Daily I examine myself on three counts. In my undertakings on behalf of other people, have I failed to do my utmost? In my interactions with colleagues and friends, have I failed to make good on my word? In what has been passed on to me, have I failed to carry it into practice? (Confucius 1:4)
In this blog I continue my reflections on the enrichment of approaches to youth work philosophy, ethics and practice made possible by paying attention to themes and insights of Chinese philosophy. This focus on themes specifically relevant to the philosophy and practice of youth work requires us to keep in view key ideas and approaches described in previous blogs in this series. After all, the sorts of qualities we look to cultivate in young people – ‘excellent habits of the heart-and-mind’ – are the things we look to practice in our professional (and personal) lives. And, again, we share the same features of life: sorrows, stresses, joys; navigation of relationships; working out the best path through our lives.The foundations and requirements to live our values, to live a/the ‘good life’, are the same: recognition of our interconnectedness with/in the natural and social world; the creation of dwelling places where there is enough, for all; and providing a nurturing environment to support ‘human becomings’.
Kerry Young (2010: 6) pointed out that youth workers, in order to become equipped to do moral philosophy with young people ‘need to themselves develop the knowledge, skills and dispositions to engage with young people in the process of moral philosophising.’ In this sense, the ‘training and development of youth workers’ (I would stipulate the education of youth workers) … ‘needs to provide them with opportunities for their own self-exploration, examination of their own values, development of their own critical skills and enlargement of their own capacity for moral philosophy’.
To this ‘capacity’ I would add a sound understanding of and appreciation for our interconnectedness with the natural environment, and the implications of the Anthropocene/Capitalocene for young people.
(More) philosophical touchstones for youth work practice.
The Confucian classic ‘Da Xue’ offers as a guiding principle for ethical conduct: ‘dedicating oneself to doing what is best’ (Zhu 1969, cited in Ames 2017). An aspiration that might be familiar from any number of ethical systems. Yet this simple-sounding precept encompasses a complex of foundational attitudes, qualities, and skills that underpin the cultivation of the self in Confucian philosophy.
As outlined in the previous blog, central to Confucian philosophy is the cultivation of the self, which is directed towards the development of traits and practices such as human-heartedness (benevolence), wisdom, courage, being reliable in word, diligence and generosity. Most immediately relevant for the education and on-going practice of youth workers is the learning and cultivation of knowledge and skills, including the ‘skills of moral deliberation’ (Lai 2008: 50) which are to be practiced according to the context – the situated setting. Learning, reading and thinking – critically analysing and reflecting on learning and experience – provide the guide in responding to situations and people.
Love of learning.
Confucius’ declaration that “from fifteen, my heart-and-mind was set upon learning” (2.4) describes the beginning of a life-long love of, and commitment to learning. The passage goes on to describe his own journey (dao) of learning and self-cultivation, until at seventy he could, he declared, ‘give my heart-and-mind free rein without overstepping the boundaries’.
The love of learning is an animating force throughout the Analects:
The Master said: “Having studied, to then repeatedly apply what you have learned – is this not a source of pleasure?” (1.1)
Zixia, a follower of Confucius, is quoted in the Analects as observing that a:
“person can be said to truly love learning …who, on a daily basis, is aware of what is yet to be learned, and who, from month to month, does not forget what has already been mastered” (19.5)
“Learn broadly yet be focused in your purposes; inquire with urgency yet reflect closely on the questions at hand” (19.6)
Learning is deeply embedded within the practice of reflection:
‘Learning without due reflection leads to perplexity; reflection without learning leads to perilous circumstances’ (2.15).
The Confucian literature is replete with examples of reflection on learning in different settings and applied to diverse scenarios, examples which could offer fresh perspectives on reflective practice in youth work contexts. Chengzi, a medieval philosopher, reminds students to:
“Learn broadly, ask searchingly, reflect carefully, distinguish clearly, and act earnestly. To be lacking in one of these is to fail to learn”
Ideas about the nature of thought, understanding, and learning are reflected in the reference to the ‘heart-and-mind’ – ‘xin’, translated in different contexts as ‘heart’, or ‘mind’, or ‘thought’, and increasingly as ‘heart-and-mind’. Western ideas about reasoning are still burdened with a notion of a rational/emotional dichotomy, privileging a ‘rational’ thinking process that is assumed to be ‘in control of’ emotions, or, better, to be able to ‘set them aside’. Unencumbered by the emotion-reason (mind-body) dualism predominant in western thinking with its requirement to separate the emotions from ‘rational’ thought, Chinese traditions incorporate an assumption that thinking and reasoning is a ‘heart-mind’, or thinking-and feeling, and are ‘co-present and inseparable’ (Hall and Ames 1998: 90).
