On The Thinking Of Dignity Of Pre-Qin Confucianism

Dignity is an important ethical category. Presently people mainly study on western thinking of dignity and rarely refer to traditional Chinese thinking of dignity. This thesis introduces the thinking of dignity of Confucianism before Qin dynasty respectively from the human dignity and the individual dignity based on its classical work. The thinking of dignity of pre-Qin Confucianism considered human being superior to others on account of kindheartedness and righteousness, individual has personality dignity because of noble morality, and has identity dignity by virtue of the nobility of role, identity, status. Among them, personality dignity are of different levels and sanctity, and more important than identity dignity. The thinking of dignity of pre-Qin Confucianism illuminated the foundation of dignity from two aspects of heaven and humanity, thought that human dignity is heaven-born, inalienable and in addition to respecting oneself and others firstly, more important way to gain individual dignity is to improve their own moral level:one is the external environment and education, the other is the inherent self-cultivation and practice. The characteristic of the thinking of dignity of Confucianism before Qin dynasty is the ethical and moral supremacy, its rationality are the germination of equality ideology, attention to vulnerable groups and the universality of the subject of human dignity, and its limitations are underestimation of the female, contempt for the special groups and the hierarchy of the core idea of the thinking of dignity. The greatest contemporary enlightenment of the thinking of dignity of pre-Qin Confucianism is compulsory priority, specifically:individuals should be conscientious and meticulous in work and improve moral quality; society should pay attention to people’s livelihood and improve the functions of the government.