An Analysis of the Structure, Ethics, and Ontology of the 'Jia Ren' Hexagram in the Zhou Yi
This paper deeply investigates the philosophical implications of the 37th Hexagram, 'Jia Ren' (The Family), in the *Zhou Yi* (Book of Changes), analyzing the relationship between the 'Wind over Fire' trigrams and the Way of the Family, while interpreting the fundamental position of the 'family' within ancient social structures through the lens of early Confucian concepts of 'foundation' (ben).
Section 4: The Philosophy of "Transformation" ($\text{huà}$, 化): The Ultimate Goal of Family Education
The Da Xiang Zhuan of the Jia Ren hexagram, "Speech has substance and action has constancy," reveals the methodology of family education, but what is the ultimate goal of this education$10
The answer is "transformation" ($\text{huà}$, 化)—to bring about an inner change in the person.
"Teaching" ($\text{jiào}$, 教) and "Transformation" ($\text{huà}$, 化) are different. "Teaching" is external and tangible—imparting knowledge and values through words, rules, and examples. "Transformation" is internal and intangible—the learner undergoes a fundamental internal change, no longer needing external constraints to act correctly.
The Li Ji, Xue Ji states:
"To transform the people and complete the customs, must this not proceed from study$11" ($\text{huà mín chéng sú, qí bì yóu xué hū}$, 化民成俗，其必由学乎!)
"To transform the people and complete the customs"—to cause the people to undergo inner transformation and form good customs. This is the ultimate goal of family education: not to cultivate family members who "obey orders," but to cultivate those who "consciously strive for the good"—they obey rules not because they fear punishment, but because they inwardly recognize the value of the rules.
This echoes Confucius's three levels of political governance (Lun Yu, Wei Zheng):
"The Master said: 'If you guide the people by governance and keep them in line with punishments, they will avoid crime but have no sense of shame. If you guide them by virtue and keep them in line with ritual, they will have a sense of shame and moreover, correct themselves.'"
"Guide them by governance and keep them in line with punishments"—if parents only use commands and punishments to manage family members (guiding by governance, regulating by punishment), the family members may appear obedient outwardly, but they do not genuinely accept the values—this is a state of "avoiding crime without shame." If parents use their own virtue to influence family members (guiding by virtue, regulating by ritual), the family members recognize the value of the Family Way from the bottom of their hearts—this is a state of "having shame and moreover, correcting themselves." The latter is the ultimate goal of family education.
The "sincerity" ($\text{fú}$, 孚) in Upper 9 of the Jia Ren hexagram is the key to achieving this "transformation." Only a sincere person can move others; hypocritical instruction only gains hypocritical obedience. And "turning back upon oneself" ($\text{fǎn shēn}$) mentioned in the Xiǎo Xiàng points to the fundamental path of "transformation": One can only transform others by first transforming oneself. Only by first achieving genuine change in oneself can one influence family members to change.