The Junzi in Chinese Culture

In the vast historical river of Chinese civilization, although there is no shortage of renowned emperors, generals, and ministers, nor of heroic figures who performed great feats, there is no category of person who, like the *junzi* (君子), so centrally represents the deepest moral ideals and personality pursuits of the Chinese nation. From the image of a hand holding a scepter in the oracle-bone character *jun* (君), to the philosophical expression in the *Book of Changes* — “As Heaven’s movement is ever vigorous, so the *junzi* ceaselessly strives for self-improvement; as Earth’s disposition is receptive and firm, so the *junzi* carries all things with broad virtue” — the concept of the *junzi* underwent a long evolution from an aristocratic title under the patriarchal clan system to a model of personality, ultimately becoming a spiritual symbol that transcends class and era. A profound understanding of *junzi* culture not only allows one to grasp the mainstream thread of Chinese culture but also to understand Chinese culture itself.

在华夏文明浩瀚的历史长河中，虽不乏声名赫赫的帝王将相，亦多见立下丰功伟绩的英雄人物，却没有哪一类人，能像“君子”这样集中代表中华民族最深刻的道德理想与人格追求。从甲骨文“君”字手持权杖的意象，到《周易》“天行健，君子以自强不息；地势坤，君子以厚德载物”的哲学性表达，“君子”这一概念经历了从宗法制度下的贵族称谓到人格楷模的漫长演变，最终成为跨越阶层、超越时代的精神符号。深刻理解君子文化，不仅能把握中华文化的主流脉络，而且能理解中华文化本身。

The *Junzi* Emerging from the Depths of History

从历史深处走来的君子

The term *junzi* existed in ancient times and appeared frequently in texts as early as the pre-Qin period. Originally, *junzi* referred to the noble aristocratic class, emphasizing blood lineage and political status. In the *Book of Documents*, the phrase “the *junzi* should not seek ease” refers to King Cheng of Zhou, where the term *junzi* is akin to political status titles such as “prince,” “duke’s grandson,” or “scholar-official.” Hence, *junzi* was often used together with the political status term *shidafu* (士大夫, scholar-official) as *shijunzi* (士君子). In the *Book of Songs*, *junzi* frequently refers to aristocratic men, as in “The elegant *junzi*, like cut and filed, like carved and polished” from the “Qi’ao” ode of Wei, and “All you *junzi*, you do not know virtue” from the “Xiongyi” ode of Bei. During this period, the concept of *junzi* mainly emphasized identity attributes and had not yet been endowed with a clear connotation of personality.

“君子”一词古已有之，早在先秦时期便多见于典籍。君子，最初用以指代身份高贵的贵族阶层，强调的是血缘身份与政治阶层。《尚书》中“君子所其无逸”之“君子”即指周成王，这里的“君子”一词类似于“王子”“公孙”“士大夫”等政治身份称谓。因而“君子”也常与表示政治身份的“士大夫”一词连用，称为“士君子”。在《诗经》中，“君子”常被用来指称贵族男子，如《诗经·卫风·淇奥》中“有匪君子，如切如磋，如琢如磨”，《诗经·邶风·雄雉》中“百尔君子，不知德行”。在这一时期，君子概念主要侧重于身份属性，尚未被赋予清晰的人格内涵。

It was Confucius who endowed the *junzi* with profound moral meaning. He transformed the *junzi* from an exclusive title of the aristocratic class into a moral ideal personality with universal significance. Confucius stated, “The *junzi* cherishes virtue; the petty man cherishes his native soil. The *junzi* cherishes the law; the petty man cherishes favors,” emphasizing that the *junzi* should take morality as the foundation of conduct. “The *junzi* understands righteousness; the petty man understands profit,” clarified the essential difference in value orientation between the *junzi* and the petty man. “The *junzi* is open and at ease; the petty man is always worried and anxious,” revealed the *junzi*’s spiritual state of openness and uprightness.

