For many centuries, Confucianism has been widely revered by the Chinese for its emphasis on morality. Confucius, who lived from 551 to 479 BCE, is different to most philosophers in that he showed no interest questioning his existence, the possibility of a God, or the reality that he seemed to live in; instead he focused on the human relations side of philosophy as it was his belief that people should “give (themselves) earnestly to the duties due to men … (and) keep aloof from (spiritual beings)” (Confucius 195). By negating the metaphysical side of philosophy, he was able to devote himself to mold his disciples into ideal gentleman who were morally righteous, and were able to benefit society. He believed in the importance of individuals who knew their roles in an well-structured society, that was a feudal system. In his opinion, the ideal gentleman should be obedient to his elders, have humanness and be morally righteous. Through his teachings, he was able to reform an entire country; the Chinese found Confucianism to embody practices of humaneness that they could apply in their daily lives through his religion.
From the beginning of humankind, people have constantly had to deal with inner battles. Many of these issues cease to exist as time goes on, while new ones arise to take their place. There is one issue, however, that has remained consistent throughout time – morality. For centuries, humans have fought against the outside world and themselves to keep their morals properly aligned. The issue of morality is so dominant that it is still plays a vital role in today’s society. This can be seen in wars, law systems, codes of conduct, and religious texts. An example of a religious text where this can be seen is in pages 185 - 188 of the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna, also referred to as “The Blessed One”, guides Arjuna through his inner struggles between
...rtuous ruler wishing to be established himself, seeks also to establish others; and wishing to enlighten himself, seeks also to enlighten others." To establish mean is to rectify; and to enlighten means to possess a rich, spiritual and material life. " The ideal of love in government is by far more fundamental than such modern political ideals as liberty, equality, fraternity, and democracy. When these rules are practiced, there will be no class conflict in the nation, no exploitation, no inequality, no autocracy, no social injustice." Confucius also believed in moral rule. All moral rules have implicit in the some principle or principles. A rule can thus always be judged by it success in realizing these principles. In other words, moral rules have built-in standards by which they can be judged. If they are found wanting, this point is the way of their improvement.
Confucianism, one of the most renowned Chinese ideologies, was begun by Confucius, a Chinese scholar born in 551 B.C. At the time of his birth, there was crisis and violence occurring in China. In order to combat this problem, Confucius came up with the five relationships. Following these “relationships” (ex. Ruler and subject, older brother and younger brother) would help to establish harmony between all. The majority of these relationships pertained to family matters, which went hand in hand with Confucius’s stressing of filial piety, or respect shown by children for their parents and elders. This single value led to many changes in people’s daily life and attitudes.
Confucius was born into a time when the feudal system of China had collapsed. He was raised a scholar by his mother and worked in the Chinese government. After his mother passed away, he become a teacher. Confucius was a witness to the chaos of his time and resolved to aid those who were suffering from the social disorder. Confucius believed that the production of strongly educated individuals could become great leaders and that they in turn would create a harmonious society. In order to achieve this, the cultivation of one’s intellect and virtues were necessary. This could be done through education, which included poetry, the arts, and philosophical teachings. Believing that the past con...
Actions dictate the experiences in humans' lives, and Confucius and Laozi disagreed in their view of whether individuals should take action to achieve the Way. Confucius believed it was necessary and prevalent in society to act, since he lived during the period of the Warring States. He wanted to fix the leaders' problems, and he felt he could only achieve this through action, because "he who behaves with honor, and being sent on a mission to the four corners of the world does not bring disgrace to his lord, deserves to be called a gentleman". He felt a person had the best chance at acquiring the Way by being a gentleman. Laozi, however, trusted in nonaction, in things taking their pre-established course in life, with Daoism. Laozi thought that "when not acting then there is nothing not done // ". He felt that it was better for a person to live their life closer to the stillness of the Way, and only by shutting off from the world could they truly know all things. Unfortunately, for this to work, people would have to isolate th...
...Confucius was right on the idea that without learning good manners many idea that started out being acts of kindness would be wasted on bad character. It is important that we hold these truths so that we cannot make the mistake for our acts of kindness to become a waste.
Confucianism started off as a one man show, trying to make a difference in politics and in general, teaching people about morals and good human conduct. As history progressed, through changes of dynasties and different emperors, many new and different feelings about Confucianism emerged. But Confucius never changed what he believed in, no matter how many times his beliefs were rejected. He fought for what he new was right, and in the end didn’t achieve what he wanted to. But to everyone else, he was a brave man, a man who never gave up and a man whose legend is worth remembering.
