respect and make them love you generously, so that the public will have no grudge against you, it is to practice benevolent governance. 
司馬牛言多而躁。當他問起孔子什麽是仁，孔子告訴他「仁者其言也讱」，揭示慎言的重要。
Sima Niu talked a lot and was impatient. When he asked Confucius what benevolence was, Confucius told him, “A benevolent man is always careful in his speech,” revealing the importance of careful speech.
當子貢問仁時，孔子用比喻的手法來告訴他「以友輔仁」的重要：「工欲善其事，必先利其器。居是邦也，事其大夫之賢者，友其士之仁者。」
When Zigong asked about “benevolence”, Confucius told him the importance of “helping benevolence with friends” by using a metaphor: “If a worker wants to be good at his job, he must first sharpen his tools. To live in this country, one must serve the virtuous among the minister and befriend the benevolent among the scholars.
孔子又諄諄告誡我們：「當仁，不讓於師」、「無求生以害仁，有殺身以成仁」以及「君子去仁，惡乎成名？君子無終食之間違仁，造次必於是，顛沛必於是」。
Confucius also warned us in earnest: “Whenever you encounter a matter of benevolence and justice, you must do it quickly. Even in the face of their own teachers, there is no need to be humble. Confucius also admonished us, “Never do anything to the detriment of benevolence out of greed for life and death, but only to preserve it through courageous sacrifice. And “How does a gentleman make his reputation? A gentleman does not deviate from benevolence even in a short time like eating a meal. This is true when he is in a state of uncertainty and urgency, and it is also true when he is in exile and confusion.

「禮」的社會秩序 The social order of propriety
禮，就是「節製」，宋明儒者也解作「理」。《司馬遷·太史公自序》有：「禮以節人，樂以發和。」
Ritual means “temperance”, The Song and Ming Confucianism also interpreted it as “reason”. In the Preface of Sima Qian – Taishigong, there is: “Rites to temper people, music to develop harmony.
我們來看孔子對於禮的闡釋：Let’s look at Confucius’ interpretation of propriety:
《論語·泰伯》：「子曰：『恭而無禮則勞，慎而無禮則葸，勇而無禮則亂，直而無禮則絞。』」
禮，也是「真情」，而且在上位者必須作為人民的表率。所以孔子接著說：
『君子篤於親，則民興於仁；故舊不遺，則民不偷。』
禮，不是浪費鋪張，而是真情流露；寧願節儉簡陋，也不奢侈浮誇：
《論語·八佾》：「林放問禮之本。子曰:『大哉問！禮，與其奢也，寧儉；喪，與其易也，寧戚。』」
《論語·陽貨》：「子曰：『禮雲禮雲，玉帛雲乎哉？樂雲樂雲，鐘鼓雲乎哉？』」
禮，是對天地萬物的尊重。借由對禮法的好問，來表達自己對於天地的敬意：
《論語·八佾》：「子入太廟，每事問。或曰:『孰謂鄹人之子知禮乎？入太廟，每事問。』子聞之，曰：『是禮也。』」

The Analects of Confucius – Taibo: ” Confucius said: ‘If you are respectful but not courteous, you will be tired and weary; if you are cautious and careful but not courteous, you will be timid and fearful; if you are brave but not courteous, you will be reckless and disorderly; if you are outspoken but not courteous, you will be sharp and harsh.

Courtesy, too, is “true feeling,” and those in positions of authority must serve as an example to the people. Therefore, Confucius goes on to say:

“If a leader can truly love his relatives, then the people will revere benevolence and love; if a leader can truly love the old, then the people will not be indifferent and heartless.

Courtesy, is not wasteful, but the flow of true feelings; rather frugal and simple, not extravagant and exaggerated:

In the Analects, in the section about the “Eight Rows of Dancers,” Lin Fang asked about the essence of propriety. Confucius said, “Your question is of great significance. As for propriety, it is better to be simple and frugal rather than pursue external extravagance. As for mourning, it is better to truly feel sorrow in one’s heart than to focus only on the formalities of the ceremony.”

