Jin

An important concept in Chinese ethical thought. The simplest usage is in the Book of Songs, when Shuyu Tian praises a man as "truly beautiful and benevolent." It probably means "loving" or "kind." Confucius considered benevolence to be the highest morality, and not far from everyday life, but not easily attainable. Confucius defines benevolence in various ways in response to questions from his disciples. To the young Hanchi, he said it was "loving others," and to the most excellent Yan Hui, he said it was "overcoming oneself and returning to etiquette" (both in the Yan Yuan chapter of the Analects). The former refers to outward actions, and the latter refers to inner self-cultivation. The most understandable concrete attitude is in response to a question from Zhonggong, "Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself" (Yan Yuan chapter). In other words, it means loving everyone with a compassionate heart, while suppressing selfish desires and observing etiquette. However, when it comes to loving everyone, the starting point is love for one's family. "Is filial piety the origin of benevolence?" (Learning from the Book of Learning). Mencius teaches that the source of the virtue of benevolence lies in the heart of compassion inherent in human nature (the heart that reflexively catches a baby who is about to fall into a well). Mencius counts four main virtues rooted in human nature - benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom. Dong Zhongshu of the Han dynasty added faith to these, making it five (the five constants). This may have been influenced by the theory of the five elements. According to the "Records of the Law" in the "Book of Han," benevolence is spring (wood), righteousness is autumn (gold), etiquette is summer (fire), wisdom is winter (water), and faith is central (earth). This is due to the association of the warmth that allows plants to grow in spring with the virtue of benevolence, or love.

[Honda Satoshi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国倫理思想の重要概念。もっとも素朴な用法は、『詩経』叔于田(しゅくうでん)に、男を褒めて「まことに美且(か)つ仁」という表現である。「愛情深い」「親切な」などの意であろう。孔子は仁をもって最高の道徳、日常生活に遠いものではないが、容易に到達できぬものと考えた。孔子は弟子の問いに対して仁をさまざまに定義する。若い燓遅(はんち)に対しては「人を愛すること」といい、もっとも優秀な顔回(がんかい)に対しては「己れに克(か)ち（己れを克(よ)くし）礼に復(かえ)る」という（ともに『論語』顔淵(がんえん)篇(へん)）。前者は外に対しての行為、後者は自己の内なる修養をさす。具体的な心構えとしては、仲弓(ちゅうきゅう)の問いに答えて「己れの欲せざるところ、これを人に施すなかれ」（顔淵篇）というのがもっともわかりやすい。つまり思いやりの心で万人を愛するとともに、利己的欲望を抑え礼儀を履行すること。ただし万人を愛するといっても、出発点は肉親への愛にある。「孝弟（悌）(こうてい)なる者はそれ仁の本(もと)たるか」（学而(がくじ)篇）。孟子(もうし)は、仁の徳の源は人間性に内在する惻隠(そくいん)の心（赤ん坊が井戸に陥りかけているのを反射的に抱きとめる心）にあると説く。孟子は、人間性に根ざす主要徳目として仁義礼智(ち)の四つを数える。漢の董仲舒(とうちゅうじょ)などは、これに信を加えて五つとする（五常(ごじょう)）。これには五行説の影響もあろう。『漢書(かんじょ)』律歴志(りつれきし)によれば、仁＝春（木）、義＝秋（金）、礼＝夏（火）、智＝冬（水）、信＝中央（土）。春の草木を生育させる暖かさと、仁すなわち愛の徳との連想による。

［本田　濟］

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