赋予“君子”深刻道德意涵的是孔子。他将君子从贵族阶层的专属称谓，转化为具有普遍意义的道德理想人格。孔子提出“君子怀德，小人怀土；君子怀刑，小人怀惠”，强调君子应以道德为立身之本；“君子喻于义，小人喻于利”，明确了君子与小人在价值取向上的本质区别；“君子坦荡荡，小人长戚戚”，揭示了君子光明磊落的精神境界。

Mencius of the Confucian school further developed Confucius’s doctrine of the *junzi*, proposing the personality ideal of the “great man” who “cannot be led into dissipation by wealth and rank, nor shaken by poverty and lowliness, nor bent by power and force,” establishing the towering image of the *junzi* as one who stands upright between heaven and earth, elevating the spiritual character of the *junzi* to a higher realm. Xunzi, starting from his theory of human nature, emphasized that through后天 learning and self-cultivation, everyone can become a *junzi*: “Any man on the street can become a Yu.” [1]1 Yu was a legendary sage-king in ancient China, renowned for his virtue and for controlling the Great Flood. At this point, the *junzi* was no longer exclusive to a few aristocrats; through the theoretical reconstruction by the Confucian school, which entrusted it with the ideal of the “humane person,” it became a personality paradigm that everyone could pursue.

儒家学派的孟子进一步发展了孔子的“君子”学说，提出“富贵不能淫，贫贱不能移，威武不能屈”的“大丈夫”人格理想，树立了君子顶天立地的高大形象，将君子的精神品格提升到更高境界。荀子则从人性论出发，强调通过后天的学习与修养，人人皆可成为君子：“涂之人可以为禹。”至此，君子不再是少数贵族的专属，通过儒家学派寄托“仁者”理想的理论再造，成为一种人人皆可追求的人格范式。

Human beings possess various characters and qualities, and some people naturally possess the character of a *junzi*. When pre-Qin thinkers represented by Confucius and Mencius established the basic moral personality of the *junzi*, endowing it with the connotations of the “five constant virtues” — benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness — including value qualities such as inner reflection and self-cultivation, ceaseless self-improvement, establishing oneself and helping others, harmony without uniformity, gentleness and sincerity, and broad-minded tolerance, and moreover proposed the basic path for the *junzi* to shape and aspire to oneself, the image of the *junzi* and *junzi* culture flourished in Chinese culture, passed down to later generations, and became a personality respected and yearned for by people of all social strata throughout history.

人类具有各种各样的性格和品质，有一些人天然就具备君子那样的品格。当以孔孟为代表的先秦思想家确定了君子的基本道德人格，赋予君子仁、义、礼、智、信的“五常”内涵，包括内省修身、自强不息、立己达人、和而不同、温柔敦厚、宽容博大等价值品性，更提出了君子自我塑造、自我期许的基本路径后，君子的形象、君子文化便在华夏文化中发扬光大，留之后世，成为历代社会各阶层人民共同尊敬、向往的人格。

Driven by ancient sages, the *junzi* completed its transformation from a “title of rank” to a “title of virtue.” *Junzi* culture broke through the shackles of hereditary blood lineage, and the *junzi* became a spiritual realm attainable by humans through self-cultivation. The *junzi* personality thus became a kind of virtue ethics and inner pursuit. This inner ethics, through expansion and development, constructed a complete set of moral norms and behavioral norms, thereby guiding the ideal conduct of the *junzi* when facing different dimensions such as the individual, family, society, and the state. It can be said that the standard of the *junzi* personality shaped the cultural tradition and national spirit of the Chinese nation.

