“Our Constitution is called a democracy because power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people” (Reader 82). In Athenian democracy one notices that the amount of power given to the people is what, in turn, creates a great trust between them and the government. This very premise is what would make Confucius feel initially ambivalent towards the Athenian form of government. In one hand, he would utterly support the amount of trust the people have in their political system. Yet, he would not completely support the idea of the common people possessing such power.
The idea that the trust of the public is what allowed rulers to rule is not foreign to Confucius, “ Do without food. From times past, everyone has to die. But without the trust of the common people, you get nowhere” (Analects 12.7). This type of trust in one’s government would promote obedience and cooperation from the citizens and this is exactly what Pericles illustrates in his funeral oration, “We give our obedience to those whom we put in positions of authority, and we obey the laws themselves, especially those which are for the protection of the oppressed” (Reader 82). Confucius would think that this level of confidence in the authority is the most redeeming quality of Athenian democracy, for this is what allows a city to flourish and be virtuous. Furthermore Confucius would also be in agreeance with protecting the oppressed, for he would see it as virtuous. “Guide them with virtue, regulate them with ritual, and they will have a sense of shame and become upright” (Analects 2.3). Athens had a sense of ritual and tradition in their society. The very funeral oration that Pericles gave is an example of such a ritual, in which the text read, “This is the procedure at these burials, and all through the war, when the time came to do so, the Athenians followed this ancient custom” (Reader 82). Moreover, the Athenians promoted equality and camaraderie among its people qualities that were necessary to have dialects concerning government issues.
Nonetheless, he would still find an issue with the influence the people have in political decisions because of the very thing that also makes Athens appealing tradition. In the Analects one notices the importance tradition and rituals are given, and that keeping to these traditions is what will insure success and prosperity. Confucius applies this ideology to politics, “To delve into strange doctrines can bring only harm” (Analects 2.16). Democracy was a strange, new style of government at that time, and it would certainly have been unusual for Confucius. “No one, so long as he has it in him to be of service to the state, is kept in political obscurity because of poverty” (Reader 82). This idea is what allows for people to transcend their socio-political rankings and have a say in Athenian politics. Confucius, being born into a noble family, would not understand such a system that gave power to the common people. “Let the ruler be a ruler; the subject, a subject; the father, a father; the son, a son. (Analects 12.11). This is an example of the assumed idea, that is embedded into Confucius’s ideology, that must be a ruler at the head of the government. However, this reason is not a good enough one to say that Confucius would completely abandon Athenian ideals over Spartan ones, for doubt is erased with observation. If Confucius was able to witness Athenian society first hand his zeal for virtue would supersede his initial doubt over the strange Athenian democracy.
Sparta is a vastly different city from Athens both politically and socially speaking. The Spartan government resembles a mixture of a kingship and an oligarchy, different from the democracy of Athens.“Guide them with government orders, regulate them with penalties, and the people will seek to evade the law and be without shame” (Analects 2.3). The people were trained from an early age to completely obey the command of the authority by threat of penalty, which is completely opposite of the trust we see the people have with the authorities in Athens. “Filial and brotherly conduct, these are the roots of humaneness” (Analects 1.2). Spartan law lacks complete consideration for its slaves which comprises much of its general population. Spartans encouraged to beat their slaves in order to incite fear to keep the slaves in order. Knowing all this of the Spartan governmental structure, Confucius would think that while the Spartan way does incite loyalty, respect, and submissiveness. It does not inspire humaneness, goodness, or virtue, and thus will not achieve the trust of the people and will ultimately fail.
Finally, we arrive at Corcyra where a civil war is occurring to determine which type of government the city of Corcyra will adapt a Spartan or Athenian one. Confucius would say clearly that out of the two cities’s government he would prefer the Athenians over the Spartans. The reason being that the Athenians support his central ideas of virtue and brotherly conduct more so than the Spartans. Furthermore, if we look at Corcyra as a society Confucius would reject their conduct with each other. “Death thus raged in every shape;and, as usually happens at such times, there was no length to which violence did not go; sons were killed by their fathers, and suppliants dragged from the altar or slain upon it” ( Reader 98). This goes directly against Confucius’s principle of filial piety, and the virtuous way to alleviate this dilemma is to introduce Athenian government.
Conclusively, Athens and Sparta accentuate different ideas that compose the whole philosophy of Confucius. If Confucius was able to visit all three cities of Athens, Sparta, and Corcyra he would agree more with Athenian rule, and thus promote it to Corcyra as solution for their civil War. Ultimately, Athenian government hits more to the center of Confucius’s ideas than so the Spartans. Who do share similarities with Confucian thought, but ultimately do not focus on virtue. Thus, Confucius would reject a Spartan oligarchy and accept an Athenian democracy.
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