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Chinese
from; self; oneself
from; self; oneself; since
follow; from; it is for...to
follow; from; it is for...to; reason; cause; because of; due to; by; to; to leave it (to someone)
From:c.2th century CE, 鄭玄 (Zheng Xuan), in 651 CE 《禮記正義·少儀》 (Correct Meanings of the Book of Rites "Smaller Rules of Demeanour") by 孔穎達 (Kong Yingda); translated by Li (2014)
Qù zhǐ bùgǎn zìyóu.
One does not dare to follow oneself on whether to leave or to stay.
I said: "That which is yang always ascends; that which is yin always descends. Ascent is difficult; descent is easier. Goodness is yang and badness is yin. Therefore, it is difficult to be good and easy to be bad. If people's passions are allowed to be free, there will be more falling into a lower state ."
↑ 1.01.11.2Li Chenyang (October 2014) “The Confucian Concept of Freedom”, in Philosophy East and West, volume 64, number 4, University of Hawai'i Press, pages 902-919
Apparently first imported from Middle Chinese自由 (MC dzijH yuw) with an original meaning of roughly “arising from oneself”. Repurposed in the 1860s by Fukuzawa Yukichi as a translation of Englishfreedom or liberty, as an extension of the original meaning: “freedom to act according to one's own thoughts, without restriction”. However, Li (2014) proposes that since the Han dynasty 自由 already meant “to be free”, from earlier “to follow onself.”
Shikabane fumikoete susumu ishi o warau buta yo Kachiku no annei …kyogi no han'ei …shiseru garō no “jiyū” o!
You pigs who sneer at our will to step over corpses and march onwards Enjoy the peace of livestock …false prosperity …the “freedom” of starving wolves!
^ Li Chenyang (October 2014) “The Confucian Concept of Freedom”, in Philosophy East and West, volume 64, number 4, University of Hawai'i Press, pages 902-919