Confucian Communication Theory

Cardinal Principles

Confucian teaching lays out three principal virtues to define proper human relationships: ren (humanness), yi (righteousness), and li (propriety, rite, and ritual). The fundamental concern of Confucianism is ren, to learn to be humane. A person of ren is one who (a) loves all human beings; (b) desiring to develop and nourish oneself, develops and nourishes others; and (c) does not do to others what one does not wish done to oneself. Ren can be attained through a process of ceaseless self-cultivation that transforms the private ego to the all-encompassing self, a holistic human existence in harmony with all other beings in the universe.

The second cardinal principle, yi (righteousness), states the duties or moral obligations associated with people as they are located within networks of social relations. In Confucian teaching, the realization of the self, or the worth of the person, is essentially tied to his or her ability to fulfill his or her social responsibilities. Although Confucius conceived social relationships as often hierarchical, obligations are mutual or reciprocal and required for all parties concerned. The mutuality and reciprocity tenets render fulfillment of obligations a moral imperative for everyone. Those who have more power and privilege are given more responsibilities than those who have less.

The third fundamental concept of the Confucian doctrine, li (propriety, rite, and ritual), is the social norms that regulate human actions. Li prescribes the appropriate human conduct with a keen awareness of the principle of ren and genuine concern for others. Only through following li can people discipline their mind and action until the proper principles can be enacted in a genuine nature.

Confucianism views the human community as an intrinsic part of people's quest for self-realization. Self-cultivation is understood as a social or communal act that does not happen in seclusion. Self-cultivation is essentially to transcend all forms of human insensitivity, such as egocentrism, selfishness, nepotism, parochialism, and ethnocentrism, and to learn to be sensitive to an ever-expanding [Page 171]network of relationships. Through self-cultivation, one makes oneself available to the human community and contributes to a social order that enables and encourages self-cultivation.

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