54 pages • 1-hour read
The Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee
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Themes
Confucianism and the Ideal Gentleman
Confucianism is one of the oldest and most influential Chinese philosophies attributed to the philosopher-teacher Kong Fuzi (or Master Fuzi), who lived in the 6th century BCE. Some of its main concepts are showing filial piety, maintaining strict social order and rituals, fostering benevolence, doing good, and ruling through example. In the Confucian worldview, the ideal person is a gentleman (or superior person) who acts in accordance with Confucian ideas: he respects his superiors, does his best to help and benefit other people, protects those below him, and maintains the important rituals, like making periodic sacrifices to his ancestors.
The Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee is not explicitly about Confucianism—the word is not even mentioned in the text. However, akin to how the values and ideas of Western cultures are innately based a Christian worldview, Chinese life and society until the 20th century were governed by Confucian ideas or versions thereof. In this way the novel is a case study of Confucian ideals and the titular character is an example of an ideal gentlemen—not because of his social status but because of his attitude toward his work and everyone around him. His primary concern is restoring balance by making sure justice is achieved where there is a crime. He is respectful toward his elders and superiors, and he empathizes with and desires to help those in a lower social position who are in need. By his very behavior throughout the novel, Judge Dee becomes a Confucian role model.
Justice and Heaven
Justice is a key concept in Confucian philosophy and the major underlying theme of this novel. It is the judge’s motivation for pursuing all three cases. The hostel owner, the carter’s widow, Mr. Hua, and Judge Dee all seek justice for a crime, and, in return, the magistrate works hard and undertakes two trips in disguise to avenge the victims.
Justice is important in Chinese culture because it is linked to the concept of Heaven, or Tian, the collective higher powers that shape life on Earth. For Confucius, Heaven is the ultimate source of goodness, and Confucian ideas are an attempt to structure society in a way that pleases the higher powers. Thus, when an individual commits a crime or behaves in a way opposed to the Confucian worldview, they are also acting against the higher powers. As a result, justice becomes Heaven’s means of restoring balance. Djao’s exclamation, “how closely woven are the nets of Heaven’s justice!” (120), illustrates the link between these two concepts.
Selfish Desires Versus Duty
Selfish desire and duty are contrasted throughout the story. This juxtaposition reflects the larger conflict between the individual and society. The murders are motivated by the criminals’ dreams of a better life, which are catalyzed by their love interests. Shao wants to pay off his debts accrued on behalf of his lover, so he kills his business partner. Mrs. Djou desires a more prosperous life without cares, which could only be achieved by murdering her husband and marrying Hsu. Both these criminals disregard their civic and moral duties to satisfy their personal desires. The story demonstrates that such behavior leads to abominable crimes. This implies that personal happiness should be irrelevant to one’s life and that fulfilling one’s duties is the highest level of morality.
Duty is personified by Judge Dee’s character. At every instance the magistrate puts his duty first and his personal comfort second, such as the multiple times he postpones his lunch or dinner in favor of finishing his work. For example, upon his return from Divine Village, Judge Dee’s first task is not to rest but to go to the tribunal to give further orders; “only after he had dealt with these matters did he go to his living quarters and there had a bath, and a late luncheon” (111). Additionally, the magistrate often stays up late—indicated by the addition of candles—to take care of “routine matters.” While Judge Dee’s life does not seem particularly comfortable or carefree, his dedication to fulfilling his duty is amply rewarded, while the criminals’ pursuit of selfish desires is severely punished.
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