The concept of Confucianism has contributed immensely in the forming of Chinese character, behaviour and the way to live, with its main purpose being to achieve harmony which is considered the greatest social value. Confucianism firmly highlights the impression of mercy, social order and fulfilment of responsibilities. The effects of Confucianism had impacted both China and Japan to the extent that the changes are still noticeable to this day.
Confucius was one of the first men to have different ideas on how rulers should go about their ruling of people during the Zhou Dynasty. “Its career as a prominent tradition in China began with its adoption by the Han dynasty, and virtually every East Asian regime of the past thousand years or more has endorsed Confucianism as its official ideology.” Confucius believed that rulers should rule in a manner that is beneficial to the people being governed and in a way that is morally right and traditionally acceptable (for the time). Confucius spent most of his time with a group of followers, in search of a ruler who would follow his teaching and take his advice. (web.cn.edu)(patheos.org 1)
His profound wisdom of morality and human relationships that he imparted on his disciples has been passed down and this displays how he came to be the most significant Chinese philosopher that there has been.
Confucianism can easily be thought of as a religion because of the ideas that were brought about during the Shang and Zhou dynasty. The virtues, and even the societal rules that are pivotal in Confucianism can be thought of in a religious context without strain. The debate will continue, but for some, these arguments are considered enough to end the debate, at least in their minds.
Confucianism is one of the major schools of thought in China. It developed from the teaching of Confucius. The principle of Confucianism is contained in nine ancient Chinese works handed down by Confucius and his followers. Later those works were divided into two groups as Th...
A philosopher named Confucius founded Confucianism in China 2,500 years ago. Confucianism is a system of ethical behavior and social responsibility that became the great traditions of the East.1 It played an important role in the evolution in Chinese culture over the centuries. It has influenced near-by countries and had made a mark in the history of religion. There are today over six million people who call themselves Confucianists. Most Confucianists live in East Asia where Confucianism is thought to be born. For over two thousand years, Confucianism has been the dominant philosophical system of Chinese government, which has still a great hold on their people. Because Chinese culture has spread to the counties of Vietnam, Korea, and Japan, the values of Confucianism can be found there too.
Confucianism is a moral and religious system of China. Its origins go back to the Analects, the sayings attributed to Confucius, and to ancient writings, including that of Mencius. Confucius was born a mandarin under the name Kongzi. It was developed around 550 B.C. In its earliest form Confucianism was primarily a system of ethical concepts for the control of society. It saw man as a social creature that is bound to his fellow men by jen, or “humanity.” Jen is expressed through the five relationships—sovereign and subject, parent and child, elder and younger brother, husband and wife, and friend and friend. Of these, the filial relation is most important.
Confucianism is a complex system of moral, social, political, and religious teaching built up by Confucius on the ancient Chinese traditions, and still is the state religion down to the present day. Confucianism aims at making not just a man of virtue, but the man of learning and good manners. The perfect man must combine the qualities of a saint, a scholar, and gentleman. Confucianism is a religion without positive revelation with a minimum of dogmatic teachings.
Before venturing into the essay, however, I would like to consider where this religion originated, and the meanings for it’s existence as to better equip us to understand it’s views. Confucianism as a religion was founded by Confucius, a man. It involves no superior beings other than man himself, and deals specifically with the interactions between fellow men. It also specializes on the actions a government (King) should take for it’s people. The religion was founded by Confucian himself, he lived from 551 B.C.E. to approximately 479 B.C.E.. He was just a man with an opinion. His opinion sprung from his unhappiness with society and the fall it had taken from what it had been. It had changed to an empire where values were ignored, and the past was just that, the past. He foresaw a proud China with values restored, and humility made once again important. Confucian’s main ideas were to adapt the good things from the past to the technology of today. The “good things'; he speaks of are a government where the King is like a loving father to the people, where the King would protect his people and the people in turn would follow the King.
Throughout his prosperous life, Confucius has had a substantial effect on modern and historical Chinese literature. His books and unique writing style have inspired countless numbers of people across China to become writers and adopt the same writing style as himself. His biggest impact on Chinese literature was when he wrote his 4 books; The Great Learning, The classic Of History, Analects of Confucius and The Mencius. These books written by Confucius have had such great influences on CHinese literature because they inspired humans mental...
For those individuals that choose to look into the philosophy of Confucius, Confucianism recognizes that the quest for virtue is ordinary and providential. However, in this quest of moral aptness Confucius tried to offer other people the fervent self love that he had greatly embodied. To actually make oneself as perfect as possible was the central concern of life. Al...
Confucianism is a philosophy and way of life formed in China by Confucius, an early Chinese philosopher. It began as a simple concept with ideals of personal virtue, simple filial piety, and basic gender distinctions and social inequalities. But, over time with the emergence of Neo-Confucianism it began to transform into a way of life that was degrading towards women with certain hostilities towards rivaling religions. In its early period, from around 500 B.C.E to the Common Era, Confucianism changed in that it became the leading belief system and a major part of Chinese tradition. From the transition into the Common Era to the end of the Classical time period, Confucianism was altered because of a loss of popularity following the collapse of the Han dynasty and the corruption in the governing political system. In its ending period, the post-classical era, Confucianism underwent perhaps its biggest adjustments with the emergence of Neo-Confucianism. The ideas and virtues presented in the “rebirth of Confucian philosophies” of intolerance of foreign religions and extreme filial piety...
Confucianism has changed throughout China’s period of time. The start of confucianism was a way to view the world and build a foundation around. Although, this began to spread other ideologies and cross ideas. During the period Tang (618-906), Han Yu
Mencius (Mengzi) and Xunzi were two great early architects of Confucianism. Confucianism is the term used to describe the group of religious traditions that are based on the teachings of Confucius (also known as Kong Qui or K’ung Fu-tzu), a Chinese intellectual who was born in approximately 551 BCE. Little is known of Confucius’ early life. According to Records of the Historian, written by Ssu-ma Chi’en, he was born into a royal family of the Chou Dynasty. Other accounts describe him as being born into poverty. What is undisputed about Confucius’ life is that he lived during a time of ideological crisis in China. As a young man, he lived as an aesthetic and studied ancient ceremonial rites and imperial institutions. When he eventually returned
Confucius was a philosopher who developed a great “reverence” for Ji Dan (Duke of Zhou) of the Western Zhou dynasty, which reighned from the 11th c. to 771 BCE. He also sought to apply the political structures of that distant time to the State of Lu. However, the great social turmoil of the Spring and Autumn period, and the sharpening struggles within the ruling class, made this impossible, and he became very dissatisfied. In an effort to spread his political ideas, he traveled extensively to other states only to be repeatedly rebuffed. He died at the age of 73, having failed to ever suceed with his society.