Adoption of Confucian’s Junzi in the Face of Increasing International Protests

Name
Prof
Course Name
Due Date
Adoption of Confucian’s Junzi in the Face of Increasing International Protests
According to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, since 2010, the list of countries hit by major protests includes more than 60 states spanning across every continent. In 2015 alone, protests began in Brazil, Japan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bosnia, Venezuela, and Lebanon. A common theme in the protest is that citizens are challenging fundamental policies and structures of power, intending to establish social transformation in the face of widening inequality (Carothers and Youngs). While the protests highlight the shortcomings of both local and international leaders in achieving social, political, and economic transformation, they do not always change societal morals. The role of each individual, be it leaders, protesters, or an observer, is first to understand themselves, as suggested by Confucian (Yu 71). In the face of these protests, the making or grounding of the human through learning, moral self-cultivation, and public service, with the critical Confucian notion of Junzi as a socially transformative idea and action, may enhance the protesters’ desired outcomes.
Confucian’s Junzi
Politics and political power are at the center of these protests. Communities across the globe are increasingly dissatisfied with the distribution of political power and the ineptness of political leaders and decision-makers on the fundamental issues affecting the average citizen. However, politics is only an extension of morals (Radice 4). The moral characteristics of people in a society are reflected in the people elected as leaders in political circles. Essentially, people in political leadership positions are a sample population of the people who elect them. Therefore, they reflect the morals exhibited by the population, be it consciously or subconsciously. Therefore, the election of benevolent leaders is far more effective if the individual citizenry is also morally right.
A benevolent leader is aware of the happenings around them and assumes the creator of all aspects of their life. Such leaders are pragmatic, have generosity of spirit, and projects different futures for self and the led based on the leaders’ awareness of limitless possibilities (Karakas and Sarigollu). The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines benevolence as the disposition to do good or an act of kindness. For instance, a king or a leader can be known for their benevolence. It involves leaders doing the right thing for the well-being of their subjects regardless of the impact of the actions on their political position. Benevolence is at the heart of Confucian Jinzu (Yu 16). Confucian argued that Benevolence is the most important moral quality an individual can possess. It adopts the same principle taught in religious education, particularly Christianity, that people should not impose onto others what they do not desire themselves (17) and that people should love fellow people (18).
Application of Confucian’s Junzi
In Confucianism, the ideal personality of every individual is the sage. However, due to a range of societal structures, sagehood is extremely difficult to attain. As an alternative, Co...