Names and Actualities

二

~What does Confucius mean by non-rectified names? Why does he point this out as the manifest expression of the absence of the Way?

~Why does he require that this situation be addressed first? Is his argument valid?

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Imagine this: 

One day, someplace far from China and England, Shakespeare and Confucius met on the road. Being the gentleman that he is, Confucius invited the Bard of Avon for a cup of tea for that was all that he could offer at that moment. Shakespeare accepted the invitation, and so the two of them sat under a tree by the dusty road. 

They began to talk about things- anything. They talked about the commonalities that they can pluck from the branches of their thoughts; they talked trivial things, some important, some not. Then, out of the blue, the playwright looked at the seasoned man in front of him and asked him,

“What’s in a name?”

*****

“Names and phrases, in a Master’s view,” according to Durrant and Shankman (2012), “are messengers of meaning and intention…”

The Analects 6:23, 12:11, and 13:3 presents to us the dangers that come in the game of thrones and the dire consequences that tails he who uses names and beings negligently. Additionally however, from these independent and at the same time correlated cases, we can find a third gap: whichever it may be- the prior, the latter, or both- so as long as one belongs in the same patch, it is safe to say that the person will be affected, directly or indirectly.

Confucius believes that names and their applications are the manifestations of personal and social ethos. Thus, improper utilisation of words is but a symptom of social disorder (Durant & Shankman, 2012). The interplay of names and its proper corresponding meaning is a complex feat. In other writings regarding the nature, the application, and the nuances in the appropriateness of name usage in semantics, we are faced with its complexities and its extremities in particularity and in its conceptuality. There are also those who are transparent in their opposition towards the Confucian view on the matter (such as Shakespeare's 'what's in a name' purports a different connotation). Names and actuality’s focus in the Confucian maxim weights heavily. Wing-Tsit Chan, on his Chinese Philosophy (1963), offered a commentary regarding Analect 13:3 on The Humanism of Confucius. Chan stated that, on the rectification of names,

“…a name must not only correspond to its actuality, but also that rank, duties, and functions must be clearly defined and fully translated into action. Only then can a name be considered to be correct or rectified.”

In Japan, they have three systems of writing (hiragana, katakana, and kanji [Chinese characters]) that are used together depending on the sentence, the word itself, and how it should mean or the thought. Sometimes, there are instances wherein one kanji character would mean two or more different things. There are also instances wherein one word can be written in two different characters and on top of that, the combination of two characters would sometimes have a completely different meaning regardless of their original literal translation or denotation. And so, as to avoid confusion, one would usually ask you how one writes (what kanji/character) his/her’s name. Such caution leaves no room for misinterpretation. In the third Analect (13:3), Confucius also tells us that being a gentleman means that one must be careful is such things. There is a simple cause and effect relationship in the right and wrong usages of names:

“Therefore, the noble man will give only names that can be described in speech and say only what can be carried out in practice. With regard to his speech, the noble man does not take it lightly.”

Yu-Lan (1947) spoke of China’s emphasis on ethics as the very kernel of spirituality. In it’s simplest sense, ethics tells us the ideal being or character of a human person. It also tells us how we should live and how we should our given human judgement. Now, in this sense, the Analects can be considered as our guide towards the right path. Yu-Lan, along the lines of ethics in the spirit of the philosophy, tackled the importance of politics within the said discipline. He broached on the subject of names and actualities through Gongsun Long’s “a white horse is not a horse” with a short exposition on politics. Herewith, the names and actualities corresponds to “ethical-political activity” of correcting the self (Durrant & Shankman, 2012):

Analect 12:17

Ji Kang Xi asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied saying: “To govern means to ‘rectify’ If you were to lead the people with correctness, who would not be rectified?”

Analect 13:13

The Masted said: “If you can correct yourself, what problem will you have in governing? If you can’t correct yourself, how can you correct others?”

The three Analects (6:23, 12:11, and 12:3), as mentioned above, implies a relationship at play in practical application. In a sense, saying that when a minister is not a minister also reflects a cornered vessel that has no corner and by this implication, a domino effect dances before us- a series of interconnected confusions that may likely result into fractals- and through the correct use of names exhibits a person’s character. Moreover, if that person is a king who demonstrates such qualities in accordance to the Way, he will be able to govern and maintain a harmonious society. 

*****

The Involuntary Seducer

He shot an empty word, just for a ball,

Into the blue- it made a woman fall. 

-The Gay Science, F.N.