In the Analects, Yang Huo recorded that Confucius said, ‘Is the term “li” (rites/propriety) only referring to the ritual vessels such as jade and silk? Is the term “yue” (music) only referring to musical instruments such as bells and drums?

Propriety is the respect for all things in heaven and earth. By asking about the principles of propriety, one can express their reverence for heaven and earth.

In the Analects, in the section about the “Eight Rows of Dancers,” talking about when Confucius entered the temple, he asked detailed questions about every matter he encountered. Someone said, “Who says that the son of a great official of Zuoyi knows manners? When he entered the temple, he asked people about everything.” When Confucius heard this, he said, “This is exactly what propriety is.

君子與小人 gentlemen and petty people

君子與小人雖然是以身份地位區分開來的，但孔子不認為這是唯一的差別，更重要的在於修養和境界。對此孔子有很多說明，如他說：「君子中庸，小人反中庸。」中庸（「不偏不倚，無過不及」），是修養的最高境界，同時也是方法，有著豐富而精微的內涵，並提出（「君子正其衣冠，尊其瞻視，儼然人望而畏之，斯不亦威而不猛乎」）的說法，表示端正服飾是君子的重要大事。近百年來，不少人反感於中庸，大概是將它誤解為同流合汙、媚世自是、毫無原則的偽君子行徑，其實這樣的鄉願也正是孔子所深惡痛絕的，他說：「鄉願，德之賊也。」他認為，如果不能達到中庸，狂狷是次好的境界，畢竟「狂者進取，狷者有所不為」。

Although gentlemen and petty people are distinguished by their status and position, Confucius did not believe that this was the only difference. The more important distinction lies in one’s self-cultivation and state of mind. Confucius had many explanations for this, such as his saying “The gentleman is moderate, the petty person is extreme.” Moderation (“not leaning to one side or the other, without excess or deficiency”) is the highest level of self-cultivation and also a method that has rich and profound connotations. Confucius also proposed that “The gentleman should dress properly, not look askance, and be dignified enough to awe people. Isn’t this being awe-inspiring without being ferocious?” This shows that dressing properly is an important matter for a gentleman. In the past century, many people have opposed moderation, probably because they have misunderstood it as the behavior of a hypocrite who goes along with the crowd and has no principles. In fact, this is exactly what Confucius hated the most. He said, “Those who follow the wishes of their village are people who destroy morality.” He believed that if one cannot achieve moderation, being bold and resolute is the next best state, as “Those who are bold have a spirit of enterprise, while those who are resolute refuse to do what they know is wrong.”

孔子又說：

「君子喻於義，小人喻於利。」
「君子博學於文，約之以禮，亦可以弗畔矣夫！」
「質勝文則野，文勝質則史，文質彬彬，然後君子。」
「君子坦蕩蕩，小人長戚戚。」
「君子食無求飽，居無求安，敏於事而慎於言，就有道而正焉，可謂好學也已。」
「君子道者三：仁者不憂，知者不惑，勇者不懼。」
「君子不以言舉人，不以人廢言。」
「君子泰而不驕，小人驕而不泰。」
「君子固窮，小人窮斯濫矣。」
「君子周而不比，小人比而不周。」
「君子和而不同，小人同而不和。」
「君君臣臣父父子子。」

Confucius also said,

A gentleman knows great righteousness, but a petty man knows only small profits.

A gentleman learns cultural knowledge extensively and then uses propriety to restrain himself, so he will not deviate from the right path.

 If a person is too rustic and lacks literary skills, he or she will look vulgar; if a person is too literary and not rustic enough, he or she  will look frivolous. Only when rusticity and literary talent are combined in a good way can one be called a gentleman.” 

A gentleman is honest and magnanimous, with an open mind, while a petty person is petty and calculates gains and losses, full of worries and fears.

A gentleman does not seek to eat to fullness; does not seek comfort in living; is diligent and quick in work, but cautious in speech; approaches those who have morality and knowledge to learn from them, corrects their own shortcomings, and can be considered a good learner.

