A Study on Propriety Amusement’s Pragmatics in the Analects

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to find out propriety amusement’s pragmatics in the Analects of Confucius. While Confucius grew up, Propriety amusement referred to the three aspects of life: sacrificing to the gods, social and political institutions, and daily behavior. It was believed that Propriety amusement originated from the heavens. Confucius taught that Propriety flowed not from heaven but from humanity. Yet the rules of propriety are essential for a public common society. A person who restrains his actions according to the Propriety amusement will certainly build good character through religious education like humane benevolence. Humaneness can be translated variously as humaneness, benevolence or kindness. Confucian propriety amusement is based upon empathy and understanding other people, rather than following divinely music sound. Furthermore, the heart that is humane provides the emotional basis for propriety amusement. To live with humaneness requires keeping the Confucian version of the Golden Rule: Treat others as you would want them to treat you. Confucius’s teachings were later turned into a corps de doctrine by his numerous disciples and followers. Although Confucius spoke about discovering ones’ station, he was a strong advocate of education and believed that propriety amusement could produce better people. Although we are born poor in a farming community, but we might discover that our real station is as a civil servant in public common world through religious education pragmatics of propriety amusement. The civil service was a meritocracy that could enter public common world. We can utilize propriety amusement’s pragmatics to improve the rational reason, emotional intelligence, spiritual integration of educational participants. When propriety amusement thought was applied to conduct, there was expected to be rational inner-outer communication, oneself-others harmony, benevolent mind conversance. The propriety amusement’s pragmatics can become effective in enhancing the spiritual category of the religious educational participants.