Abstract

The Chinese culture revolves around several philosophies regarding morals and how one should ideally conduct oneself; Confucianism is one of the most ancient and foundational teachings. As the title alludes to, the Five Constant Virtues developed by Confucius define the broad attributes one should strive to achieve: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and fidelity.  Nonetheless, these English descriptors do not do justice to the depth of the original teachings. My project aims to interpret Confucius’ teachings through the aesthetic beauty of the Chinese characters, or Hanzi (汉字). The five teachings, written in the Chinese style －a vertical scroll, provide a visual manifestation and an unvarnished interpretation of the timelessness of Confucianism.  As a neuroscientist, two of these virtues resonate with me on a daily basis: the first virtue, rén  仁, represents, more than benevolence, a holistic and interpersonal worldview always striving to attain interactive harmony and wisdom/cognitive order.  The fourth virtue, zhì 智 represents enlightened knowledge －a trait that defines sage-hood, the ability to distill spiritual significance from material realm. The artistry and grace of the radicals and strokes that constitute each character speak eloquently and explain powerfully what one cannot grasp through the wall of the English language. Even one who is unfamiliar with the culture and the language can pulsate together with the heartbeat of Confucianism through the calligraphy.