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.

Quick Facts Chinese name, Chinese ...

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 [tsʊŋ˥.jʊŋ˩] Southern Min Hokkien POJ Tiong-iông Tâi-lô Tiong-iông Middle Chinese Middle Chinese ʈjung-yong Old Chinese Baxter–Sagart (2014) *truŋ loŋ
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabet	Trung Dung
Chữ Hán	中庸
Korean name
Hangul	중용
Hanja	中庸
Transcriptions Revised Romanization Jungyong McCune–Reischauer Chungyong
Japanese name
Kanji	中庸
Kana	ちゅうよう
Transcriptions Romanization Chūyō

Close

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.

The authorship of The Doctrine of the Mean is controversial. Traditionally, authorship of the treatise (which was actually a chapter from Liji, one of the Five Classics of antiquity) was attributed to Zisi (Kong Ji / Tzu Ssu / Zi Si / 子思), a grandson of Confucius and disciple of Zeng Shen; however, this was first questioned by Qing dynasty scholar Cui Shu (1740—1816). According to some modern scholars parts of it may have been written or edited by Confucians during the transition from the Qin to Han dynasties. However, it is widely agreed that the book presents the ethical core of Confucian teachings.^[1][2][3] Others seem to attribute it to Confucius himself.^[4]

The Doctrine of the Mean is a text rich with symbolism and guidance to perfecting oneself. The mean is also described as the "unswerving pivot" or zhongyong. Zhong means bent neither one way or another, and yong represents unchanging.^[5] In James Legge's translation of the text, the goal of the mean is to maintain balance and harmony from directing the mind to a state of constant equilibrium. The person who follows the mean is on a path of duty and must never leave it. A superior person is cautious, a gentle teacher and shows no contempt for their inferiors. The person always does what is natural according to their status in the world. Even common people can carry the mean into their practices, as long as they do not exceed their natural order.^[6]

The Doctrine of the Mean represents moderation, rectitude, objectivity, sincerity, honesty and propriety.^[7] The guiding principle is that one should never act in excess. The Doctrine of the Mean is divided into three parts:

1. The Axis – Confucian Metaphysics
2. The Process – Politics
3. The Perfect Word/Sincerity – Ethics (The Great Digest and Unwobbling Pivot, 1951).

Doctrine of the Mean proposed three guidelines—Self-watchfulness, Leniency and Sincerity—for how to pursue the Doctrine of the Mean, and one who follows these guidelines can be called a respectable person:^[8]

"Zhong-ni said, 'The respectable person embodies the course of the Mean; the average person acts contrary to the course of the Mean."^[9]

Self-watchfulness

This guideline requires self-education, self-questioning and self-discipline during the process of self-cultivation. This principle was exposited in the first chapter of Doctrine of the Mean:^[8]

"The respectable person does not wait till he sees things to be cautious, nor till he hears things to be apprehensive. There is nothing more visible than what is secret, and nothing more manifest than what is minute. Therefore the superior person is watchful over himself, when he is alone."^[9]

In China prior to the twentieth century the Doctrine of the Mean was integrated into the education system statewide. Also, one of the prerequisites for employment in the imperial government was the study and understanding of the Four Classics, included in this is the Doctrine of the Mean. The imperial state wanted to reinforce the three bonds of society; between the parent and child, husband and wife, and ruler and subject. This was believed to emphasize a peaceful home and an orderly state.^{[citation needed]}

Recently in China, the New Confucians revisited the Classics, because of its strong foundation in the educational system. Using the Doctrine of the Mean has become a useful source for New Confucians due to the similarities in the terminology and expression used by them and found within the text. This is further reinforced by the support from ancient sages and worthies who prefer education systems more closely linked to traditional Confucian thought.^{[citation needed]}

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (August 2022)

Sun Yat-sen critiqued the doctrine.^[11]

Chiang Kai-shek praised the doctrine as the book that introduced him to learning and as an essence of ancient Chinese learned thought.^[12]

According to Mao Zedong's comment on Ai Siqi's analysis of Doctrine of the Mean, Doctrine of the Mean is an eclecticism which simultaneously opposes the abolishment of exploitation and excessive exploitation. According to Mao, Doctrine of the Mean failed to realize that something deserves absolute negation, and in compromise, Doctrine of the Mean prevented China from progress. In his comment, Mao said that the Doctrine of the Mean also goes against dialectics as it stops qualitative change by emphasizing balance and harmony, maintaining contradictions past the point where they can be abolished.

On another occasion, Mao cited the Doctrine of the Mean, stating, "Being excessive is too left-leaning and being deficient means too right-leaning. We need to find an optimal status, which is what the Doctrine of the Mean suggests" and that "this thought is indeed a great discovery of Confucius [...] a great achievement, an important category of philosophy, and it deserves a good explanation."^[13]

Lu Xun, a leading figure of modern Chinese literature, saw Doctrine of the Mean as major contributing factor of the abject ethnic stereotype in modern China, believing it prevented reform from happening.

In his speech Silent China, Lu Xun said that Chinese likes the reconcilable and the compromised. "For example, people will not allow you to add a window to a dark room, but when you threaten to uncover the roof, they would compromise to the idea of adding a window. Without a radical proposal pushing them, Chinese won't permit even the mildest reform."^[14]

Andrew H. Plaks wrote the essay "The mean, nature and self-realization. European translations of the Zhongyong", which was published in De l'un au multiple: Traductions du chinois vers les langues européenes. In his essay Plaks argues that since the text of the Doctrine of the Mean is "too easy", this factor is, as paraphrased by Joshua A. Fogel, an author of a book review for the De l'un au multiple book The Journal of Asian Studies, a "major impediment" to translation.^[15]

The Tsinghua bamboo slips feature the text "Bao xun" (保訓) which shares the topos of centrality with the Zhongyong.^[16]

• Golden mean (philosophy), a tenet of the philosophy of Aristotle, in which he endorses temperance between the extremes of excess and deficiency. Cf. Via media.
• Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Book II: That virtues of character can be described as means
• Argument to moderation (fallacy)
• Middle Way in Buddhism
• Naive dialecticism
• Phronesis in ancient Greek philosophy
• Wasat (Islamic term)