在古代先贤的推动下，君子完成了从“爵称”到“德称”的转变，君子文化突破了血缘世袭的桎梏，君子成为人通过修身可以企及的精神境界。君子人格从此成为一种德性伦理和内在追求。这种内在伦理经过扩充和发展，建构了一整套道德规范和行为规范，进而指导着君子在面对个人、家庭、社会、国家等不同维度时的理想行为。可以说，君子人格标准，塑造了中华民族的文化传统与民族精神。

From Jade to Benevolence: The Image and Essence of the *Junzi*

由玉而仁：君子的形象与本质

“Thinking of the *junzi*, he is gentle like jade.” The ancients used the gentle and mild texture of jade to metaphorically compare the *junzi*. The *Book of Rites* records that Confucius used jade to metaphorically compare the many virtues of the *junzi*: the warmth of jade symbolizes broad benevolence, the fineness of jade symbolizes deep wisdom, the angularity of jade symbolizes upright righteousness, the pendant-like droop of jade symbolizes dignified propriety, and jade’s flaws do not conceal its beauty, just as the *junzi* is open and aboveboard. A piece of uncut jade must go through cutting, filing, carving, and polishing to become a beautiful vessel; a *junzi* must also go through self-restraint and self-cultivation, and tempering will and practice, to achieve personality.

“言念君子，温其如玉”，古人以玉温润平和的质地比喻君子。《礼记》记载，孔子用玉来比喻君子的多种美德：玉的温润象征宽厚之仁，玉的细腻象征深思之智，玉的棱角象征刚直之义，玉的垂坠象征端庄之礼，玉有瑕疵却不掩其美，正好似君子坦荡荡。一块璞玉，需要经过切、磋、琢、磨而后成为美器；一位君子，也需要经过克己修身、砺志践履方能成就人格。

In the literary tradition, the plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum are called the “four gentlemen among flowers.” Ancient literati admired their qualities of resilience, indifference to fame and wealth, modesty and integrity, and proud frost and seclusion, thus regarding them as symbols of the *junzi*. Confucius praised the fragrant orchid in the hidden valley, saying it “should be the king’s fragrance.” The orchid grows in the deep forest, but does not cease to be fragrant because no one is there; the *junzi* cultivates the Way and establishes virtue, but does not change his integrity because of poverty and hardship. The orchid is precisely like the *junzi* who “is not displeased when others do not know him.” Zheng Banqiao [2]2 Zheng Banqiao (1693–1766) was a renowned painter, calligrapher, and poet of the Qing dynasty, famous for his paintings of bamboo, orchids, and stones. once wrote a famous couplet: “The modest bamboo has leaves that bow low; the proud plum has no flowers that look up.” Having integrity but being humble, having pride but not being arrogant — this, in the view of traditional Chinese literati, is a quality the *junzi* should possess.

文学传统中称梅、兰、竹、菊为花中四君子，古代文人欣赏它们坚韧不拔、淡泊名利、谦虚有节、傲霜隐逸的品格，因而将它们视为君子的象征。孔子盛赞隐谷香兰“当为王者香”。芝兰生于深林，不以无人而不芳；君子修道立德，不因穷困而改节。兰恰如“人不知而不愠”的君子。郑板桥曾有名联“虚心竹有低头叶，傲骨梅无仰面花”，有气节但是谦逊，有傲骨却不傲气凌人，这在中国传统文人看来是君子应该具备的品质。

Jade and the four gentlemen among flowers represent the demeanor and character of the *junzi*, and thus are beloved by the Chinese people. As for what the demeanor and image of the *junzi* should be, there was a systematic discussion in the pre-Qin period, namely the “nine virtues” recorded in the *Book of Documents*: “Broad yet stern, gentle yet resolute, humble yet dignified, capable yet respectful, compliant yet firm, straightforward yet gentle, simple yet incorruptible, strong yet restrained, brave yet righteous.” The *junzi* should be broad-minded yet serious, gentle yet holding his own views, modest yet dignified, talented yet cautious and conscientious, open-minded yet decisive, upright yet gentle in attitude, seeing the big picture yet attending to details, firm in character yet not reckless, strong and brave yet honest and righteous.

