Rectification of names

E256603

Rectification of names is a Confucian philosophical doctrine that emphasizes aligning words and social roles with their proper meanings to ensure moral order and effective governance.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Rectification of names canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Confucian doctrine
ethical principle
philosophical concept
political philosophy concept
aimsAt effective governance
moral order
social harmony
appliesTo father
friend
minister
ruler
son
subject
associatedWith Confucius
Mencius
Xunzi
concerns criteria for proper conduct in social roles
foundation of legitimate authority
relationship between language and social reality
contrastedWith Legalist emphasis on formal law over moral naming
coreIdea language should accurately reflect moral distinctions
names must correspond to realities
social roles must match their proper functions
emphasizes alignment of titles and responsibilities
alignment of words and deeds
clarity of language in ethical and political life
hasChineseName 正名
hasGoal ensuring that language guides moral behavior correctly
making reality conform to rightful names
preventing disorder caused by linguistic confusion
hasPinyin zhèngmíng
historicalContext articulated during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods
developed in classical Chinese philosophy
influenced Chinese legal and bureaucratic thought
East Asian political philosophy
later Confucian political theory
opposes confusion of social roles
deceptive or ambiguous speech in politics
misuse of language for personal gain
partOf Confucianism
relatedTo Confucian role ethics
moral education
ritual propriety
requires consistency between moral status and social label
correct use of titles and designations
people in each role to act according to the role’s proper norms

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Confucius notableIdea Rectification of names