Comments on: Voices from China’s Past: Confucius on priorities http://granitestudio.org/2008/06/13/voices-from-chinas-past-confucius-on-priorities/ A Qing historian reads the newspaper... Sat, 02 Jul 2011 03:31:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jeremiah http://granitestudio.org/2008/06/13/voices-from-chinas-past-confucius-on-priorities/comment-page-1/#comment-2058 Jeremiah Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:39:58 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/2008/06/13/voices-from-chinas-past-confucius-on-priorities/#comment-2058 Phil, Good point. The driving idea behind this post was a tendency in the PRC to think in terms of 'priorities' rather than 'principles.' Perhaps I should have made the distinction clearer. Thanks for stopping by. Phil,

Good point. The driving idea behind this post was a tendency in the PRC to think in terms of ‘priorities’ rather than ‘principles.’ Perhaps I should have made the distinction clearer. Thanks for stopping by.

]]> By: Phil http://granitestudio.org/2008/06/13/voices-from-chinas-past-confucius-on-priorities/comment-page-1/#comment-2057 Phil Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:28:49 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/2008/06/13/voices-from-chinas-past-confucius-on-priorities/#comment-2057 I just love classical Chinese. Can you imagine Zigong just turning up to class one day, plonking himself down on the floor, and saying one word: "Zheng?" (or whatever the pronunciation was in Old Chinese). To be honest, though, it seems like a bit of a misreading to say Franklin was prioritizing. Franklin doesn't seem to think that "temporary safety" is a goal at all. All he's saying here is that if you give up your principles, you're a bad type. And Confucius would be with him all the way on that, though they'd disagree on what the principles are. I just love classical Chinese. Can you imagine Zigong just turning up to class one day, plonking himself down on the floor, and saying one word: “Zheng?” (or whatever the pronunciation was in Old Chinese).
To be honest, though, it seems like a bit of a misreading to say Franklin was prioritizing. Franklin doesn’t seem to think that “temporary safety” is a goal at all. All he’s saying here is that if you give up your principles, you’re a bad type. And Confucius would be with him all the way on that, though they’d disagree on what the principles are.

]]> By: Charles Frith http://granitestudio.org/2008/06/13/voices-from-chinas-past-confucius-on-priorities/comment-page-1/#comment-2035 Charles Frith Sat, 14 Jun 2008 08:01:03 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/2008/06/13/voices-from-chinas-past-confucius-on-priorities/#comment-2035 I'd never thought about it as priorities but more as ideals. But I like the idea that ideals have priorities. Like everything else. I’d never thought about it as priorities but more as ideals. But I like the idea that ideals have priorities. Like everything else.

]]> By: Charles Edward Frith http://granitestudio.org/2008/06/13/voices-from-chinas-past-confucius-on-priorities/comment-page-1/#comment-13146 Charles Edward Frith Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:04:04 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/2008/06/13/voices-from-chinas-past-confucius-on-priorities/#comment-13146 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">子貢問「政」。子曰:「足食,足兵,民信之矣。」子貢曰:「必不得已而去,於斯三者何先?」曰:「去兵。」子貢曰:「必不得已而去,於斯二者何先?」曰:「去食;自古皆有死;民無信不立 http://is.gd/xeZ</span></span> 子貢問「政」。子曰:「足食,足兵,民信之矣。」子貢曰:「必不得已而去,於斯三者何先?」曰:「去兵。」子貢曰:「必不得已而去,於斯二者何先?」曰:「去食;自古皆有死;民無信不立 http://is.gd/xeZ

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