玉及花中四君子，代表了君子的风度与品格，因而受到中国人的喜爱。而君子的风度形象应如何，在先秦时期就有系统的论述，此即《尚书》所载的“九德”——“宽而栗、柔而立、愿而恭、乱而敬、扰而毅、直而温、简而廉、刚而塞、强而义”。君子应宽宏而严肃，温和而坚持主见，谦逊而庄重，具有才干而谨慎认真，虚心而果断，正直不阿而又态度温和，大处着眼而又小处着手，性格刚正而又不鲁莽从事，坚强勇敢而又诚实有义。

So, besides these outward expressions and descriptions of demeanor, image, and character, what is the essence of the *junzi*? In other words, what is the core feature that determines whether a person is a *junzi*? In Chinese history, there has never been a lack of unconventional and flamboyant figures, such as Qu Yuan [3]3 Qu Yuan (c. 340–278 BCE) was a poet and minister of the Chu state during the Warring States period, celebrated for his patriotism and his work *Li Sao* (Encountering Sorrow). wandering and chanting by the riverbank, or the bold and unrestrained Su Dongpo [4]4 Su Dongpo (Su Shi, 1037–1101) was a major poet, essayist, painter, and calligrapher of the Song dynasty, known for his bold and unrestrained literary style.. The behavior of these figures does not conform to the descriptions of the *junzi* in the classics, yet they have been loved and revered by the common people throughout the ages, and everyone calls them *junzi*. This is because the core quality of the *junzi* personality in Chinese culture should be “benevolence.”

那么，除了风度、形象、品格这些外显的表达与描述之外，君子的本质是什么？或者说，决定一个人是否为君子的核心特征是什么？在我国历史上，从不乏一些特立独行的张扬人物，如游吟于江畔的屈原、豪迈恣肆的苏东坡等，这些人物，其行为不符合典籍中关于君子的描绘，却受到历朝历代人民大众的喜爱与推崇，人人称其为君子。这是因为，中国文化中君子人格的核心品质应当是“仁”。

Confucius said: “If the *junzi* departs from benevolence, how can he be worthy of the name? The *junzi* does not violate benevolence even for the space of a meal. In haste and urgency, he is certainly so; in times of trouble and adversity, he is certainly so.” This means that if the *junzi* discards the heart of benevolence and love, how can he still be considered a *junzi*? The *junzi* never violates the Way of benevolence at any time; he is certainly so in emergencies, and certainly so in times of adversity. From this, it can be seen that Confucius regarded benevolence and love as the inner and fundamental characteristic of the *junzi* personality. The *junzi* treats others with a heart of benevolence and love, extending himself to others, putting himself in their place. This heart of benevolence and love is not narrow personal feelings or desires, but compassion and concern for all living beings under heaven, sympathy for humanity and even all life. Mencius’s ideal of “treating the elders of others as one’s own elders, and the young of others as one’s own young,” Fan Zhongyan’s [5]5 Fan Zhongyan (989–1052) was a prominent statesman, writer, and reformer of the Song dynasty. sentiment of “being the first to worry about the world’s troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures,” and Zhang Zai’s [6]6 Zhang Zai (1020–1077) was a Neo-Confucian philosopher of the Song dynasty, known for his metaphysical system and his famous “Western Inscription.” commitment to “establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, establish a destiny for the people” — these are repeated portrayals of the *junzi*’s benevolent heart. The *junzi* not only harbors benevolence and love in his heart but also practices benevolent virtue through concrete actions. They help the distressed and aid the needy, uphold justice, and are great classical humanitarians. The “Great Harmony under Heaven” envisioned by the Chinese cultural tradition is precisely the ultimate form of the *junzi*’s benevolent heart extended to all.

