Section 1
The Aim of Great Learning explained simply
The Great Learning by Confucian tradition
Original excerpt
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What the Great Learning teaches, is to illustrate illustrious virtue; to renovate the people; and to rest in the highest excellence. The point where to rest being known, the object of pursuit is then determined; and, that being determined, a calm unperturbedness may be attained to. To that calmness there will succeed...
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Public-domain original
What the Great Learning teaches, is to illustrate illustrious virtue; to renovate the people; and to rest in the highest excellence. The point where to rest being known, the object of pursuit is then determined; and, that being determined, a calm unperturbedness may be attained to. To that calmness there will succeed a tranquil repose. In that repose there may be careful deliberation, and that deliberation will be followed by the attainment of the desired end. Things have their root and their branches. Affairs have their end and their beginning. To know what is first and what is last will lead near to what is taught in the Great Learning.
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Simple English explanation
The Great Learning begins with three goals: make virtue clear, renew people, and rest in the highest good. It says wisdom starts by knowing where to aim.
1-minute summary
The opening section says a good life and good society need a clear goal. When people know what is highest, they can become calm, deliberate, and ordered.
Key takeaways
- Great learning starts with a moral aim.
- Calm judgment follows clear purpose.
- Knowing first things helps order later things.
- Personal virtue is tied to public life.
Modern example
A school or company that clearly states its values can make better decisions when pressure rises, because people know what the group is trying to protect.
For kids
Know what kind of person you want to be first. Then your choices become easier.