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An Evaluation of the Chen Jingyuan Case Based on Confucius’s Philosophical Core Ideas

Confucius (551-479 BCE), the foundational thinker of Confucianism, articulated a philosophy centered on ethical self-cultivation and social harmony in the Analects. His core ideas emphasize ren (benevolence or humaneness) as the supreme virtue, guiding moral reciprocity; li (ritual propriety) as structured conduct fostering communal order; the junzi (exemplary person or gentleman-scholar) as a model of integrity through learning and righteousness; rectification of names (zheng ming), ensuring words align with reality to prevent chaos; and the ruler’s role in moral governance, where virtue inspires obedience over coercion. Confucius advocated harmony (he) through ethical education, not punitive force, viewing unjust law as a failure of benevolence. The Chen Jingyuan case—a doctoral scholar sentenced to 20 months for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” (PRC Criminal Law Article 293) over Twitter forwards—through Confucius’s lens, exemplifies a profound ethical lapse: the judiciary forsakes ren and li for coercive disharmony, misrectifying names to label inquiry as “disruption,” betraying the junzi’s virtue and the ruler’s moral mandate.

1. The Betrayal of Ren (Benevolence): Punitive Coercion Over Moral Reciprocity

Confucius’s ren demands empathy and mutual humaneness, the root of all virtues—rulers must cultivate it to inspire loyalty, not fear.

The verdict flouts this: sentencing Chen for scholarly forwards (e.g., Hayek critiques or the “Trump-kneeling Xi” cartoon) without evidence of harm ignores reciprocal benevolence—his intent was humane inquiry, not malice. The closed-door trial and “shut up” directive embody un-ren: no moral dialogue, only force, contradicting Confucius’s dictum, “To govern is to correct” (Analects 12.17). The prosecutor’s unverified admission underscores cruelty: benevolence would rectify names through evidence, not presumption (“high education implies discernment”). This erodes harmony: punishing a junzi-like scholar alienates the educated class, fostering resentment over reciprocity.

2. Misapplication of Li (Ritual Propriety): Procedural Rigidity Undermining Ethical Order

Li prescribes rituals for social harmony, but Confucius warned against empty formalism—true li embodies ren, ensuring justice through measured conduct.

The non-oral appeal and barred defense pervert li: procedural “order” becomes rigid farce, devoid of ethical measure—no weighing of Chen’s prison letter (categorizing “rumors” into art/emotion/reason/fact) against “disorder.” Selective enforcement (millions of similar forwards unpunished) exposes hypocrisy: li demands consistency, not caprice. Confucius would critique this as “ritual without righteousness” (Analects 17.21)—the “evidence chain” is hollow propriety, ignoring anomalies like zero societal ripple. True order requires virtuous rulers; here, procedural li serves coercion, fracturing communal bonds and inviting chaos.

3. Rectification of Names and the Junzi’s Role: Linguistic Distortion Betraying Moral Governance

Zheng ming insists words match reality to avert disorder; the junzi rectifies through exemplary virtue, guiding rulers toward benevolent rule.

The charge “picking quarrels” distorts names: Chen’s inquiry—rectifying economic “truths” via forwards—is misnamed “disruption,” unrectified by evidence (no causal harm). As a scholar-junzi, Chen’s letter embodies rectification (avalanche theory denying chaos), yet suppression (“upper-level instructions”) betrays governance: rulers must heed virtue, not fiat (Analects 2.1). This linguistic perversion echoes Confucius’s warning: “If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with the truth of things” (Analects 13.3)—judicial distortion sows disorder, undermining the moral exemplar.

Conclusion: Confucius’s Lens on the Case—A Disharmonious Eclipse of Virtue

From Confucius’s ethical humanism, the Chen Jingyuan case is a lamentable eclipse: ren yields to cruelty, li to empty rite, and zheng ming to distortion, fracturing harmony under unvirtuous rule. As of October 22, 2025, no retrial or exoneration has occurred; Chen’s account remains dormant, its silence a poignant call for rectification. This case cautions: without benevolent governance, order devolves to chaos. As Confucius taught, “The ruler is the measure of the state”—may virtue yet dawn.