Learning and reflection are also directed towards self knowledge, and ultimately to self correction if required; a prospect Confucius at times seems to be pessimistic about:
“My my! I have yet to meet anyone who, on seeing their own excesses, is ready to accuse themselves.” (5.27)
Love of teaching
For Confucius a commitment to learning is aligned with a love of teaching.
“To quietly persevere in storing up what is learned, to continue studying without respite, to instruct others without growing weary – is this not me?” (7.2).
Confucius teaching students at the Apricot Tree Forum, https://www.silkqin.com/01mywk/themes/conf.htm
Confucius is said to have:
“been driven with such eagerness to teach and learn that he forgets to eat” (7.19)
He was an exacting teacher, demanding a similar commitment of his students:
“I do not open the way for students who are not driven with eagerness; I do not supply a vocabulary for students who are not trying desperately to find a language for their ideas” (7.8).
Learning and teaching is not just about assimilating and recapitulating learning from the past – ‘The Master said “Exemplary persons (junzi) are not mere vessels”’ (2.12) – but is dynamic and creative, and emphasises:
“[r]eviewing the old as a means of realising the new’ – such a person can be considered a teacher.’
Ames and Rosemont (1998) observe that ‘Confucius is keen to maintain a distinction between education and training’. Personal cultivation is not a matter of acquiring specific skills, but of developing one’s character, an undertaking that encompasses the commitment to study and reflective practice.
Doing one’s utmost
Fundamental to good practice is the commitment to ‘doing one’s utmost’, as captured in the quotation heading this blog. Master Zheng said:
“The way of the Master is doing one’s utmost and putting oneself in the other’s place, nothing more” (4.15).
Doing one’s utmost is social in nature, directed to the honouring of one’s responsibilities to other people. Becoming ‘as good a person as possible’. For Confucius this was expressed as his desire to:
“bring peace and contentment to the aged, to share relationships of trust and confidence with my friends, and to love and protect the young.” (5.21).
Confucius has little patience with those who talk big, but fail to follow up their talk with action:
“exemplary persons would feel shame if their words were better than their deeds” (14.27).
Having an understanding of what is required, and neglecting to act on that understanding displays an ethical failure:
“Failing to act on what is seen as appropriate … is a want of courage” (2.24).
“To fail to cultivate excellence (…), to fail to practice what I learn, on coming to understand what is appropriate (…) in the circumstances to fail to attend to it, and to be unable to reform conduct that is not productive – these things I worry over” (7.3).
Doing one’s utmost is expressed in the most pragmatic terms. The Master said:
“Do I possess wisdom…? No, I do not. But if a simple peasant puts a question to me, and I come up empty, I attack the question from both ends until I have gotten to the bottom of it” (9.8).
Situated ethics.
These qualities, skills and practices prepare the ground for independent thought and judgement. Philosophical study and reflection is dedicated, not to the ‘seeking of essential ‘truths’, but to ‘way-seeking:‘ ‘what/where is the way?’ (for example, to order the state, for the proper conduct of personal life, being in the world).
‘Exemplary persons … in making their way in the world are neither bent on nor against anything; rather, they go with what is appropriate’ (4.10).
While striving for harmony with others, the Confucian ‘authoritative’ or ‘consummate’ person (ren) nevertheless has cultivated the skills and developed the character to maintain an independent position when the situation calls for it. In a youth work context for example, this might mean refusing to accept entrenched poor workplace culture and practices. Confucius emphasises non-coercive action, akin to Daoist wuwei. The model is to lead by example, to examine and reflect on others’ actions. This is a collective undertaking, involving discussion with others – followers, students, colleagues.
In the Analects examples of situated ethics illustrate Confucius responding differently according to different circumstances, or, as in 11.22, the disposition or qualities of the person being advised. In this situation Confucius gave different answers to two people asking the same question. He explained his reasoning:
“Ranyou is diffident, and so I urged him on. But Zilu has the energy of two, so I sought to rein him in.”
Dedicating oneself to doing what is best; doing one’s utmost; developing excellent habits of the heart-and-mind and a love of learning and reflection on that learning. Working towards harmony (incorporating ‘harmonious difference’) while maintaining independence of thought and judgment. These provide sound way markers in the development of good practice in youth work.
In the following (final) blog in this series I take up and extend Kerry Young’s conception of youth work as an ‘art’ to explore how this idea connects with, and might be extended through an understanding and embrace of the essentially aesthetic character of Chinese philosophical traditions.
Confucius say that Confucius keep trying
byu/EndersGame_Reviewer inTheFarSide