孔子有云：“君子去仁，恶乎成名？君子无终食之间违仁，造次必于是，颠沛必于是。”这句话是说，如果君子去掉了仁爱之心，怎么还能算君子？君子时刻不会违反仁道，紧急时如此，颠沛时必定如此。由此可知，孔子将仁爱视为君子人格的内在和根本特征。君子以仁爱之心对待他人，推己及人，将心比心。这种仁爱之心不是狭隘的私情私欲，而是对天下苍生的悲悯与关怀，是对人类乃至一切生命的同情心。孟子“老吾老以及人之老，幼吾幼以及人之幼”的理想，范仲淹“先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐”的情怀，张载“为天地立心，为生民立命”的担当，正是君子仁心的反复写照。君子不仅心怀仁爱，更以实际行动践行仁德，他们扶危济困，匡扶正义，是伟大的古典人道主义者。中国文化传统所畅想的“天下大同”，正是君子仁心推而及之的最终形态。

Sincerity, Rectification, and Self-Cultivation: Nurturing the *Junzi* Personality

诚正修身：涵养君子人格

“As Heaven’s movement is ever vigorous, so the *junzi* ceaselessly strives for self-improvement.” “The *junzi* extensively learns the words and deeds of former sages to accumulate virtue.” The *Commentaries on the Book of Changes* state that the *junzi* should ceaselessly strive for self-improvement and should “accumulate” his virtue through unremitting effort. This indicates that a person can become a *junzi* through continuous self-cultivation.

“天行健，君子以自强不息”“君子以多识前言往行，以畜其德”。《易传》称，君子应自强不息，应通过不懈的努力“畜”养其德性，这就表明，人可以通过不断地涵养自身来成为君子。

The Confucian school had already clearly articulated a systematic path for the self-cultivation of the junzi personality as early as the pre-Qin era, and after the Han dynasty it underwent continuous theoretical refinement and practical exploration. The *Analects* (季氏) records Confucius instructing his son Kong Li, saying: “Without studying the Odes, one cannot speak; without studying the rites, one cannot establish oneself.” [7]7 The *Analects* (季氏) is a chapter in the *Analects of Confucius*. The quotation refers to the *Book of Odes* (诗) and the rites (礼). The “speaking” and “establishing” that Confucius referred to correspond to what Song dynasty Confucians called the “tasks of sweeping, responding, advancing, and withdrawing” in the stage of “entering elementary learning.” [8]8 “Entering elementary learning” (入小学) refers to the first stage of education in Song Confucian pedagogy, focusing on practical conduct. After the *Great Learning* was elevated to canonical status, the requirements of “speaking” and “establishing” were further developed into the norms of “sincerity” (诚) and “rectification” (正). The “making sincere the will” (诚意) and “rectifying the mind” (正心) prescribed by the *Great Learning* became virtually necessary paths for the junzi to cultivate the self—what Song Confucians called “the method of teaching others” and the gateway to virtue. That is to say, the junzi was to complete the basic aim of “cultivating the self” (修身) through the paths of “making sincere the will” and “rectifying the mind,” for “cultivating the self lies in rectifying the mind.”

儒家学派在先秦时代就已明确提出体系化的君子人格自我养成途径，汉代以后又经过了不断的理论完善和实践探索。《论语·季氏》记载孔子教导其子孔鲤时所言：“不学诗无以言”“不学礼无以立”。孔子所说的“言”与“立”，就是宋代儒家所谓在“入小学”阶段的“洒扫、应对、进退之节”。在《大学》经典升格之后，“言”与“立”的要求进一步发展到“诚”与“正”的规范。《大学》所规定的“诚意”“正心”几乎成为君子修身的必要途径，即宋代儒家所谓“教人之法”、入德之门。也就是说，君子要通过“诚意”“正心”的途径完成“修身”的基本目的，即“修身在正其心”。

Among these, “making sincere the will” is what Confucius advocated as “inward examination without remorse.” Xunzi held that “the junzi cultivates the mind by nothing better than sincerity,” and that sincerity is the best way to rectify the mind. The Confucian advocacy of “sincerity” means having a clear conscience, being at ease, and not deceiving oneself. Sincerity is an inner state, the state of “the junzi is open and untroubled.” It is precisely because one has reached the realm of “inward examination without remorse” that the mind can be broad and calm, and the body and mind at ease. Only a sincere junzi dares, as the *Cai Gen Tan* [9]9 *Cai Gen Tan* (菜根谭) is a Ming dynasty collection of aphorisms on self-cultivation and worldly wisdom. puts it, to “let the junzi’s heart be as clear as the sky and as bright as the sun, so that others cannot fail to know it,” revealing his pure heart completely to others.

