“It was a basic Confucian principle that “it is man who makes
truth great, not truth which makes man great.” For this reason,
“humanness” or “human-heartedness” (jen a) was always felt to be
superior to “righteousness” (i b), since man himself is greater than
any idea which he may invent. There are times when men’s
passions are much more trustworthy than their principles. Since
opposed principles, or ideologies, are irreconcilable, wars fought
over principle will be wars of mutual annihilation. But wars fought for simple greed will be far less destructive, because the aggressor
will be careful not to destroy what he is fighting to capture.
Reasonable–that is, human–men will always be capable of
compromise, but men who have dehumanized themselves by
becoming the blind worshipers of an idea or an ideal are fanatics
whose devotion to abstractions makes them the enemies of life.”