China Philo Pragmatism and Philosophy

China Philo

Pragmatism and Philosophy in Ancient China: The Need to Marry Virtue with Practicality

Virtue, in many modern perspectives, can only truly be demonstrated when it is inconvenient. That is, the virtue of generosity (if it is considered a virtue) is easy to hold when someone has a great deal of abundance to share, and can only be confirmed when someone gives generously despite having little left for themselves. In several of the political and philosophical epochs of ancient China, both a conflict and an eventual marriage between the practical needs of the time and the virtues espoused by philosophers can be observed.

The conflict can be most readily observed in the debates between the Confucian scholars and the government minister in the regime that followed Emperor Wu's, in which the government involvement in -- monopoly of, in truth -- salt, iron, and liquor production was discussed and contended. While the Confucian scholars that are meant to advise the court argue for a return to simple virtue and honesty as a means of ensuring that the country can prosper and that its enemies will stop causing trouble and grief, the minister counters with evidence of cross-border raids and other problems that require monetary attention. There is a strong element of practicality n the Confucians' advice, who insist that "the king who practices benevolent government has no enemies anywhere," but their adherence to virtues seems somewhat blind to the real and pressing pragmatic issues the kingdom faces (the Debate on Salt and Iron, p. 61).

Confucian theory and philosophy continued to hugely inform Chinese politics, however, and a stronger marriage between Confucian virtues and the immediate pragmatic needs of government and of smaller-scale situations quite clearly emerged. The "Classic on Filial Piety," though purported to be a record as old as Confucius himself (and a direct recording of his ideals), provides evidence of this growing marriage and recognition of the practical in the early Han dynasty. Almost all of the advice or moral guidance given here, such as "In serving his superior the man of honor makes every effort to be faithful when he is in office," is geared towards making things runs smoothly in a practical fashion (Classic of Filial Piety, p. 68). Virtue is still important for virtue's sake, but is directly tied to practicality and pragmatism.