Three Fundamental Bonds and Five Constant Virtues

InConfucianism,theSangang Wuchang(Chinese:Tam cương ngũ thường;pinyin:Sāngāng Wǔcháng), sometimes translated as theThree Fundamental Bonds and Five Constant Virtuesor theThree Guiding Principles and Five Constant Regulations,or more simply "bonds and virtues" (gāngchángCương thường), are the three most important human relationships and the five most important virtues. They are considered the moral and political requirements of Confucianism as well as the eternal unchanging "essence of life and bonds of society."

History

The expression ofSāngāng Wǔchángis no older than theHan dynasty,when it was first articulated byDong Zhongshu(179–104 BCE), and was not commonly used until the 10th century CE. From the 11th century onward,Neo-Confucianismheavily emphasized the three bonds and five virtues, believing that humans could become sages through perfecting these relationships and virtues.

Meaning

Three Bonds

The three bonds are between father and son, lord and retainer, and husband and wife and they constitute three of the five relationships (Ngũ luân;wǔlún) described in theMencius.According toHsu Dau-lin,the concept of the Three Bonds was originally aLegalistidea.

The lord isyangDương,the retainer isyinÂm;the father isyang,the son isyin;the husband isyang,the wife isyin.The way ofyincannot proceed any where on its own.... Therefore, the retainer depends on his lord to gain merit; the son depends on his father; the wife on her husband,yinonyang,and the Earth on Heaven.... The Three [Fundamental Bonds] of the kingly way can be sought in Heaven.

— Chapter 53 of theBook of Han

Five Virtues

The five most important virtues are benevolence (renNhân), righteousness (yiNghĩa), propriety (liLễ), wisdom (zhiTrí), and trustworthiness (xinTin). The first four virtues were grouped together in theMengzi.The fifth virtue,xin,was added by Dong Zhongshu.Trustworthiness, or sincerity, is considered the most important of the five virtues, and the foundation for the other virtues.The remaining virtues derive from theFour Sproutsdescribed byMenciusin the Confucianclassicof the same name.

Benevolence is described as "forming one body" in relation to others, which requires seeing ourselves as extensions of others and vice versa. Paradigm cases ofreninclude acts of love or acting in others' interests, such as taking care of a family member.

Righteousness is when someone refuses to violate prohibitions that would be regarded as shameful or degrading such as bribery. Righteousness can be seen as the distribution of goods according to one's merit and position.

Propriety orliis broader in scope than the English word would entail. It is when someone performs a ritual with reverence, covering social protocol in situations that require a sense of respect, such as weddings, funerals, greetings, and serving food and drink.

Wisdom is understanding the other virtues' characteristic motives and feelings, correctly assessing the quality of a person's character, and knowing the best means to achieve virtuous ends.

Trustworthiness or faithfulness is understood as commitment to reality in a consistent and reliable way. Some Confucians did not considerxinto be its own domain of activity since it regulates and supports virtues. They all require one to be aware of what is real and avoid self-serving delusions.

What are the Five Constant Virtues? They are benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. Benevolence means not being able to endure (seeing others suffer), loving others, and aiding all living things. Righteousness means doing what is proper. In making judgments one hits the mark. Propriety means to enact. That is, to realize the way and perfect the refined. Wisdom means knowledge. One has a special understanding and can know things before hearing about them. He is not befuddled by matters and can discern the subtle. Trustworthiness means sincerity. One cannot be deterred from his purpose. Therefore, people are born and respond to theEight Trigrams,thereby obtaining the five energies (qiKhí) that are the Constant Virtues.

— Chapter 30 ofBai Hu Tong

See also

• Three Obediences and Four Virtues

Bibliography

• Knapp, Keith (2003). "Ren lun nhân luân (Human relationships)". In Yao, Xinzhong (ed.).Encyclopedia of Confucianism.Abingdon, UK: Routledge. pp. 501–503.
• Knapp, Keith K. (2009)."Three Fundamental Bonds and Five Constant Virtues"(PDF).Berkshire Encyclopedia of China.Vol. 5. Great Barrington, MA: Berkshire Publishing Group. pp. 2252–2255 – via Chinaconnectu.
• Thacker, Tod Cameron (2003a). "San gang tam cương (Three Cardinal Guides)". In Yao, Xinzhong (ed.).Encyclopedia of Confucianism.Abingdon, UK: Routledge. p. 522.
• Thacker, Tod Cameron (2003b). "Wu chang ngũ thường (Five constant virtues)". In Yao, Xinzhong (ed.).Encyclopedia of Confucianism.Abingdon, UK: Routledge. p. 660.
• Thacker, Tod Cameron (2003c). "Xin tin (Trust, faithfulness)". In Yao, Xinzhong (ed.).Encyclopedia of Confucianism.Abingdon, UK: Routledge. pp. 685–686.
• Tiwald, Justin (19 March 2020)."Song-Ming Confucianism".InZalta, Edward N.(ed.).Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy(Summer 2020 ed.).
• Yao, Xinzhong (2000).An Introduction to Confucianism.Cambridge University Press.ISBN978-1-139-43144-6.