3 Articles
Tags :AI ethics
君子求诸己，小人求诸人。——孔子(jūn zǐ qiú zhū jǐ, xiǎo rén qiú zhū rén — Kǒngzǐ) Translation: “Nobles excavate self; plebeians excavate others.” Explanation: Confucius’ introspective mining principle “君子求诸己(jūn zǐ qiú zhū jǐ), 小人求诸人(xiǎo rén qiú zhū rén)” (Nobles excavate self; plebeians excavate others) establishes humanity’s earliest framework for self-actualization. The character 求(qiú)—depicting 衣(yī, garment) + 又(yòu, repeated hand motions)—visually encodes relentless self-excavation as miners chiseling ore from bedrock. This shaped 汉朝三省制(hàn cháo sān xǐng zhì) (Han Dynasty Self-Reflection System), where officials journaled nightly to extract personal flaws like “over-criticism (苛责(kē zé)” or “impulsive decisions (躁断(zào duàn).” Tang Dynasty’s 考课法(kǎo kè fǎ) (Merit Evaluation Laws) operationalized 求诸己(qiú zhū jǐ) by grading bureaucrats on self-improvement metrics over external achievements. Modern psychology mirrors this: Cognitive Behavioral...
以直报怨，以德报德。——孔子(yǐ zhí bào yuàn, yǐ dé bào dé — Kǒngzǐ) Translation: “Repay grievances with justice; repay virtue with virtue.” Explanation: Confucius’ justice principle “以直报怨(yǐ zhí bào yuàn), 以德报德(yǐ dé báo dé)” (Repay grievances with justice; repay virtue with virtue) establishes a reciprocal ethical framework contrasting religious pacifism. The term 直(zhí) (justice) combines 十(shí, ten) and 目(mù, eyes)—symbolizing multi-perspective fairness rather than unilateral retaliation. This differs from Jesus’ turn the other cheek by emphasizing calibrated accountability, as seen in 《吕刑》(lǚ xíng) (Lü Penal Code) where punishments matched crimes’ societal harm ratios. Historical applications balanced retribution and rehabilitation. Tang Dynasty’s 三复奏(sān fù zòu) system allowed convicts to appeal verdicts three times, ensuring 直(zhí)-aligned proportionality. Modern parallels include the International Criminal Court’s gravity-based...
人而无信，不知其可也。——孔子(rén ér wú xìn, bù zhī qí kě yě — Kǒngzǐ) Translation: “Humans without trust—unimaginable as functional beings.” Explanation: Confucius’ social contract axiom “人而无信(rén ér wú xìn), 不知其可也(bù zhī qí kě yě)” (Humans without trust—unimaginable as functional beings) establishes trust as civilization’s keystone. The character 信(xìn)—combining 人(rén, human) and 言(yán, speech)—visually encodes verbalized human bonds as social DNA. This principle shaped 保甲制度(bǎo jiǎ zhì dù) (mutual accountability systems) in Zhou Dynasty villages, where collective trust metrics determined land allocations and disaster relief priorities. Medieval Silk Road trade networks operationalized 信(xìn) through hawala bills of exchange—paperless credit based on merchant reputation rather than collateral. Modern parallels include Alibaba’s Sesame Credit system, which quantifies 信(xìn) through 3,000+ behavioral datapoints to determine loan...
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