De (Chinese)

The linguist Peter A. Boodberg investigated the semantics and etymology of de 德, which he called "perhaps the most significant word, next to tao 道, in ancient Chinese macro- and microcosmology."

The standard translation for it is "virtue," both in the sense of inherent quality and in that of moral excellence, but with the validity of the traditional rendering somewhat shaken by Arthur Waley's insistence on interpreting it as "power."

Contrary-minded students of ancient Chinese philosophy dispute this interpretation as rather narrow and possibly anachronistic, and point to the fact that tê had early acquired, at least in Confucian literature, ethical connotations close to our "virtue," that is, as moral, and only rarely amoral or immoral, efficacy.

[2]Victor Mair explains that the difficulty of accurately translating de, ...is evident from the astonishing sweep of thoughtful renderings of its meaning: power, action, life, inner potency, indarrectitude (inner uprightness), charisma, mana (impersonal supernatural force inherent in gods and sacred objects), sinderesis (conscience as the directive force of one's actions), and virtue, to name only a few of the brave attempts to convey the meaning of te in English.

This character 德 combines the chi 彳 "footstep; go" radical (recurring graphic elements that suggest meaning) with zhi 直 "straight; vertical" and xin 心 "heart; mind".

De 德 has rare variant characters of 徳 (without the horizontal 一 line) and 悳 or 惪 (without the 彳 "footstep" radical).

Interpreting the 心 "heart; mind" to connote "innerness", he takes the prefix from Latin indoles "innate quality; natural disposition" to further neologize indarrect.

There is another cognate group of words relating to modern English "doughty" (meaning worthy, valiant, stouthearted) that also contribute to our understanding of te.

This Art centers on the development of de (德) as the basis of traditional intersectional and integrative health and wellness, encouraging the experience and expression of the practitioners' True Nature (prenatal jing, Pre-Heaven essence).

The unification of mind, body and environment is emphasised using the anatomy and physiological theory of wuxing, (five elements) traditional Chinese medicine.

The core foundational movements, exercises, and teachings cultivate, direct, and harmonise the internal and external qi (energy) to build moral character (道德) to strengthen the connection with de (德).

The application of the four pillars are emphasized throughout including, wuxing meditation education, daoyin ("guiding and pulling" exercises), shiliao, (traditional food therapy), and the study of hands-on tui na (acupressure).

[20]Burton Watson, whose translation is cited below, describes the subtle connotations: In nearly all cases I have rendered te as "virtue" except where it has the meaning of a favor or good deed done for someone.

"[21]Victor H. Mair differentiates Zhuangzi's contextual usages of de: In Confucian or conventional contexts, te is translated as "virtue."

For instance, When a man has perfect virtue, fire cannot burn him, water cannot drown him, cold and heat cannot afflict him, birds and beasts cannot injure him.

Broad and boundless, suddenly he emerges, abruptly he moves, and the ten thousand things follow him — this is what is called the man of kingly Virtue.

The Duke describes meeting a hunchback named Ai Taito, who was famously ugly and charismatic, and asks about his incredible popularity, which the Master attributes to formless and water-like de.

Confucius said, "Life, death, preservation, loss, failure, success, poverty, riches, worthiness, unworthiness, slander, fame, hunger, thirst, cold, heat — these are the alternations of the world, the workings of fate.

Although many Zhuangzi commentators and translators try to give de "some special meaning other than its ordinary one of "virtue" in this context", notes Watson, "I believe Chuang Tzu is deliberately parodying the ethical categories of the Confucians and Mo-ists."

[37] Later Confucianists misread this Daoist context and moralistically interpreted bade as xiao 孝 "filial piety", di 悌 "sibling piety", zhong 忠 "loyalty; fidelity", xin 信 "trust; believe", li 禮 "ritual; rites; courtesy", yi 義 "righteousness; right conduct", lian 廉 "upright; honorable; integrity", and zhi 恥 "humility; shame".

Note that the following quotations cite Charles Muller's scholarly translations of the Analects, Doctrine of the Mean, Great Learning, and Mencius.

(19:2) Fan Chih, while strolling with the Master among the Rain Dance altars, said, "May I ask how to heighten virtue, overcome wickedness and resolve delusion?"

The brief main passage, which is attributed to Confucius, repeats the phrase ming mingde (明明德 "brighten the bright de"), which Legge translates "illustrate illustrious virtue".

While Confucianist texts generally describe the de of humans, one passage portrays that of guishen (鬼神 "ghosts and spirits; gods"): Confucius said: "The overabundance of the [德] power of spiritual beings is truly amazing!

The first and most frequent Mencian teaching is that a ruler should develop his de as a means of controlling people: The king said: "What kind of [德] qualities are necessary for real kingship?"

If a prince hates disgrace, the best course for him to pursue, is to esteem virtue and honour virtuous scholars, giving the worthiest among them places of dignity, and the able offices of trust.

'[38]: 5B12  During the frequent interviews of the duke Mû with Tsze-sze, he one day said to him, "Anciently, princes of a thousand chariots have yet been on terms of friendship with scholars — what do you think of such an intercourse?"

'[38]: 5B16  One final example of Confucian de usages is this context where the word has a markedly negative meaning, semantically opposed to moral "virtue".

Mencius said, 'Qiu acted as chief officer to the head of the Ji family, whose [德] evil ways he was unable to change, while he exacted from the people double the grain formerly paid.

'[38]: 4A14  Several Mawangdui (before 168 BCE) texts named Xingde 刑德 ("Punishment and Virtue") describe de as a mantic function related to the sexagenary cycle and the astronomical notion of the Nine Palaces (zh:九宮).