On the Role of Confucian Ethical Thoughts in the Formation of Psychological Personality〔＊〕

Li Dejia

（School of Law Renmin University of China，Beijing 100872）

Confucian ethical thoughts exert profound impact on our social values and collective morals of social members.The social and cultural consensus of Confucian ethics forms the social and cultural basis of the formation of personality and constantly amends and regulates the formation and development of individual’s psychological personality.Confucian moral constraints of“benevolence”and“courtesy”run through the formation and development of individual morals and construction of individual’s psychological personality.Thus，to analyze the role of Confucian ethical thoughts in the formation of personality is of con－siderable realistic significance to the self－improvement of individual’s personality.

Ⅰ.Research on internal relation between the shaping of social consciousness by Confucian ethical thoughts and the formation of personality

1.Social and cultural consensus of Confucian ethics is the social and cultural basis of the formation of personality

The enduring impact of Confucian ethical thoughts on the shaping of national character and formation of social and cultural consensus is immeasurable and significant，making Confucian ethical thoughts the common cultural totem in Confucian circle gradually.〔1〕Many contents of Confucian ethics have become the common social consciousness for Chinese people after thousands of years’construction and influence.The construction of cultural consensus lays a firm social and cultural foundation for the formation and development of psychological personality.For the national character，it forms the spiritual core of Chinese national culture.Despite the wide variation of personalities of social members，there is a consistent convergence in the formation and development of most members’personalities as well as the ultimate personality states.That is，the social and cultural consensus with Confucian ethics as the core forms the social and cultural basis of the formation and development of individual’s personality.

It is generally known that social culture is the social premise of the formation of individual’s psychological personality.The social and cultural consensus of Confucian ethics provides members within this cultural circle with social ethical and moral instruction of “benevolence，righteousness，courtesy，intelligence，and trustworthiness.”〔2〕The social consciousness urges individuals in this cultural environment to form the psychological pattern of individual’s personality conforming to social consciousness through constant amendment and extension and then unique personality.

2.The view of right and wrong of Confucian ethics is the measurement criterion for personality cognition

Confucian culture is the core of social ethical system and its key is the view of right and wrong and value orientation.After thousands of years’development and self－improvement，Confucian culture has formed a set of evaluating system of ethical value with specific criterion for right and wrong，〔3〕which constructs support of moral values of Confucian culture with elements of ritual studies and stipulates explicitly individual’s behavior choice.And its concept of moral cultivation shapes the criterion for cognition of individual personality imperceptibly.Thus individuals will unconsciously form psychological cognition and behavior choice conforming to Confucian ethics when making moral judgment and emotional selection.

The formation and development of individual’s personality are interaction between gene selection and shaping by social and cultural environment.Gene selection is congenital with no transferring with people’s will while the shaping by cultural environment is acquired with great plasticity and instability.〔4〕The orientation of psychological cognition of individuals within the value system of Confucian ethics naturally resonates with the moral ideas of Confucian ethics.Individuals use the criterion of value system of Confucian ethics as a valid reference to amend and improve themselves actively in the formation of personality.All individuals have distinctive cultural imprint in this imperceptible process.

Ⅱ.Research on the penetration and guidance of Confucian ethics thoughts in the formation of psychological personality

1.Penetration of introversive features of Confucian culture into psychological personality

Group contractual criterion formed by social moral consensus can amend and regulate the shaping of psychological pattern and selection of psychological motivation of social members.Confucian social ethic consciousness and its cultural attribute generally represent to be closed and introversive.Cultivated by the restrained cultural structure，personality of individual member is restrained and melancholy.

The cultural concept of“inner sage and external king”is respected as the identity of Confucian cultural character by later researchers with no exception even though it was not raised by Confucianism first.“The way of the great learning involves manifesting virtue，loving the people，and abiding by the highest good”in the Great Learning and “investigation，acquiring knowledge，sincerity，integrity，self－cultivating，family harmony，state management，land governing”promoted by Chu Hsi（朱熹）are the process of rectifying and perfecting of self－personality following this principle.Penetration of this cultural thought pattern provides social members with directional guidance：for the shaping of inner personality，they see saints and sages as benchmark and then form restrained personality as a result of penetration that stresses inner suffering.For personality pursing and psychological molding，they set a high standard with the pursuit of perfection meanwhile manifesting themselves as peacemakers influenced by Confucian tradition of“being courteous，refined，respectful，restrained and deferential”.This personality pattern is demonstrated by disliking arguments and preferring peaceful coexistence.

2.Restraint and regulation of inner personality by social constraints under the concept of“benevolence”and“courtesy”

“Benevolence”is the core of Confucian social consciousness and“courtesy”is the construction mode of its social ethics.The interaction of values of“benevolence”and “courtesy”produces the restraint and regulation of human’s psychology construction by social moral constraints.〔5〕Confucian moral con tents of“benevolence is to love others”and“do unto others as you would be done”place moral constraints on individual’s desire and impulse in the construction of psychological motivation.The ethical boundary formed by“benevolence”makes individual psychology construction embody the features of selfrestraint and self－repression as well as adherence to and practice of“courtesy”.There is a classic description about it in Confucian Analects，

Yan Yuan asked about perfect virtue.