其中，“诚意”就是孔子所主张的“内省不疚”。荀子认为，“君子养心莫善于诚”，诚是正心最好的方式。儒家主张“诚”就是要问心无愧，要心安，不自欺。诚是一种内心的状态，是“君子坦荡荡”。正是因为达到了“内省不疚”的境界，所以心境能够广大宽平，进而身心舒泰。只有诚的君子，才敢于像《菜根谭》中说的那样，“君子之心事，天青日白，不可使人不知”，将自己的赤诚之心毫无保留地展现给他人。

Through “making sincere the will,” one ensures that “this mind is constantly present,” and can then rectify the nature of the mind and achieve self-cultivation. The inner psychological world of the junzi should be in a state where “the benevolent are free from anxiety, the wise from perplexity, the brave from fear.” At the same time, “what the junzi considers his nature—benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom—is rooted in the mind.” The noble personality traits that the junzi should possess—benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness—can all be cultivated from this. Therefore, the ancient Chinese sages advocated that the junzi cultivate the self through sincerity and rectification, envisioning the junzi with a perfected moral personality as the starting point, from which one extends oneself to others, to the family, to friends, to the people of the state, and thereby shapes an ideal civilization and order.

通过“诚意”确保“此心常存”，进而能够理正心性、实现修身。君子的内在心理世界，应该是“仁者不忧，知者不惑，勇者不惧”的状态。同时，“君子所性，仁义礼智根于心”。君子所应具有的仁、义、礼、智、信的高尚人格，皆能够由此培育出来。因而，中国先贤主张君子诚正修身，就是设想以道德人格完善的君子为生发点，不断推己及人、及家族、及朋友、及国人，进而塑造出理想的文明与秩序。

The Nourishing and Infiltration of Junzi Culture into the Chinese Nation

君子文化对中华民族的浸润滋养

The Chinese people’s reverence for the junzi is precisely the result of cultural guidance and shaping. Since the Han dynasty’s “dismissal of the hundred schools, sole reverence for Confucianism,” [10]10 “Dismissal of the hundred schools, sole reverence for Confucianism” (罢黜百家，独尊儒术) refers to the policy adopted by Emperor Wu of Han (r. 141–87 BCE) to establish Confucianism as the state orthodoxy. Confucian thought emerged from the contention of a hundred schools of thought and gradually became the spiritual pillar sustaining social order. By the Tang and Song dynasties, statesmen creatively constructed the imperial examination system centered on the Confucian classics, which not only broke down class barriers but also built an institutional bridge for the spread of Confucian culture. Through the imperial examinations, the junzi’s ideal pursuit of “cultivating the self, regulating the family, governing the state, and pacifying the world” and the value system of “benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness” moved from the halls of government into the streets and alleys, becoming deeply intertwined with the life pursuits of ordinary people. Junzi culture thus infiltrated the fabric of rural society like spring rain, enabling the traditional small-peasant society to receive the nourishment of junzi culture and gradually merge into the mainstream of Chinese national culture. By the Song dynasty, the *Great Learning* was elevated to one of the “Four Books,” [11]11 The “Four Books” (四书) are the *Great Learning*, the *Doctrine of the Mean*, the *Analects*, and the *Mencius*, canonized by Zhu Xi in the Song dynasty. and the junzi’s path of self-cultivation—“investigating things, extending knowledge, making sincere the will, rectifying the mind, cultivating the self, regulating the family, governing the state, and pacifying the world”—became the universal pursuit of Chinese scholars. The junzi personality shaped by successive generations of Chinese sages, in turn, profoundly influenced the basic values of Chinese culture and the formation of the national spirit, becoming a trans-era cultural landscape that shaped the personality pursuits of generations of Chinese people and became the national character of the Chinese nation.

