2. THE FIVE VIRTUES 五常
The first four virtues appeared in The Mengzi as the “Four Beginnings” (siduan 四端, or “four sprouts”), which are that of humanity, rightness, propriety, and wisdom. The fifth virtue, trustworthiness, was added in the Han Dynasty by Dong Zhongshu. Collectively, these are referred to as the “Five Constants” (wuchang 五常), or the ‘Five Natures’ (wuxing 五性).
wǔ cháng 五常: “Five Constant Virtues”
The ‘Five Constants’ of human nature are humanity (ren 仁), rightness (yi 義), propriety (li 禮), wisdom (zhi 智), and trustworthiness (xin 信). These five virtues influence and reinforce each other. Humanity is the complete virtue in the heartmind, which includes and governs rightness, propriety and wisdom. Trustworthiness serves as their underlying ‘realness’ and thus the foundation of the other four.
① Humanity, rightness, propriety, and wisdom form the principle structure of human nature. – Zhu Xi, Complete Works of Master Zhu 56:8, tr. Sol
仁義禮智，人性之綱。
② The virtue of loving is called humanity, that of doing what is proper is called rightness, that of putting things in order is called propriety, that of penetration is called wisdom, and that of abiding by one's commitments is called trustworthiness. – Zhou Dunyi, Reflections on Things at Hand 1:2, tr. Chan modified
德愛曰仁，宜曰義，理曰禮，通曰智，守曰信。
③ Trustworthiness is nothing but the real principle of the four, it is easy to understand. For humanity, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom, however, one must discern each of them clearly but must also view them together so their interrelations will be in order. – Chen Chun, An Explanation of Terms in the Four Books 8:1, tr. Chan modified
只仁義禮智之實理便是信。信卻易曉。仁義禮智須逐件看得分明，又要合聚看得脈絡都不亂。
④ Humanity, rightness, propriety, and wisdom are not drilled into us from outside. We originally have them with us. Only we do not think to find them. – Mengzi, The Mengzi 6A:6, tr. Chan modified
仁義禮智，非由外鑠我也，我固有之也，弗思耳矣。
rén 仁: “humanity”
Ren is man’s good nature. It is the overall character of the heart and mind (its essence), and the principal of love (its application). It is inborn, yet must be cultivated through practice or lost by neglect. The character consists of man (人) and two (二), meaning man in society. ‘Humanity’ encompasses the other virtues of rightness, propriety, and wisdom. In early use by Kongzi it was a general “goodness.”
① Ren is the principle of love and the character of the heartmind. – Zhu Xi, The Discourses with Collected Commentaries 1:2, tr. Chan modified
仁者，愛之理，心之德也。
② In the instructions of the Confucian School, an important item is the search for humanity. Humanity is discussed exclusively because it was considered to include all virtues. If one can practice humanity, all virtues will follow. – Chen Chun, An Explanation of Terms in the Four Books 8:23, tr. Chan
孔門教人，求仁為大。只專言仁，以仁含萬善，能仁則萬善在其中矣。
③ Humanity is the distinguishing character of man. When embodied in man’s conduct it is the Way. – Mengzi, The Mengzi 7B:16, tr. Chan
仁也者，人也。合而言之，道也。
yì 義: “rightness”
Yi is the judgement of the mind on what is befitting according to affairs, and by this the heart and mind (xin 心) are regulated. This sense of ‘rightness’ must use one’s own humanity to know. Thus ren and yi, “humanity and rightness,” form a pair. Affairs are managed by this moral principle (yili 義理), which should be in accord with natural principle (tianli 天理).
① “Rightness” means what is proper according to the organizing principle of Heaven. It is the regulator of the mind and the correctness of affairs. – Zhu Xi, The Discourses with Collected Commentaries 4:16; The Mengzi with Collected Commentaries 1A:1, tr. Sol
義者，天理之所宜。義者，心之制、事之宜也。
② In terms of the mind, rightness is the mind’s decision and judgment. In anything, at the very start, there must be judgment as to whether it should or should not be done. – Chen Chun, An Explanation of Terms in the Four Books 8:4, tr. Chan modified
義就心上論，則是裁制決斷處 …凡事到面前，便須有剖判，是可是否。
③ Humanity is man’s mind and rightness is man’s path. – Mengzi, The Mengzi 6A:11, tr. Chan
仁，人心也；義，人路也。
lǐ 禮: “propriety”
Li is social regulation manifesting in culture, according to the organizing principle of Nature; it is the form and standard of human affairs. Originally “ceremonial form” of one’s body during sacrifice, which grew to mean general “social form” or “good form,” as in propriety or etiquette. It is the functioning of the natural order (tian li 天理) in human society.
① Propriety is the restraint and beautiful ornament according to the Principle of Heaven, and the form and law of human affairs. – Zhu Xi, The Discourses with Collected Commentaries 1:12, tr. Chan
禮者，天理之節文，而人事之儀則。
② Restraint and beautiful ornament according to the Principle of Heaven mean the proper degree, that is, what is correct according to principle … then there will be the Mean. – Chen Chen, An Explanation of Terms in the Four Books 8:5, tr. Chan
天理之節文乃其恰好處，恰好處便是理。… 便即是中
③ The actuality of propriety consists in regulating and adorning these two things: humanity and rightness. – Mengzi, The Mengzi 4A:27, tr. Chan
禮之實，節文斯二者是也。
zhì 智: “wisdom”
Zhi is clearly knowing the principle of what is right and recognizing the conditions of the time. When one “just knows” that what is right is right, and what is wrong is wrong, and knows this for sure, this is the essential principle underlying knowledge which is ‘wisdom.’ It is the Principle of Nature operating in the mind of man.
① Wisdom is clearly knowing the principle of what is right and recognizing the conditions of the time. – Zhu Xi, The Mengzi with Collected Commentaries 1B:3, tr. Sol
智者，明義理、識時勢。
② Suppose one is confronted with something. There is naturally the distinction between what is right and what is wrong. If one knows the distinction, that is wisdom. If one does not know what is right or wrong, it means his mind is stupid and has no sense. – Chen Chun, An Explanation of Terms in the Four Books 8:11, tr. Chan
且如一事到面前，便自有個是，有個非，須是知得此便是智。若是也不知，非也不知，便是心中頑愚無知覺了。
③ The actuality of wisdom consists in knowing these two things, humanity and rightness, and not departing from them. – Mengzi, The Mengzi 4A:27, tr. Chan
智之實，知斯二者弗去是也。
xìn 信: “trustworthiness”
Xin is what is verified through facts and remains consistent. When paired as “loyalty and trustworthiness” (zong-xin 忠信), loyalty is the internal state, and ‘trustworthiness’ is the observable external state. When used in the Five Virtues (wu chang 五常), this ‘realness’ is already assumed as the natural foundation, thus xin is often excluded.