Topic > The philosophical concepts of Confucius and Plato

Philosophy is widely known throughout the world and famous philosophers come from all over the world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In the Analects, Confucius believes that an exemplary person (junzi) is one who believes in and practices every aspect of filial piety and ritual propriety and humanity. He was someone who believed in maintaining and respecting the relationship one has with his family. He also believed in constantly improving oneself. In Phaedo, Plato followed Socrates' school of thought. Socrates' definition of philosophy was discovering the truth and resisting worldly pleasures. He believed that death is the moment we will achieve true knowledge. Socrates describes philosophy as a “cultivation of death” (81a) and therefore as a “purification” of the soul (66b-67b). He believes that a philosopher should abstain from physical pleasures so as to ensure the well-being of the soul (64d) as he believes that the soul continues to live after the death of the body. While Plato believed and was focused on life after death, Confucius claimed that the afterlife was beyond human understanding. Plato's belief in life after death is supported by Socrates' arguments that the soul is immortal. Socrates strengthens his thesis through three main arguments: the argument from cyclical processes, the theory of memory, and the argument from affinity. Confucius, on the other hand, was more focused on the present instead of the future. Confucius reinforces the point that we must cultivate our “ren,” or free ourselves from worry, unhappiness, and show self-control. This is, in a way, similar to Plato's thinking in that we should free ourselves from worldly pleasures. This is because he believes that our soul continues to live even after the death of our mortal body. Hence, Plato believed in freeing our mind and body from the emotions and pleasures of this world. Plato believed in detaching the soul from the body and spending one's entire life achieving it. He believed in clear thinking and the rational mind, which is why he sent his wife and son away while he was in prison. In his final hours, Plato shows how Socrates discussed philosophical questions with his friends instead of spending time with his family. Confucius, on the other hand, believed that the attitude one shows towards one's parents and family members is extremely important. He would most likely have spent time with his family members during his final hours. In this sense, he would most likely not describe Plato as a person who values ​​his family members more than anything else. As someone who believes that one must take care of their family members, especially their parents (), the act of suicide would definitely cause pain to the parents and affect the family's reputation. Plato did not believe in suicide and believed that this was wrong (REASON). This was similar to what Confucius felt and therefore Confucius might describe Plato as a 'junzi'. Confucius believed that an exemplary person is “steadfast in the face of adversity” (15.2). In Phaedo, Socrates was seen facing death fearlessly and did not back down from the jury's decision. He was also given the opportunity to escape from the cell but chose not to. Faced with one of the worst adversities, Socrates did not back down and remained lucid even during the last hours of his life. The idea of ​​facing death as calmly as possible seemed to be really important to Plato. As such, Confucius may refer to Plato as a "junzi". However, it should be noted that in Phaedo, the character of).