The way of a gentleman has three aspects: A person of benevolence and virtue does not worry; a person of intelligence and wisdom is not perplexed; a person of courage is not afraid.

A gentleman will not recommend someone merely because their speech is eloquent, nor will they disregard the well-intentioned advice of someone with a poor moral character.

A gentleman is calm and composed without arrogance or rudeness, while a petty person is arrogant and rude without calmness or composure.

A person of noble character, even if impoverished, can still adhere to high moral principles, while a person of low character, once impoverished, will behave recklessly!

Virtuous people broaden their social circle with the right way, but do not collude with each other. People with low character collude with each other but do not care about morality.

A gentleman seeks harmony without compromising his principles, while a petty person seeks complete agreement without regard for coordination.

A ruler should act like a ruler, a subject should act like a subject, a father should act like a father, and a son should act like a son.

教育方面  In the aspect of education
孔子主張育德為先，後以全面發展「誌於道，據於德，依於仁，遊於藝。」，「行有余力，則以學文。」
Confucius advocated prioritizing moral education, and then developing a comprehensive approach of “pursuing the Way, grounding oneself in virtue, relying on benevolence, and enjoying the rites of music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics.” “Young people should be filial to their parents, respect their teachers and elders, be diligent and trustworthy, show love to others, and associate with benevolent and ambitious individuals. Only by easily achieving these things can one engage in theoretical research.”

有教無類：人都有受教育的權利 Education without discrimination: Everyone has the right to education.
因材施教：了解學生根據不同的人與個性，進行洽如其分的教導「不憤不啟 不悱不發。舉一隅不以三隅反 則不復也。」
Teach according to the student’s aptitude: Understand the student’s background and personality, and provide tailored teaching. ‘If the student cannot understand even after trying hard, do not try to enlighten them. If the student understands but cannot express themselves clearly, do not try to inspire them.
實事求事：「知之為知之，不知為不知，是知也。」
Seek truth from facts: ‘Knowing what you know, and knowing what you don’t know, that’s real wisdom.
知行合一：「學而不思則罔，思而不學則殆。」
Unity of knowledge and practice: ‘Learning without thinking leads to confusion; thinking without learning results in being detached from reality and perplexed.'”
學以致用：「知百工居肆，以成其事，君子學以致其道。」
Applying knowledge to practice: craftsmen of all trades should spend their whole day completing their assigned tasks in the workshop, while a noble person should spend their entire life learning to achieve the ultimate goal of realizing the way.”

哲學方面 philosophy aspect
孔子提倡中庸之道，中庸就是以中為用的意思，意義就是折中、平衡、不偏不倚，力戒片面，「樂而不淫，哀而不傷」、「溫而厲， 威而不猛」。
Confucius advocated the doctrine of the Mean, which means taking the middle course, balancing extremes, avoiding one-sidedness, and striving for harmony. He emphasized the importance of moderation and self-restraint, saying “Happiness is not without limits, and sorrow is not without relief,” and that one should be gentle yet serious, dignified yet peaceful, and imposing yet not fierce.

權變：孔子強調執中但並不執泥強調不要頑固可以變通，「可與立，未可與權」「不得中行而與之，必也狂狷乎！狂者進取，狷者有所不為也。」
Expediency: Confucius emphasized the importance of maintaining balance, but not becoming stubborn and inflexible. He stressed the need to be adaptable, saying, ‘You may be able to follow ritual with someone, but you may not be able to be flexible with them.’ ‘If you cannot find someone who behaves according to the doctrine of the Mean, you should only associate with those who are brave and self-disciplined. Brave people strive for progress, while self-disciplined people do not engage in bad behavior.’ Brave people are aggressive and self-disciplined people are honest, and neither engage in wrongdoing.

