Comparison between Shen Fus Father and Kang-Hsis Styles of Ruling - Essay Example

HST 321 Comparison between Shen Fu’s Father and K’ang-Hsi’s Styles of Ruling Undeniably, Confucianism forms a major theme in the two books Emperor of China: Self-Portrait of K’ang-Hsi and Six Records of a Floating Life. This is especially so in the sense that each ruler or leader in the two stories take a completely distinctive approach to the matters that be. In essence, Confucianism seeks not to uplift a higher law or divine power but rather focuses on the multifaceted nature of the human life. This generally means the emperor is supposed to maintain ethics and cultivate value when ruling over his subjects. This paper examines and compares the ruling styles of the fathers and rulers presented in the Emperor of China: Self-Portrait of K’ang-hsi and Six Records of a Floating Life, taking cognizance of the fact that the characters in both books are perhaps influenced by Confucianism and by other belief systems. Essentially, the father and the ruler of the state share the same stature in Confucianism. This is particularly so in the sense that human beings can be improved, made perfect, and improved through communal and personal initiatives. In this respect, K’ang-Hsi in the book Emperor of China: Self-Portrait of K’ang-Hsi appears to go contrary to humanism as a style of ruling in his empire. This is specifically so in the sense that he strongly believes that he is the emblem of justice and in this regard, has the right of giving and taking life out of people. In his perception of the correction of human beings, K’ang-Hsi fully understands that while administrative errors are unavoidable, he can easily correct them through punitive measures that sometimes lead to execution. On the other hand, Shen Fu’s father shows great humanness and social harmony towards his wife Chen Yun. Perhaps this may have resulted from the teachings of his life during the Qing Dynasty but one thing for sure is that he loves his wife beyond measure and he demonstrates this by allowing her to do her social duties while he remains the head of the family. In fact, Shen Fu’s father confesses that his wife is the motivation behind him as far as writing the book Six Records of a Floating Life is concerned. In the manifestation of his authority, K’ang-Hsi believes in execution as a corrective measure. When he insists that at certain times, execution is the best strategy of persuading people into morality. This may perhaps seem to contravene Confucianism but in real sense, he is using a communal endeavor to improve the society. In contrast, the issue of relationship and marriage take a center stage in the story in the sense that Shen Fu’s father categorically describes the kind of joy he derived from his decision to marry one of his cousins called Yun. In the first chapter of Six Records of a Floating Life, Shen Fu’s father expressly states the “Joys of the Wedding Chamber” in full appreciation of the romantic relationship that exists between the two of them While Kang-His uses the righteousness of justice as his main Confucianism approach to leadership, Shen Fu’s father takes a more liberal approach in heading his family in the sense that he prefers the propriety of etiquette instead. This means that the two rulers instill some sense of authority among their subjects but one is more considerate as opposed to the other. In the end, Shen Fu’s father realizes that the loyalty he has given his wife is costing him both socially and financially. Additionally, his commitment to word, which is rather known as etiquette, is another aspect that has led to his disgrace. In Confucianism, the ruler is supposed to be in charge in which case, they decide which direction the group they are heading takes. In this perspective, Shen Fu’s father’s ruling style is that of attempting to change things through submission. When it comes to the style of ruling in Emperor of China: Self-Portrait of K’ang-Hsi, it is important to mention that cultivation of virtues plays a major role in enhancing the ethics that K’ang-Hsi attempts to portray. Nonetheless, it is important for the ruler in this case to use punishment as a deterrent to vices within the society. This means that the ruler ought not to use punishment as a vicious process that lacks objectivity. From the two stories, it is apparent that Confucianism is a multifaceted phenomenon that any ruler or leader can use to manipulate their subjects and followers. In essence, the emperor of China uses a combination of both Confucianism and legalism to rule his empire, which appears to be fruitful, though with certain difficulties such as resistance to change. Certainly, governance plays a key role in Confucianism because the ruler must first refine himself before instilling the same ethical virtues on others. In the story Emperor of China: Self-Portrait of K’ang-Hsi, one sees the emperor as one type of personality that never lets crime goes unpunished. However, a closer look at his character reveals a rather appalling side that he too is not perfect in virtue but insists that his subjects, who are his followers, must follow the law to the letter. On the other hand, Shen Fu’s father dedicates his entire trust on his wife through socio-ethical perspective of Confucianism. Shen Fu’s father incorporates an ideal sense of Confucianism in his doctrine of ruling in order to have partial control lover what his wife does due to the enormous love he has for her. Although this lands him in some predicaments, he uses the same Confucianism strategies to mend the situation in the end. While it is true that both characters in the two books act under the influence of Confucianism, it is important to note that other outstanding beliefs affect their style of ruling and leadership to their followers, or subjects for that matter. This is particularly important because Shen Fu’s father adopts a more conservative approach in heading his family while K’ang-Hsi exploits all the powers available to him in correcting the individuals that err within his territory. On the other hand, Shen Fu’s father manipulates people using pleasure and life. Perhaps this is why he is so overjoyed with the marriage to the extent of attempting to overcommit himself to his wife. Besides, tends to focus on nature rather than reality of the human behavior. This makes him remember his childhood with nostalgia and to an extent strengthens his love for nature. In this case, he has incorporates some aspects of Daoism and Buddhism in his style of leadership within his family. In comparison to Shen Fu’s father, K’ang-Hsi uses Confucianism to cover up the harsh reality of the royal system of his empire. This is evident when he insists that the only way to solve the problem of treason is to execute the suspects. Perhaps this extreme measure does not reflect the basic aspects of Confucianism in reality. On the other hand, Shen Fu’s father is a careful thinker who does not use conflict or punitive measures in delivering justice but instead, he uses humanness, loyalty, and etiquette to execute the same. From the two stories, Confucianism plays a significant role in determining the style of rule that each character in the story approaches. Although both seem to succeed in either way, it is important to note that Confucianism works best for Shen Fu’s father than for K’ang-Hsi. Works Cited Shen Fu. Six Records of a Floating Life. New York: Penguin Books Limited, 2004. Print. Spence, Jonathan D. Emperor of China: Self-portrait of Kang-Hsi. New York: Vintage Books, 2013. Print. Read More