The Master said，“To subdue one’s self and return to propriety，is perfect virtue.If a man can for one day subdue himself and return to propriety，all under heaven will ascribe perfect virtue to him.Is the practice of perfect virtue from a man himself，or is it from others？”

Yan Yuan said，“I beg to ask the steps of that process.”

The Master replied，“Look not at what is contrary to propriety；listen not to what is contrary to propriety；speak not what is contrary to propriety；make no movement which is contrary to propriety.”

Construction of social norms of regulating and shaping personality by repressing individual desire forms the unique social mechanism for Confucian social ethic intervening in the formation of personality.〔6〕The mandatory change affects human’s psychology through cultural inertia.

（3）The dialectical effect and influence path of Confucian social ethics on psychological personality

The effect of Confucian social ethics on the formation and development of individual personality is dialectical.On one hand，Confucian social ethics restrains and regulates free development of personality with distinct social constraints.〔7〕Psychology construction of Confucian culture cultivates individuals to be unassuming，which weakens their innovation and perception.They prefer to pour oil on troubled water and muddle along most of time，not good for the construction and formation of healthy personality.On the other hand，Confucian culture focuses on moral sublimation through self－improvement and self－encouraging as well as the construction of peaceful personality through constantly amending behavior motivation and psychological idea.Its essence is to restrain desires and observe social norms when there is a conflict between personal desire and social norms.In the practice of handling conflict，this tendency resolves conflict reasonably and promotes social harmony.The influence path of Confucian social ethics on personality is also imperceptible in terms of culture.It cultivates collective subconscious of individual members of society that has a relatively conscious and reliable effect on social morals.

Ⅲ.The role of the formation of psychological personality in the context of Confucian social ethics

1.The theoretical significance of taking Confucian social ethics as content and object of psychological research

The psychological research in the context of Confucian social ethics essentially discusses the role of Confucian ethics in the formation of individual personality.Ethical virtue is a type of moral trait from the view of social and personality psychology.〔8〕It is a spontaneous and relatively stable behavior intention in response to moral situation.With rich contents of traditional ethical virtues，Confucian social ethics can adjust and straighten out the construction and development of individual psychological space.The contents of Confucian social ethics provide guidance for modern people whose values are multiple and confused.

To take Confucian social ethics as content and object of psychological research enables researchers to understand its role in the formation of personality more clearly and give corresponding guidance，which helps them grasp the inherent law of the influence of Confucian social ethics on personality.On this basis，we make the abstract and vague influence logistic and clear，foster strengths and bypass weaknesses in order to serve the formation and development of healthy personality of the mass.

2.Research on organizing Confucian ethical thoughts and assimilating its essence and rejecting its dross

In the theoretical research on Confucian ethic thoughts，researchers should build a specific system of value judgment.Confucian social ethics with rich contents，wide scope，long existence and profound effect is out of reach to other social ideological trends.Researchers should have enough cultural confidence in and correct measure of value and take a modern viewpoint to overall evaluation of Confucian social ethics instead of entire acceptance when organizing Confucian social ethics.

As a product of history，Confucian is of unique value to the society after long－time accumulation and development along with many ill－timed ideas.Thus，researchers should assimilate the essence and reject the dross，giving new value of times to traditional Confucian ethical thoughts in the view of modern values.They should explore its positive significance and use practical ideas and academic achievements to support and guide the construction of individual personality in modern society.

3.Exploration into the advantage of Confucian ethics and promotion of the improvement of individual personality with social psychology

The moral advantage of Confucian social ethics has been enriching and improving the personalities of individual members.To explore the advantage of Confucian ethics，grasping the operating mechanism and law of the construction of individual psychological space and playing its role effectively are of positive realistic significance to the development of individual personality.Within the ethical structure where social thoughts are becoming increasingly diverse and confused，the practical value of Confucianism to adjust and improve social relations needs to be reconsidered and involved into the practice of psychological guidance and intervention.From this aspect，to explore the reasonable core of traditional culture and inherit and carry forward traditional culture is of considerable realistic significance.

Ⅳ.Conclusion

Confucian culture has a long history and its social ethics is still of great realistic significance to the improvement of psychological space of modern individuals and construction of personality.We should deeply study Confucian social ethics，take it as permeable influence means of our social moral consensus into personality，discover the operating mechanism and inherent law of its influence on the formation of personality and discuss the restraint and regulation of inner personality by social constraints under the concept of“benevolence”and“courtesy”.In the process，researchers should assimilate the essence and reject the dross and advance its theoretical practice so that it will serve the formation and development of individual personality ultimately.

（Translated by Dai Jiabao）

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