The theory of benevolence and justice:Confucian version of emotive justice
Both the Western and Eastern philosophical traditions have a lineage of theories on justice,some of which integrate emotional ethics,yet significant discrepancies exist between the two.As a secondary theory of"practical Confucianism,"the fundamental ethical doctrine of Confucianism,Chinese justice theory,is essentially a form of emotive justice.However,its core is not merely general emotions,but the specific emotions of benevolence and love,hence the appellation"Theory of Benevolence and Justice"-the Confucian iteration of emotive justice.This theory elucidates all social justice issues through the emotion of benevolence.Its key lies in distinguishing between two dimensions of benevolence:love following a spectrum of descending priority and universal benevolence.Conflicts of interest as a result of the former is the exact cause of justice issues;the resolution is the latter——love that transcends the ties of family,friends and neighbors to include everyone and everything.The underlying mechanism of the transcendence is"emotional extension."First,moral sense is developed through emotional reasoning.Then,rationalization of the moral sense constitutes the principle of justice which includes the legitimacy principle of universal love,and the propriety principle stemming from the lived experience.Ultimately,this culminates in the"rites and music"culture,which utilizes instrumental rationality to construct social norms and the corresponding systems(rites);concomitantly,it employs artistic forms(music)to alleviate emotional estrangement caused by social role differentiation,thus fostering emotional"concord"and social harmony.
NETL
NSTL
万方数据
