Abstract:

The Ru predated Confucius. As the founder of the Confucian school and the figure who revitalized the Ru community, Confucius made a pioneering contribution by reforming the “old Ru” and shaping the “new Ru.” This process began with his reflection on and transformation of the “xiaoren Ru” (“petty Ru”) and was carried forward as the Seventy Disciples and their later followers, Mencius, and Xunzi refined and perfected the “junzi Ru” (“gentleman Ru”). Later Confucians followed Confucius’s approach but placed different emphases on the character of the Ru in light of new historical conditions. “Ru Xing” (“The Conduct of the Ru”) in the Book of Rites exalts the transcendence of the Ru, stressing the capacity to rise above immediate political realities; “Ru Xiao” (“The Efficacy of the Ru”) in the Xunzi, by contrast, highlights the political character of the Ru and the commitment to ordering and engaging the world. These portrayals and discussions not only reveal the Confucians’ profound reflection on what it means to be a Ru but also embody their understanding and reaffirmation of Confucian purpose. The movement from “Ru Xing” to “Ru Xiao” demonstrates the connotation change of the “Ru, ” reflects a reorientation of the Confucian community’s value pursuits, and implicitly signals a transformation in the trajectory of pre-Qin Confucian thought.

Key words: Ru, “Ru Xing” (“The Conduct of the Ru”), transcendence, “Ru Xiao” (“The Efficacy of the Ru”), political character