Comparison between Shen Fus Father and Kang-Hsis Styles of Ruling Essay

Comparison between Shen Fus Father and Kang-Hsis Styles of Ruling - Essay Example This essay is the best example of comparison of the ruling styles of the fathers and rulers presented in the Emperor of China: Self-Portrait of K’ang-hsi and Six Records of a Floating Life. Essentially, the father and the ruler of the state share the same stature in Confucianism. This is particularly so in the sense that human beings can be improved, made perfect, and improved through communal and personal initiatives. In this respect, K’ang-Hsi in the book Emperor of China: Self-Portrait of K’ang-Hsi appears to go contrary to humanism as a style of ruling in his empire. This is specifically so in the sense that he strongly believes that he is the emblem of justice and in this regard, has the right of giving and taking life out of people. In his perception of the correction of human beings, K’ang-Hsi fully understands that while administrative errors are unavoidable, he can easily correct them through punitive measures that sometimes lead to execution. On the other hand, Shen Fu’s father shows great humanness and social harmony towards his wife Chen Yun. Perhaps this may have resulted from the teachings of his life during the Qing Dynasty but one thing for sure is that he loves his wife beyond measure and he demonstrates this by allowing her to do her social duties while he remains the head of the family. In fact, Shen Fu’s father confesses that his wife is the motivation behind him as far as writing the book Six Records of a Floating Life is concerned.