Editor’s note:

    In celebration of the international debut of Shenzhen-created symphony “Ode to Humanity” in Paris on Sept. 21, for the International Day of Peace, Shenzhen Daily is running a column to introduce the five movements of the symphony.

    Taken from the core concepts of Confucianism, which are ren, yi, li, zhi and xin — benevolence, righteousness, etiquette, wisdom, and integrity — the symphony, consisting of a prelude, five movements and a coda, uses each movement to explore and interpret the spirit of ren, yi, li, zhi and xin through music.

    Wang Yuanyuan

    cheekywang@hotmail.com

    YI, or righteousness, is another important concept in Confucianism. It is the moral disposition to do good.

    Confucius said that a junzi, or a morally superior man, puts yi above everything.

    “A junzi who is brave but not just becomes a crook. A vulgar man who is brave but not just becomes a bandit,” he wrote.

    In Confucius’ opinion, whatever a junzi does must be based on yi.

    Yi is the principle that a person’s conduct should be morally acceptable to others and should justify the morality of human action. In other words, it may be suggested that yi is the fundamental principle of morality, conferring qualities of right and wrong on human actions and producing situations that intrinsically satisfy us as moral agents.

    It is interesting that yi is the only concept that is not questioned by Confucius’ students in “The Analects,” and for which Confucius does not give definitions. Most of the interpretations about yi were later given by Xunzi (313-238 B.C.), another master of Confucianism. Some experts have speculated that yi was so fundamental and universal that Confucius and his students thought they did not have to say much about its meaning.

    Chinese people believe that yi is not something you do or say on ordinary days; it is something you can only feel or do at important moments. People with yi act in such moments without hesitation or fear. Yi is brave and right, and warms the hearts of others.

    Yi also plays an important role in modern Chinese society, as a universal moral standard for justice and righteousness, said one of the “Ode to Humanity” lyricists.

    In a harmonious society, a person should not forget about yi when weighing benefits against damage to public interests for selfish purposes. Yi is the bottom line for morality in society and the guideline for social interaction and human behavior.

    “Yi represents the modern Chinese idea of ‘fair’ and ‘justice.’ It is not just about bravery,” said the lyricists. “It is about harmony and honesty and about ruling the country by law.”

    When composing the symphony, the composer used a cello solo to evoke the image of an upright man fighting fearlessly against evil. The music is full of vigor and drama, with a touch of Beijing opera.