• (The)Study of the Eastern Classic
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• no.41
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• pp.275-301
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• 2010

Confucius made endless thoughts on such themes as enlightening for the internal value of human, how to draw out such value and how to make personal relationship in order to overcome the chaotic Chun-qiu age. The spirit of 'Harmony but not Sameness' stated by Confucius passes us the theoretical meaning for making a good relationship with the others, which is realization of Benevolence. The spirit of 'Harmony but not Sameness' pursues moral, public and golden-mean value. This pursuit is made to look for harmonization and coexistence in personal relation, community based relation and, furthermore, relation with the nature, so that a great man is an entirely-good person who has realized the spirit of 'Harmony but not Sameness'. The spirit of 'Harmony but not Sameness' throws to us many issues to think of for the social unity, 'living together', which is the central theme of today. The objects for which the 'living together' shall be embodied are the minor groups of our society and those who are relatively expelled from the power and benefit including multi-culture based families, north Korean refugees and etc. Such open mind for harmonization and coexistence gives us, furthermore, another important issue to think of also in the matter of environment that includes the ecosystem and the entire nature.