THE TEACHINGS OF CONFUCIUS.*
DR. CHEN HUAN-CHANG, former Secretary of the Grand Secretariat at Peking, and subsequently a student at the Columbia University at New York, has produced, with the aid of various American friends, a treatise on the prin- ciples of Confucius and his school. In his preface Dr. Chen says that this treatise is "a study of the old regime in China—a survey of the Chinese thought and Chinese institutions which developed independently of the Occident." He goes on to explain how he has performed the office of a miner in digging in Confucian writings to extract the rich ore which that great mountain contains. He has at any rate succeeded in producing two volumes which possess a considerable interest to Occidental readers. Although the book professedly deals only with the economic writings of Confucius it really covers much wider ground. For example, the whole question of the position of women in the social life of the community is dealt with, and the Suffragette of to-day will be interested to learn that Confucius was in some ways an even more advanced thinker than any of the leaders of the "Votes for Women" move- ment. Dr. Chen thus sums up the teaching of Confucius : "The position of women is this : fundamentally woman is the equal of man. But in the disorderly stage the separation of the two sexes is advisable ; in the advancing peace stage social intercourse between the sexes is suitable ; in the extreme peace stage the absolute independence of woman is most lovely and just." Confucius was logical enough to see that the absolute independence of woman involved State maintenance of children. This was the final stage in human development to which he apparently looked forward. In this stage marriage as a permanent tie was to be abolished, and unions were to be temporary, on the basis that an agreement to live together should not be for longer than one year or less than one month. During the long inter- mediate period through which the world has to pass before this final stage is reached the sexes are to remain socially separate except for occasional meetings. Among these rare opportunities for social intercourse Confucius mentions that during the winter men and women may work together at weaving in the same street from evening till midnight. He adds in the words of our author : "Moreover, during these four months whenever men and women have any dissatis- faction the two sexes may sing together to express their discontent. This affords great freedom of social contact of the two sexes." This is not the only reference to singing as a method of expressing discontent. Confucius attached very great importance to singing and poetry as an instrument of government. He says that in an Imperial democracy the Government must be ruled by public opinion, and, in order to bring public opinion to bear, songs are to be composed, and these songs, after being transferred from the village to the town, then to the capital of the feudal
• The Economic Principles of Confacius' and his School. By Chen Huan- Chang, Ph.D. 2 vols. New York : Columbia University. London Long- man; Green $ CO. [Brice 86.00..]
States, at last come to the ears of the Imperial Government. " After the Grand Music Master has arranged the poetry according to its style and tune, it is presented to the Emperor. Therefore, even if the Emperor does not go out of the door, he understands all the grievances of the Empire. Hence poetry forms the basis of government." On the purely economic side there is much sound wisdom in the writings of Confucius, but what is specially valuable is the stress he lays upon the necessary connexion between ethics and economics. The following passage in which Dr. Chen summarizes the teachings of Confucius is well worth quoting :-
"If the getting of food were their sole aim, or escaping from death their highest ideal, they would do anything in any way for the sake of their lowest self. Without faith the world would be a wilderness; no one would trust others, and every one would be an enemy to others. Society could not exist ; and, at last, not even the individual could exist. Only the strongest would survive. In the beginning the people would sacrifice their faith to escape death; but ultimately they would fall together into death because they had no faith."
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