The word junzi ( or "Son of the

Vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...

, or Monarch") is a Chinese philosophical term often translated as "

gentleman ''Gentleman'' (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man; abbreviated ''gent.'') is a term for a chivalrous, courteous, or honorable man. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire ...

", "superior person",Sometimes "exemplary person". Paul R. Goldin translates it "noble man" in an attempt to capture both its early political and later moral meaning. Cf.
Confucian Key Terms: Junzi
". or "noble man". Since the characters are overtly gendered, the term is frequently translated as "gentleman"; gentry and distinguished/moral person are common gender-neutral translations. Traditionally referring to the "aristocratic nobility of the Zhou", ''Junzi'' is employed in the Book of Changes to mean a superior man, and by

Confucius Confucius (; pinyin: ; ; ), born Kong Qiu (), was a Chinese philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. Much of the shared cultural heritage of the Sinosphere originates in the phil ...

in his works to describe a virtuous person with noble characters.

In Confucianism

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, Religious Confucianism, religion, theory of government, or way of li ...

, the ideal personality is the 聖 ''shèng'', translated as saint or sage. However, since sagehood is unattainable for most people, Confucius articulated a less demanding ideal of a cultured and moral life, using the term ''junzi''—originally denoting a member of the nobility—to refer to anyone who embodies this ideal, regardless of social status. ''Junzi'' acts according to proper conduct (禮, ''li)'' to bring about harmony (和, ''hé''), which Confucianism maintains should rule the home, society, and the state. ''Li'' primarily has to do with social expectations, both in terms of the formal behavior and the execution of religious rites and imperial ceremonies also proper conduct in human relationships. Confucius considered a ''junzi'' to be someone who embodies humanity – one who possesses a totality of the highest human qualities. He elaborated that ''junzi'' embody the concept of ''ren'' (仁, ''rén'') and outlined specific qualities they have, recorded by his disciples in the ''Analects''. A ''junzi'' embodies moral superiority by adhering to the ritual code of the tradition, displaying respect and dignity towards others, and striving for virtues such as humility, sincerity, trustworthiness, righteousness, and compassion.

Zhu Xi Zhu Xi ( zh, c=朱熹; ; October 18, 1130April 23, 1200), formerly romanized Chu Hsi, was a Chinese philosopher, historian, politician, poet, and calligrapher of the Southern Song dynasty. As a leading figure in the development of Neo-Confuci ...

categorized the ''junzi'' as second only to the sage. ''Junzi'' have many characteristics. A ''junzi'' does not compromise his virtues even in poverty; a ''junzi's'' actions speaks louder than his words; a ''junzi'' is loyal, obedient and knowledgeable. A ''junzi'' disciplines himself. According to

Mencius Mencius (孟子, ''Mèngzǐ'', ; ) was a Chinese Confucian philosopher, often described as the Second Sage () to reflect his traditional esteem relative to Confucius himself. He was part of Confucius's fourth generation of disciples, inheriting ...

, ''ren'' is the core virtue of a ''junzi''. The concept and term of ''junzi'' were used as Chinese proverbs. An example is "君子成人之美" (''jūn zǐ chéng rén zhī měi''), which roughly means "A ''junzi'' brings out the best in people".

Governance

As the potential leader of a nation and country, the son of the ruler is raised to express superior ethical and moral positions while gaining inner peace through virtue. To Confucius, the ''junzi'' sustained the functions of government and social stratification through his ethical values. Despite its literal meaning, any righteous man willing to improve himself can become a ''junzi''. The ''junzi'' rules by acting virtuously himself. It is thought that his pure

virtue A virtue () is a trait of excellence, including traits that may be morality, moral, social, or intellectual. The cultivation and refinement of virtue is held to be the "good of humanity" and thus is Value (ethics), valued as an Telos, end purpos ...

would lead others to follow his example. The ultimate goal is that government behaves much like family. Thus at all levels

filial piety Filial piety is the virtue of exhibiting love and respect for one's parents, elders, and ancestors, particularly within the context of Confucian ethics, Confucian, Chinese Buddhism, Chinese Buddhist ethics, Buddhist, and Daoism, Daoist ethics. ...

promotes harmony and the ''junzi'' acts as a beacon for this piety.

Junzi and xiaoren

By contrast the ''xiaoren'' (, ''xiăorén'', "scoundrel, small or petty person") does not grasp the value of virtues and seeks only immediate personal gain. The scoundrel, or petty person, is egotistic and does not consider the consequences of his/her actions. Should the ruler or state be surrounded by ''xiaoren'' as opposed to ''junzi'', governance and the people will suffer due to their selfish small-mindness. Examples of such ''xiaoren'' individuals can range from those who indulge in self-satisfying sensual and

emotion Emotions are physical and mental states brought on by neurophysiology, neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavior, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or suffering, displeasure. There is ...

al pleasures and gains to the career

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

who is interested merely in power and fame rather than the long-term benefit of others. There are many expressions in Confucius' writings that contrast the two, for instance: "君子和而不同，小人同而不和." (''jūn zǐ hé ér bù tóng , xiǎo rén tóng ér bù hé''); "The ''junzi'' acts in harmony with others but does not seek to be like them; the ''xiaoren'' seeks to be like others and does not act in harmony."''Analects''
Zi Lu
translation based on Eno (2015)

References

Bibliography

* {{Cite book , last=Gardner , first=Daniel K. , title=Confucianism: a very short introduction , date=2014 , publisher=Oxford Univ. Press , isbn=978-0-19-539891-5 , series= , location=Oxford

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