[dr. setiawan] living for the greater good: the moral foundation for inspiring innovative change

LIVING FOR THE GREATER GOOD: THE MORAL FOUNDATION FOR INSPIRING

INNOVATIVE CHANGE

PRESENTED BY

CHANDRA SETIAWAN

THE SCOPE OF PRESENTATION

• I. Introduction• II. To Be Human• III. The Confucian perspective of Human

Nature• IV. The concept of Virtue• V. Superior Man/Junzi• VI. Closing remarks

I. INTRODUCTION• Different people see life differently, and each

of us has to find his own pathway to meaning.

• The meaning of life should not be something abstract, but should help us to live our own unique life to the fullest.

• Religious people find that faith in God gives their life meaning and purpose and helps them find courage and strength to face problem and to bear suffering and disaster.

(Bitinas, Bronislav (editor), My Journey in Life, 2001)

II. To Be Human• What does it mean to be a good person? • There are different answers• Why should I be good?• Why cannot I live just as I please?• It is because being good means being human.

Human nature is good. Humans are originally good. (Mencius)

• If we choose some other way, sooner or later we will face the consequences of our choice

III. The Confucian perspective of Human Nature

• To start discuss the Way of human beings, we must start with a moral concept, de (virtue).

• The ability and power must also be cultivated by individuals, and thus de became ‘a moral-making property of a person’ that is able to give the person ‘psychic power or influence over others, and sometimes even over one’s nonhuman surroundings’ (Nivison, 1996:17, as cited by Yao, Xinzhong,2001:155)

IV. The concept of Virtue• Virtue is not only a quality, but also an ability

to transform oneself and a power to transform others.

• Life as a whole is a process of development from the latter to the former, the goal of which is to become a sage or to become a superior man (Junzi).

• A sage is believed to have manifested the greatest virtue which corresponds to Almighty God and to have been given the blessing of God.

V. Superior Man/Junzi…1

• A sage is morally perfect and intellectually brilliant, and in carrying out the Way of Heaven in the human world he ‘extensively confers benefit on the people and sends relief to all (Lunyu, 6:30).

• Junzi is ideal person, who any of us, rich or poor, has the potential to become.

• The superior man learns in order to attain to the utmost of his principles.


• The superior man is everything puts forth his utmost endeavours.

• The superior man must make his thoughts sincere.

• What the superior man requires is that in what he says there may be nothing inaccurate.

• The superior man must be watchful over himself when alone.


• The object of the superior man is truth.• The superior man is catholic and not partisan.• The superior man thinks of virtue; the

ordinary man thinks of comfort.• The mind of superior man is conversant with

righteousness.• The superior man wishes to be slow in his

words and earnest in his conduct.


• The superior man is satisfied and composed; the ordinary man is always full of distress.

• The superior man has neither anxiety nor fear.

• The superior man has dignifies ease without pride, the ordinary man has pride without ease.

• The superior man is correctly firm and not merely firm.

V. Superior Man/Junzi…5• The superior man is affable but not adulatory• The progress of the superior man is upward,

the progress of the ordinary man is downward.

• The superior man cannot be known in little matters, but may be entrusted with great concern.

• The faults of the superior man are like the sun and moon.

V. Superior Man/Junzi…6• The superior man seeks to develop the

admirable qualities of men and does not seek to develop their evil qualities

• The superior man honours talent and virtue and bears with all. He praises the good and pities the incompetent. The superior man does not promote a man on account of his words, nor does he put aside good words on account of the man.

V. Superior Man/Junzi…7• To be able to judge others what is in

ourselves, this may be called the art of virtue• The superior man cultivates to the utmost

the capabilities of his nature and exercises them on the principle of reciprocity, he is not far from the path. “Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire”.


• The practice of right-living is deemed the highest. Complete virtue takes first place; the doing of anything else whatsoever is subordinate.

• The superior man conforms with the path of the mean.

VI. Closing remarks…1

• From the highest to the lowest self-development must be deemed the root of all, by every man.

• When the root is neglected, it cannot be that what springs from it will be well-ordered (The Great Learning).

• To pursue the art of life was possible for every man, all being of like passions and in more things like than different.


• Confucius revealed the process, step by step, by which self-development is attained and by which is flows over into the common life to serve the state and to bless mankind.

• The ancients when they wished to exemplify illustrious virtue throughout the world, he first ordered well their states. Desiring to order well their states, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated themselves. Wishing to cultivate themselves, they first rectified their purposes. Wishing to rectify their purposes, they first sought to think sincerely. Wishing to think sincerely, they first extended their knowledge as widely as possible. This they did by investigation of things.

VI. Closing remarks…3• “By investigating of things, their knowledge became

extensive; their knowledge being extensive, their thoughts became sincere; their thoughts being sincere, their purposes were rectified; their purposes being rectified, they cultivate themselves; they being cultivated, their families were regulated; their families being regulated, their states were rightly governed; their states being rightly governed, the world was thereby tranquil and prosperous (Great Learning, 4,5)

VI. Closing remarks…4• To implement LIVING FOR THE GREATER GOOD as THE MORAL

FOUNDATION FOR INSPIRING INNOVATIVE CHANGE, according to Confucius the character that has to be uphold as follows:

• Investigation of phenomena• Learning• Sincerity• Rectitude of purpose• Self-development• Family discipline• Local self-government• Universal self-government


• The five qualities essential to perfect virtue (Analects, XVII: 6)

RespectMagnanimitySincerityEarnestnessKindness

REFERENCES• Bitinas, Bronislav (editor) (2001). My Journey in Life,

International Education Foundation• Chan, Alan K.L. (2002). Mencius Contexts and

Interpretations, University of Hawai’i Press• Dan, Yu (translated by Esther Tyldesley)(2009).

Confucius from the Heart, Macmillan• Dawson, M.N (1915). The Ethics of Confucius, at

sacred-texts.com• Yao, XinZhong (2001). An Introduction to

Confucianism, Cambridge University Press.