Confucius has influenced my social justice point of view because I believe that if people practiced their own virtues, then the world will coexist in harmony. Humanity will considerate of other’s well-being, uniting countries, disposing of evil. Society must recognize people’s virtues instead of penalizing humanity for their flaws. Confucius highlights the virtues of humanity, believing that they possess the characteristics to live in a society free of harm or judgement. Human nature consists in instinct virtues of survival, but Confucius also believes that they are not all bad, just poorly dominated by political authority figures. The Chinese philosopher aspired that his teachings liberated his country, whereas society restraints natural state. Individual’s rebel against laws that interfere with happiness, therefore humans are less likely to experience happiness, and if dared to challenge policy makers then one are punished. Confucius focuses on the qualities of a human being naturally virtuous, whereas society sees it as chaotic herd waiting to
Li claims that Confucianism is less concerned with specific rules and more concerned with living by the Golden Rule of treating others as how one would like to be treated. He relates the flexibility of rules to care ethics which bases its judgments of the right thing to do on the situation at hand (181-82). Star argues that Confucianism is heavily reliant o...
The teachings according to Confucius refer to Confucianism. Confucianism is the multifarious classification of ethical, collective, political and pious philosophy developed by Confucius and the old Chinese practices (Bertrand, 1999). Confucianism aim is actually making an individual honorable but also making such an individual the character of learning and of proper manners. The ideal and faultless man has to combine the characters of a saint, an intellectual and gentleman. Confucianism is a religious conviction whose adulation is focused on offerings to the dead. The idea of responsibility is extensive beyond the precincts of morals and holds close to the minutiae of daily living.
Shows how Confucius teaches individuals of both high and low birth to strive for success in their lifetime.
Proper Order in Confucianism and as taught primarily by Mencius, the Chinese philosopher, is the conceptual theory that instructs how people can reach their highest potential of moral and material well being embodied in Mencius' conception of human nature. The theory of proper order is the primary and philosophical means to that end. Although proper order may seem in many ways philosophically abstract, Mencius' teachings of proper order in history have had lasting and tangible effects on modern East Asian politics and its relationship between the state and society, and even on a narrower level of the individual and community. In fact, the theory of proper order starts first at the individual level and from there flourishes to create a positive rippling effect throughout all of society. This profound theory and its ideals is credited with developing a social society in East Asia which acknowledges the great potential of each of its citizens, but still aspires to consider the effects of individual actions on the common good and not to just ignore the interests of society as a whole. This has helped guide East Asia through its long and colorful history and has helped to shape it into the political and economic powerhouse that it is today. But where exactly did such a significant theory which has helped to define an entire society come from? What exactly is proper order, how can we create it, and why is it needed to achieve Mencius' human nature? Most of these questions can be answered in explaining the fundamental virtue that all humans have according to Mencius, our humaneness defined in human nature.
The Bhagavad-Gita, a portion of the great epic the Mahabharata, is the “most typical expression of Hinduism.” It is eighteen chapters long and was composed around the first century BCE. The sage Samjaya recites the story to the blind king Dhrtarastra, the father of the Kaurava princes. While presenting ideas of wisdom, duty, and liberation in the midst of the rivalry between the Kauravas, the Bhagavad-Gita epitomizes the teachings of Krishna. Focusing specifically on the moral struggle of the Pandava prince Arjuna, the Bhagavad-Gita’s major themes include yoga, karma, dharma, and moksa. Yoga, being discipline or the strict and “attentive cultivation of mental character and meaningful action” , is crucial to the text because it is dharma yoga, acting properly according to one’s dharma, and bhakti yoga, a disciplined life of devotion that allows one to achieve moksa, or liberation, one of the four aims of li...
The truth contained in this passage is immensely apparent to me. I was (un)fortunate enough to have lived in a dormitory last year while away attending my first year of undergraduate school. It became all too obvious to me that in order to maintain my ideals and morality while peacefully coexisting with the barbarians or other freshmen in my dorm, I would have to exercise many of the virtues of the Chun-Tzu, such as honesty, humility, and respect. Likewise, those less inclined to do so were usually the individuals who hadn’t an original thought in them, and all the while reeking havoc and drumming up controversy around us. Here, personal experience proves the wisdom of Confucius.