Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-04-14
The Superior Man
BY DIR. FRANK CRANE.


The name Of Confucius sounds vague and strange
to western ears Yet years teachings have
been accepted by a larger number of human beings
than those of any other teacher.
II would that all intelligent persons should
know something of of the he stood for.
Confucius not the founder of a religion as
were and Mahomet; ne teacher OF ethlcs
that u.s. of personal morals political principles.
He died in 479 B. c., unappreciated.
AS In the of Socrates and Jesus, great cult
grew up around his teachings his DEATH and the
real beauty of the became obscured
under the organization that sought to make MIN the
hgurehead of Authority
He was in reality an incarnation
intelligence Here is the gist of his main
teachings.
First the object of every man should be to be
ror not necessarily to Others his past, to nim
self.
The superior mans aim in life is perfectly to
press himself develop tremendously all his faculties
Success accomplishing this Hence if we
understand why put here understand that
the difference station natural talents amounts to
nothing man can succeed we'll as another.
Once we this all complaint against the injustice
of fate special privileges disappear.
what is worth while none can have the advantage.
Again. intellectual honesty is the basis Of true
morals. We know facts. No morality is
possible that springs from ignorance.
But, alas! he snrewdly remarks when a mans hn-
ger is deformed he knows enough be dissatisfied;
but mind be deformed he does not know enough
to be dissatisfied"
The superior therefore loves the truth "They
who know tine truth not equal to them that love
it."
In other words, a first duty is not to follow
his conscience but to to it that his
conformed to the truth.
The superior is free from four evils: fore
conclusions, arbitrary predeterminations obsnacy
and egotsm."
The superior conceives living 70 be an art a.
thing to be thought out and purposively followed.
The superior is catholic ana not partisan; the
ordinary Is the opposite.
Things have their their fruition; the supe
rior knows the
The spirit of the superior man is open-mindedness
and candid inquiry Thus Confucius anticipated the
modern scientific mind.
Blind following of authority does not characterize
the superior man. Hwuy," he said, gives me no as
sistance There is nothing say in which he does not
delight"
In Confucius we get similar picture Of pure dem
ocracy of universal companionshp of the essen
tia humility of great soul we see in Jesus
in Socrates and in Epictetus There being instruc
tion, he said there will be distinction of classes
These and many more helpful things YOU NAV find
in The Ethics of Confucius" "The Superior Man
a book by NJ NJ Dawson recently published by Putnam
The advantage of this volume any upon the sinh
ject nave ever is that is clear readIe and
well ordered 1t is worth buying keeping reading and
re-readng which is praise deserved by few hooks ne
any kind. Owns "
1t has an admirable introduction bv WIN T,ps-f,r.
who reminds of the object of the sage which
was to show one chow to through life like cour
! teous gentleman"
Copyright 1916 by Frank Crane)