中国人对君子的推崇正是由于文化的引导与塑造。自汉代“罢黜百家，独尊儒术”起，儒家思想从百家争鸣中脱颖而出，逐渐成为维系社会秩序的精神支柱。至唐宋时期，政治家们创造性地构建起以儒家经典为核心的科举制度，不仅打破了阶层壁垒，更为儒家文化的传播搭建了制度桥梁。通过科举考试，君子“修身齐家治国平天下”的理想追求、“仁义礼智信”的价值体系从庙堂之上走入市井之间，与普通民众的人生追求深度绑定。君子文化由此如春雨般浸润乡土社会的肌理，使得传统小农社会开始接受君子文化滋养，逐步汇入中华民族文化的主流脉络。至宋时，《大学》升格为“四书”之一，“格致诚正、修齐治平”的君子修身路径就成为中国读书人的普遍追求。经过中国历代先贤塑造的君子人格，也反过来对中国文化的基本价值观念、民族精神的形成产生了深刻影响，成为超越时代的文化景观，塑造了一代代中国人的人格追求，成为中华民族的民族性格。

The junzi in Chinese culture is always connected with the people, with the family, and with the state and the world. In the Chinese cultural tradition, the junzi’s ceaseless self-improvement, sincerity and rectification of the mind, and cultivation of the self and regulation of the family are all merely theoretical preparations; the junzi’s ultimate task is to bear responsibility for society and the state, to govern the state and pacify the world. In daily life, the junzi is courteous and ready to help others; in times of crisis, for the sake of ideals and beliefs, he can sacrifice his life to achieve benevolence, give up his life for righteousness, and face death with courage.

中华文化中的君子，总是与人民、与家国天下发生联结。在中华文化传统中，君子自强不息、诚意正心、修身齐家等都只是一种理论准备工作，君子最终是要承担社会、国家的责任，要治国平天下。君子在日常生活中彬彬有礼、乐于助人；在危难时刻，为了理想和信念，可以杀身成仁、舍生取义、慷慨赴难。

Ceaseless Self-Improvement: The Junzi Spirit, Ancient Visage, New Countenance

自强不息：君子精神，古貌新颜

In 1914, Mr. Liang Qichao gave a lecture at Tsinghua University on the theme of “the junzi.” In his lecture, Liang began by saying: “The term ‘junzi’ has a very broad meaning; to annotate it is quite difficult to obtain a precise definition. The English term ‘gentleman’ encompasses many meanings and roughly coincides with the meaning of the junzi in our cultural tradition.” Whether this comparison between the “gentleman” revered in the Western world and the junzi in China’s cultural tradition is appropriate is open to discussion, but Liang Qichao keenly pointed out that, facing a new era and a new world, one should not be confined to the roles of ruler and subject under the monarchy, nor cling to the meaning of the junzi as expressed by Confucianism. Instead, one should “absorb new civilization, improve our society, and advance our politics,” becoming a junzi within the modern order and real-world morality.

1914年，梁启超先生在清华大学举行了一场以“君子”为主题的演讲。在演讲中，梁启超起首即言：“君子二字其意甚广，欲为之诠注，颇难得其确解。为英人所称劲德尔门（gentleman）包罗众义与我国君子之意差相吻合。”将西方世界推崇的“劲德尔门”与我国文化传统中的君子并而举之，此比拟是否恰当可以讨论，但梁启超敏锐地指出，面对新的时代、新的世界，不应囿于君主制下的君臣身份，固守儒家所表述的君子意涵，而应当“吸收新文明，改良我社会，促进我政治”，成为现代秩序与现实道德中的君子。

