The Way of the Mean in Dealing with Life

Author: Shui Chengbing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: "The Doctrine of the Mean" is not an outdated relic nor does it lag behind the times or changes in people's thinking. On the contrary, it is the fundamental method of conduct and the basic path to achieving "harmony." This book aims to combine the philosophy of "The Doctrine of the Mean" and reinterpret its practically meaningful aspects from the perspectives of self-cultivation and social interaction, "taking the essence and discarding the dross," to find common ground with modern society and modern people. This is done to better serve modern people as references, thereby achieving true harmony among people, society, and all things.
The core of Confucius's "Doctrine of the Mean" lies in recognizing the contradictions and opposition of things, advocating "holding the mean" and "using the mean" in conduct. This does not mean subjectively excluding or eliminating contradictions, as the "two extremes" of contradictions are always objectively present. Moreover, Confucius believed that "the mean" is not absolute but changes with time and external circumstances, hence he introduced the concept of "timely mean."
"The Doctrine of the Mean" states: "The Master said: The mean of a gentleman is the timely mean; the mean of a petty man is the unscrupulous." In the Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi explained "timely mean" as follows: "The mean has no fixed form; it varies with the times, which is the ordinary principle." In other words, it is "mean because of time" and "mean because of place."
The "Doctrine of the Mean," established by Confucius in Confucianism, has a humanistic nature. "Man" has always been the object of Confucius's thought and concern. The "Doctrine of the Mean" still plays a positive role in how modern people handle relationships with society, family, friends, colleagues, and the opposite sex. This is something that anyone who has inevitable connections with the outside world cannot deny.