Confucianism and Vietnam

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Confucianism and Vietnam

Confucianism is based, mainly, on five virtues: sincerity, benevolence, filial piety, intelligence, and propriety. Sincerity, the first of the five virtues, meant that one was to be truthful and straightforward in speech and in action. A sincere man, according to Confucius, obeyed all of the rules inwardly as well as outwardly. Benevolence, the second virtue, meant that one should help others in times of need. It also meant that one should be concerned with the well being of others. Filial Piety, the third virtue, was considered one of the greatest virtues. This virtue says that a son should honor and respect his parents. This virtue also extended to four more relationships: that of the ruler and subject, the husband and wife, the elder brother and younger brother, and that between friends. The fourth virtue is intellect. The Confucian philosophy highly regarded education, saying that men attained virtues through learning. The final virtue is propriety. This virtue encompasses behavioral conduct and etiquette and is commonly summarized as "teaching men to do the right thing."

The Vietnamese brand of Confucianism was not as complete as the Chinese brand of Confucianism. The Vietnamese only accepted the political and moral aspects of Confucianism, instead of the entire philosophy. Not all of the tenets are obeyed, for example, if a husband dies, the wife does not have to obey the children, as Confucius states. The Vietnamese also supplemented Confucianism with Buddhism and Taoism.

The role Confucianism played in shaping the culture of Vietnam can clearly be seen when one looks at the values of the people of that time. Many Vietnamese valued benevolence, which made them generally a peaceful population. Loyalty was also taken very seriously in the Vietnamese culture, and loyalty extended even further than the rulers and all the way to the nation itself. Education was highly important to the Vietnamese, who believed that virtues were attained through learning. Social classes were set into place, and citizens were expected to learn their position in their class. This also followed Confucian philosophy.

The Vietnamese government was based on Confucian principles. Mandarins who were schooled in the ideas of Confucianism assisted the emperor.

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