The ancient junzi was primarily advocated by Confucianism represented by Confucius and Mencius. Although he possessed various excellent qualities such as benevolence, ritual propriety, trustworthiness, and love of learning, and represented the advanced culture of his time, he was after all a cultural phenomenon of ancient society, with its own historical limitations. So, what is the junzi of the new era like? In fact, the spirit of the junzi has not ceased to this day; contemporary junzi are still active in every corner of society. The rice expert Mr. Yuan Longping, [12]12 Yuan Longping (1930–2021) was a Chinese agronomist known for developing hybrid rice varieties. living a frugal life in his old age, still personally went to the experimental fields and delved into the front line of scientific research, ensuring China’s food security and changing the age-old problem of having enough to eat—he can well be called a junzi. The border guards, willingly enduring hardship and silently guarding the mountains and rivers, can also be called junzi. Through them, we can glimpse the appearance of the contemporary junzi: on the basis of inheriting the junzi personality advocated by cultural tradition, with benevolence as the foundation, and with a broad vision, great ambition, and high realm, they transcend the old Confucian concept of the junzi, keep pace with the times, develop contemporary characteristics, and their words, deeds, and character conform to contemporary values. At the same time, today’s junzi culture has truly reached a broader mass of the people, giving every person of noble character, integrity, and sincerity an equal opportunity to become a junzi, making the Chinese nation a true land of junzi.

古之君子主要由以孔孟为代表的儒家倡导，虽然有仁爱、礼数、诚信、好学等种种优异的品性，代表当时的先进文化，但毕竟是古代社会的文化现象，自有其时代局限。那么，新时代的君子是什么样的？其实，君子之风至今未息，当代君子仍然活跃于社会的每一个角落。水稻专家袁隆平先生古稀之龄生活俭朴，仍亲自下试验田、深入科研一线，保障了我国的粮食安全，一改千百年来吃饱难的问题，当称一声君子。边防战士们甘受辛苦，默默守护山川，亦不可不谓君子也。通过他们，我们可一窥当代君子之貌：在继承文化传统所倡导的君子人格的基础上，以仁爱之心为底色，以大格局、大抱负、大境界，超越旧有的儒家所倡导的君子概念意涵，与时俱进，发展出时代特色，言行品德符合当代价值观。同时，当今的君子文化真正做到了面向更广泛的人民群众，让每一个人格高尚、正直真诚的人都平等地享有成为君子的机会，使中华民族成为真正的君子国度。

To promote the spirit of the junzi and advance the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, we should forge a lifestyle and value pursuit that can connect with historical tradition and match the Chinese path, including noble character, human relationships and moral obligations, awareness of rights, rule-of-law concepts, and ritual cultivation. Cultivating the modern junzi personality is the core of shaping an Eastern ethical lifestyle and the foundational point for the inheritance and development of fine traditional Chinese culture in individual lives.

弘扬君子之风，推动中华优秀传统文化创造性转化、创新性发展，应锻造与历史传统可对接、与中国道路相匹配的生活方式和价值追求，包括高尚品格、人伦情义、权利意识、法治观念、礼仪修养等。培养现代君子人格是塑造东方伦理型生活方式的核心，也是中华优秀传统文化在个体生命中传承发展的基始点。

(Author: Wang Xuedian, Chief Expert of the National Social Science Fund Major Project “Multi-Volume *A General History of 20th Century Chinese Historiography*,” Special Researcher of the Central Research Institute of Culture and History, Dean of the Advanced Institute for Confucian Studies at Shandong University. The full version of this article is included in *The Spiritual Pursuit of Chinese Civilization*, edited by the National Office for Philosophy and Social Sciences, published by CITIC Press Group.)

（作者：王学典，系国家社科基金重大项目“多卷本《20世纪中国史学通史》”首席专家，中央文史研究馆特约研究员、山东大学儒学高等研究院院长。本文完整版收录于《中华文明的精神追求》，全国哲学社会科学工作办公室编，中信出版集团出版）

Online Editor: Huihui

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