政治方面 political aspect
治理：孔子懷念周公，欲從周禮，希望「齊一變至於魯，魯一變至於道。」主張德治與禮治，用禮樂教化治理國家，政令刑罰居次。遵循堯舜之道，效法周文王、周武王之製。
Governance: Confucius recalled Duke Zhou and wanted to follow the Zhou Li, hoping that “if the politics of Qi can be reformed, it can reach the level of Lu; if Lu can be reformed, it can reach the realm of conforming to the great way.” He advocated the governance of virtue and ritual, using ritual and music to educate and govern the country, and placing political laws and penalties in a secondary position. He followed the way of Yao and Shun, and emulated the system of King Wen and King Wu of Zhou.

經濟：孔子維護西周的井田製反對季康子的以田賦，展現了保守的立場。

Confucius defended the system of well-field land distribution during the Western Zhou Dynasty and opposed Jikangzi’s taxation based on land, demonstrating a conservative position in economics.

宗教觀 religious views
孔子傾向不可知論，或者理性主義[來源請求]，孔子對宗廟中的祭禮很有研究，當作一種社會禮節來從事，但反而對宗教不太涉獵，最有名的一句是「子不語怪力亂神」；其他還有「天何言哉？四時行焉，百物生焉，天何言哉？」；「敬鬼神而遠之」；「未能事人，焉能事鬼？」所以目前一般認為孔子相信「或許有鬼神」，但更註重現實，認為「不用討論鬼神」。
Confucius leaned toward agnosticism or rationalism [source needed]. He studied the ancestral worship rites in the temple as a social etiquette, but was not very involved in religion. His most famous saying on this topic is, “Confucius does not talk about strange things, violence, overpowering people, rebellions, or ghosts.” Other sayings include, “What has Heaven said? Heaven does not speak, yet the four seasons continue to cycle and all living things continue to grow. What has Heaven said?” “He treats ghosts and spirits with solemnity but keeps them at a distance.” “If you cannot serve people well, how can you serve ghosts and spirits?” Therefore, it is generally believed that Confucius believed in “perhaps there are ghosts and spirits,” but he placed more emphasis on reality and believed that “there is no need to discuss ghosts and spirits.”

但孔子對天神也沒有否定，孔子說過：「鬼神之為德，其盛矣乎！」由「獲罪於天，無所禱也。」；「天生德於予，桓魋其如予何？」可知其為宿命論者：由「不知天命，無以為君子」，可知孔子是天命論者，可能認為有一個「人格天」的存在。
However, Confucius did not deny the existence of heavenly deities. Confucius once said, “The virtues of the spirits and gods are truly immense! Though they cannot be seen or heard, they are reflected in all things and people cannot do without them.” From “If a person offends heaven, he has nowhere to pray to.”, and “My character is bestowed by Heaven; what can Huan Tui do to me?”, it can be inferred that he was a believer in predestination. From “Without understanding the mandate of Heaven, it is impossible to become a junzi,” it can be seen that Confucius believed in the mandate of Heaven and may have believed in the existence of a “personality heaven.”

也有解釋為，孔子幾乎是無神論者[來源請求]。所謂的「獲罪於天」只是說「犯下滔天大罪」，並不指得罪上天。「天生德於予，桓魋其如予何？」只是認為「自己是正義而必勝」。所謂的「天命」，只是說「崇高的使命」而已：「鬼神之為德，其盛矣乎」是告訴弟子們「祭祀的意義」，且孔子在《論語》中「多次不願討論鬼神」的作為，可能接近無神論，但孔子因為時代因素等並不願直述。
There is also an explanation that Confucius was almost an atheist [citation needed]. The so-called ‘offending Heaven’ just means ‘committing a heinous crime’, and does not refer to offending God. ‘My character is given to me by Heaven, how can Huan Tui harm me!’ means only that ‘I am just and must prevail’. The so-called ‘mandate of Heaven’ just means ‘a lofty mission’: ‘The virtues of ghosts and gods are truly great!’ is to tell his disciples the meaning of sacrifices. Confucius refused to discuss ghosts and gods many times in the Analects, which may be close to atheism, but due to the factors of the times, Confucius was not willing to state it directly.