Recherches comparatives sur les doctrines pédagogiques, éthiques

UNIVERSITE DE LIMOGES
ECOLE DOCTORALE THEMATIQUE : LETTRES, PENSEES, ARTS ET
HISTOIRE (ED525)
FACULTE DES LETTRES ET DES SCIENCES HUMAINES
Equipe de recherche EHIC
Thèse N°
Thèse pour obtenir le grade de
DOCTEUR DE L’UNIVERSITE DE LIMOGES
Discipline : Lettres Classiques
présentée et soutenue par
Yize CHONG
Recherches comparatives sur les doctrines pédagogiques, éthiques,
politiques et philosophiques d’Isocrate et de Confucius.
Aux origines des traditions humanistes occidentales et chinoises
Thèse dirigée par Jean-Pierre LEVET
JURY :
Rapporteurs
Mme Lucienne DESCHAMPS, professeur émérite à l’Université de Bordeaux Montaigne
Mme Françoise SKODA, professeur émérite à l’Université de Paris IV Sorbonne
Présidente
Mme Bernadette MORIN, professeur à l’Université de Limoges
Examinateurs
Mme le doyen Micheline DECORPS, professeur à l’Université de Clermont-Ferrand Blaise Pascal
M. Jean-Pierre LEVET, professeur à l’Université de Limoges
M. Yves LIEBERT, professeur à l’Université de Limoges
Mme Ping ZHANG, professeur à l’Université des langues étrangères de Xi’an
2014

Remerciements
Je tiens à exprimer ma plus vive gratitude à mon directeur Monsieur
Jean-Pierre LEVET, qui a accepté d’apporter sa contribution à ma thèse et
qui m’a offert une grande aide et de précieux conseils toujours avec
patience.
Je remercie chaleureusement tous les membres du jury qui ont
acceptés que je fasse ma soutenance avec toute leur gentillesse.
Mes remerciements tout particuliers vont également à tous les membres
de ma famille d’accueil Pauliac : Jean-Paul, Simone, Claude, Claudine,
Bernard, Isabelle, Maxime, Adrien et Adèle qui m’ont fourni beaucoup
d’aides pour tous mes travaux et surtout dans ma vie en France.
Je n’oublie pas de manifester l’expression de ma gratitude à l’égard de
mes proches chinois et surtout de mes parents, qui m’ont soutenu à la fois
mentalement et dans ma vie quotidienne, notamment lorsque j’ai rencontré
des difficultés.
Je remercie vivement la Bibliothèque de l’Université de Limoges et celle
de la Faculté de Lettres, qui m’a offert des documents très riches, des
matériaux d’étude très pratiques et un environnement très agréable.
Je remercie encore l’Université de Limoges et surtout le Collège
Doctoral, qui m’a donné cette opportunité d’étude et qui m’a guidé dans
plusieurs parties de mon développement personnel.
Je remercie finalement tout mon entourage qui m’a aidé et accompagné,
surtout les Chinois qui ont été non seulement les compagnons d’étude et de
vie en France, mais sont aussi devenus mes amis intimes.

Sommaire
Introduction·············································································································4
1. Présentation de la vie··········································································································· 4
1.1 Isocrate et son temps·······································································································8
1.2 Isocrate et ses oeuvres·································································································10
1.3 Confucius et son enseignement················································································12
2. Méthodes prudentes et orientation de principe······················································· 16
Partie I
Les rapports du maître et des disciples, les méthodes
d’éducation, la finalité de l’éducation
Chapitre1.Place de la morale····························································································22
1.Place de la morale·············································································································· 23
1.1 A propos de la vertu····································································································· 24
1.1.1 La pratique de la vertu·············································································· 30
1.2 L’héritage de la vertu au niveau de la pensée religieuse························· 47
1.3 Li (rites)—l’essentiel de la vertu chez Confucius·······································61
Chapitre2.Formation de l’esprit, enseignement humaniste························ 77
2.1 Professeur de rhétorique················································································· 79
2.1.1 Conditions pour devenir un rhéteur·························································· 81
(1) Qualités naturelles·························································································85
(2) L’instruction et la pratique············································································ 90
2.1.2 La rhétorique································································································ 93
2.1.2.1 Deux sortes de la rhétorique································································ 94
2.1.2.2 La formation de la rhétorique chez Isocrate······································ 97
2.1.2.2.1 La théorie de la rhétorique isocratique········································ 101
2.1.2.2.2 Contre Les Sophistes·····································································104
2.1.2.2.3 Style littéraire···················································································107
(1) Style littéraire—éloquence judiciaire···················································· 107
(2) Trois genres oratoires chez Aristote····················································· 111
(3) Le style de la langue··············································································· 115
2.1.2.2.4 Isocrate et ses disciples···········································································119
2.2 Education humaniste de Confucius····························································· 123
2.2.1 Lun Yu (论语,Les Entretiens)············································································125
2.2.1.1 Evolution de Lun Yu·························································································125

2.2.2 “Education intellectuelle” dans le confucianisme··································130
2.2.2.1 Disciplines divers de Confucius························································· 131
2.2.2.2 Coordination de l’enseignement et de l’apprentissage·················· 138
(1) L’enseignement··························································································138
(2) L’apprentissage··························································································144
2.2.2.3 Ecole privée et ses disciples······························································ 149
2.2.2.4 Conditions de l’éducation de Confucius··········································· 150
Chapitre3.Conclusion de l'enseignement humaniste des deux maîtres
et la finalité de leur éducation························································154
3.1 La définition de l'humanisme et la mis en pratique dans
l'enseignement················································································································ 154
3.2 L'ambition de leur enseignement humaniste··············································159
Partie II
Sagesse philosophique d’Isocrate et de Confucius
Chapitre1.Les limites de la philosophie chez Isocrate······························· 165
1.1 La rhétorique philosophique··········································································168
1.1.1 La rhétorique philosophique dans le Contre les Sophistes················ 173
1.1.2 La différente philosophie à l'avis des maîtres attiques························178
(1) Dans les œuvres de Platon········································································179
(2) La philosophie d'Aristote············································································ 188
1.2 Bilan de la sagesse philosophique d’Isocrate············································ 191
1.2.1 L’importance de la faculté d’opinion(δόξα) chez Isocrate··················· 192
Chapitre2.La sagesse et la philosophie de Confucius································202
2.1 Jun Zi—l’homme de bien chez Confucius·················································· 204
2.1.1 Rapport entre Confucius et Lao Zi dans « la voie » de la politique···206
2.1.2 La manifestation de Ren chez Jun Zi·····················································219
(1) Xiao(孝)—la piété filiale·············································································· 222
(2) Li—les rites··································································································· 226
2.1.3 « Le juste milieu » chez Jun Zi································································ 230
2.1.4 Autres manifestations de Jun Zi······························································ 240
Chapitre3.Conclusion de la sagesse philosophique d’Isocrate et de
Confucius······························································································ 251
Partie III

L’influence des deux Sages
Chapitre1.L’influence d’Isocrate······································································· 255
Chapitre2.L’influence de Confucius·································································260
2.1 L’influence aux époques anciennes·····························································260
2.2 L’influence à l’époque contemporaine························································· 270
Conclusion·········································································································· 273
1. Bilan de l’étude···································································································· 273
2. Les correspondances relatives et la tendance···············································278
3. Derniers mots······································································································ 285
Bibliographie······································································································ 288
Tableau de l’histoire de la Chine·····························································299
Résumé··················································································································302