"Zhongyong" redirects here. For the ruler of Wu, see Zhongyong of Wu.
This article is about the Confucian Doctrine of the Mean. For the Aristotelian Doctrine of the Mean, see Nicomachean Ethics.
Doctrine of the Mean
"Doctrine of the Mean" in seal script (top) and modern (bottom) Chinese characters
Chinese name
Chinese
中庸
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin
zhōngyōng
Bopomofo
ㄓㄨㄥ ㄩㄥ
Wade–Giles
Chung1 Yung1
IPA
[ʈʂʊ́ŋ.jʊ́ŋ]
Wu
Romanization
Tzon-yon
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization
Jūngyùhng
Jyutping
Zung1jung4
IPA
[tsoŋ˥.joŋ˩]
Southern Min
Hokkien POJ
Tiong-iông
Tâi-lô
Tiong-iông
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
ʈjung-yong
Old Chinese
Baxter–Sagart (2014)
*truŋloŋ
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabet
Trung Dung
Chữ Hán
中庸
Korean name
Hangul
중용
Hanja
中庸
Transcriptions
Revised Romanization
Jung'yong
Japanese name
Kanji
中庸
Kana
ちゅうよう
Transcriptions
Romanization
Chūyō
The Doctrine of the Mean or Zhongyong is one of the Four Books of classical Chinese philosophy and a central doctrine of Confucianism. The text is attributed to Zisi (Kong Ji), the only grandson of Confucius (Kong Zi). It was originally a chapter in the Classic of Rites.
The phrase "doctrine of the mean" occurs in Book VI, verse 29 of the Analects of Confucius, which states:
The Master [Confucius] said, The virtue embodied in the doctrine of the Mean is of the highest order. But it has long been rare among people
— Analects, 6:29 (Burton Watson tr.)
The Analects never expands on what this term means, but Zisi's text, The Doctrine of the Mean, explores its meaning in detail, as well as how to apply it to one's life. The application of Confucian metaphysics to politics and virtue ethics. The text was adopted into the canon of the Neo-Confucian movement, as compiled by Zhu Xi.
While Burton Watson translated Zhōngyōng as Doctrine of the Mean, other English-language translators have rendered it differently. James Legge called it Constant Mean, Pierre Ryckmans (aka Simon Leys) used Middle Way, while Arthur Waley chose Middle Use. Ezra Pound's translations include Unswerving Pivot and Unwobbling Pivot. Roger T. Ames and David L. Hall titled their 2001 translation Focusing the Familiar.
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TheDoctrineoftheMean or Zhongyong is one ofthe Four Books of classical Chinese philosophy and a central doctrineof Confucianism. The text is attributed...
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