The Rectification of Names (Chinese: 正名; pinyin: Zhèngmíng; Wade–Giles: Cheng-ming) is the Confucian doctrine that to know and use the proper designations of things in the web of relationships that creates meaning, a community, and then behaving accordingly so as to ensure social harmony is The Good. Since social harmony is of utmost importance, without the proper rectification of names, society would essentially crumble and "undertakings not completed."
Read more about Rectification Of Names: Confucius, Later Scholars, Modern Applications, Further Reading
Famous quotes containing the words rectification of and/or names:
“Divorce. A resumption of diplomatic relations and rectification of boundaries.”
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1914)
“I do not see why, since America and her autumn woods have been discovered, our leaves should not compete with the precious stones in giving names to colors; and, indeed, I believe that in course of time the names of some of our trees and shrubs, as well as flowers, will get into our popular chromatic nomenclature.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)