An Analysis of the Structure, Ethics, and Ontology of the 'Jia Ren' Hexagram in the Zhou Yi

Section 2: Mencius's "Kindness to Relatives" and "Extension of Kindness"

Mencius’s thought holds special significance in interpreting the Jia Ren hexagram because he explicitly proposed the concepts of "kindness to relatives" ($\text{qīn qīn}$, 亲亲) and the "extension of kindness" ($\text{tuī ēn}$, 推恩), which deeply align with the hexagram's principles.

Regarding "Kindness to Relatives."

Mengzi, Jin Xin I states:

"Mencius said: 'To love one's relatives is benevolence ($\text{rén}$); to respect one's elders is righteousness ($\text{yì}$). There is nothing else; it is just extending this to the world.'"

"To love one's relatives is benevolence"—the root of benevolence lies in loving one's family. "To respect one's elders is righteousness"—the root of righteousness lies in respecting elders within the family. Extending these two emotions from the family to society constitutes the Way of Benevolence and Righteousness. This is the concrete elaboration of the Jia Ren Tuan Zhuan's "When the family is regulated, the world is established."

Regarding "Extension of Kindness."

In the famous passage in Mengzi, Liang Hui Wang I:

"Mencius said: '...To treat my elders as elders, and extend this to the elders of others; to treat my young as young, and extend this to the young of others. The world can then be turned in one's palm. The Odes say: "She modeled herself upon her humble wife, extending to her brothers, thereby regulating the state and the kingdom." This means applying this heart to others.' Thus, extending kindness is sufficient to preserve the four seas; without extending kindness, one cannot even preserve one's wife and children. Why were the sages of antiquity so far superior to others$33 For no other reason than that they were good at extending what they did."

"Extension of kindness"—extending the love one has for one's own relatives to the love for all others. "They were good at extending what they did"—the reason the sages of antiquity surpassed ordinary people was nothing more than their ability to extend their actions toward their family to actions toward the world.

This passage reveals a clear and forceful logic: The love within the family is the source of great love for the world. If a person does not love their own family members, how can they truly love the people of the world$34 Conversely, if a person sincerely loves their own family, by simply extending that love outward, it is sufficient to preserve the four seas. "Without extending kindness, one cannot even preserve one's wife and children"—if one does not understand how to extend kindness, one cannot even maintain one's immediate family! Why$35 Because a person who only loves their own family and ignores others will ultimately become isolated due to selfishness, and in isolation, cannot even maintain the family.

This forms a perfect loop with the Jia Ren hexagram's principles:

• Jia Ren Hexagram: Regulate the family $\rightarrow$ The world is established (from family to the world).
• Mencius: Kindness to relatives $\rightarrow$ Extension of kindness $\rightarrow$ Preservation of the four seas (from family to the world).

The logic is identical and mutually reinforcing.

Regarding the "Five Relationships" ($\text{wǔ lún}$, 五伦).

Mengzi, Teng Wen Gong I states:

"The sages had this concern, and appointed Qi to be the Minister of Instruction to teach the human relationships: between father and son there is affection ($\text{qīn}$, 亲); between ruler and minister there is righteousness ($\text{yì}$, 义); between husband and wife there is distinction ($\text{bié}$, 别); between the elder and the younger there is order ($\text{xù}$, 序); between friends there is trust ($\text{xìn}$, 信)."

Of the Five Relationships, three—father-son affection, husband-wife distinction, and elder-younger order—are directly related to family ethics. The fact that three of the five relationships reside in the family demonstrates the core position of the family in the Confucian ethical system. This is consistent with the Jia Ren hexagram being set up exclusively to discuss the Family Way among the sixty-four hexagrams.

"Affection between father and son"—echoes the Tuan Zhuan's "Father acts as father, son acts as son."

"Distinction between husband and wife"—echoes "the woman occupies the proper place within, and the man occupies the proper place without."

"Order between the elder and the younger"—echoes "elder brother acts as elder brother, younger brother acts as younger brother."