As an important element of Confucianism, Zhi (Chinese: 智; English: Wisdom) has always been valued.
Confucius first regarded Zhi as one of the must-have virtues of a Junzi (君子).
Later, Confucian scholars such as Mencius and Dong Zhongshu (董仲舒) skilfully integrated Zhi into their system of moral theory, making it as important as Ren (仁). It demonstrates that Zhi is one of Confucianism’s core elements and even the Chinese nation’s traditional virtues.
The meaning of Zhi
In ancient times, Zhi (wisdom) and “knowledge” delivered the same meaning: to know and understand society and oneself, right from wrong, and good from evil. In Confucianism, Zhi is primarily deemed a moral quality and a moral code.
Confucius used to explain Zhi as “having no confusion.”
In The Analects of Confucius, Confucius says: “The wise are not confused, the benevolent are not worried, and the brave are not afraid.”
That is to say, wise men can deeply understand knowledge and gain insights into the wisdom of dealing with people but can master the true meaning and value of life. That is why they can behave with a clear mind without losing the direction of the way ahead.
From this, we can see that what Confucius called Zhi is mainly about moral cognition or moral rationality.
Mencius then clearly defined Zhi. He considered Zhi to be one of men’s innate good qualities. Mencius once said that the ability to distinguish between right and wrong showed the beginning of acquiring wisdom.
He also pointed out that the core of Zhi lies in the profound understanding of and adherence to the principles of Ren and Yi (义).
Thus, Mencius’s understanding of Zhi is also closely associated with people’s moral cognition or moral rationality instead of objective laws.
Xunzi, on the other hand, inherited the idea of Zhi from Confucius and Mencius. However, unlike them, Xunzi views Zhi as the wisdom of morality and knowledge.
He once put it that the capability of knowing things, which was inherent in human beings, was called perception, and the conformity of perception with what was known was called wisdom.
In general, Confucianism emphasizes Zhi mainly on the moral level, and its purpose is to cultivate people’s moral judgment and insight.
The value of Zhi
First of all, according to Confucianism, the value and importance of Zhi lie in its ability to enable people to know what they can and cannot do.
As Xunzi pointed out, everyone should know what honor and shame are and regulate their behaviors. When you feel ashamed, you should turn it into motivation and address the challenges bravely.
Secondly, Confucianism suggests that the value of Zhi is to empower individuals to become idealized human beings who are immune from mundane affairs, that is, a “sage” or a “virtuous man.”
Confucius mentioned that “A good man is content to be good; a wise man knows it pays to be good.”
Moreover, Mencius also asserted that Ren and Zhi are the two basic requirements to become a “sage.” He once praised Confucius as a sage.
Therefore, Ren and Zhi have always been important qualities for an ideal personality in line with Confucianism.
In short, Zhi as an ability can be expressed in different ways, such as the wisdom to defeat the enemy, govern the country, deal with people, and know oneself and others.
Confucianism deems Zhi primarily as a virtue and emphasizes its importance in life, especially in developing capabilities and self-improvement.