As Confucius' philosophy still remains in the heart of many Chinese people, his images of
the greatest professional teacher of all time, the greatest philosopher in Chinese history and his
influence toward the future and the past 2000 years of Chinese civilization has made his thought
the essence of the Chinese culture. He always said the importance of teaching could change the
future of the civilization. And he also encouraged his students to explore the various things to
learn, but be very selective and careful. The purpose of Confucius' teaching was practical and
designed to help each person improve his character and conduct, and perhaps become prepared
for an official position in the court. According to one passage in the Analects, Confucius taught
four things: culture, conduct, loyalty, and truthfulness.1
Culture consisted of literature and music. Confucius suggested the value of each: "Let a man be
stimulated by poetry, established in character by the rules of propriety, and perfected by music. “
These pursuits were means by which one may achieve the higher ideal of following the Way.”2
The gentleman extensively studies literature and restrains himself with the rules of propriety. Thus he
will not violate the Way. "3 And also " Set your heart upon the Way. Support yourself by its virtue.
Rely on goodness. Find recreation in the arts."4 Confucius put the moral duties before the arts as
the essential activities of the gentleman. "A young man's duty is to behave well to his parents at
home and to in love to all, and to cultivate the friendship of the good. If, when all that is done, he
has any energy to spare, then let him study the cultural arts."5
Confucius taught many topics around these subjects, but the most importance of these is the
propriety, ritual and the Way of being a Gentleman. From these to achieve the Jen. Confucius had
one overwhelming message: if we are to achieve a state of orderliness and peace, we need to
return to traditional values of virtue. These values are based entirely on one concept: Jen, which is
best, translated as "humaneness." This humaneness is a relatively strange concept to Western
people, because it is not primarily a practicable virtue. The rules of propriety offered a code of
accepted behaviour that demonstrated to themselves and others tha...
... middle of paper ...
...ragement of personality development will never be
forget. As the Chinese people and the world stepping into the next millennium, Confucius will be
in the minds of many people, as they think of the greatest teacher in Chinese history.
Bibliography
Notes
1. Analects 7.24 Cf. A. Waley, The Analects of Confucius (London, 1938)
2. 2. Analects 8.8
3. Analects 6.25
4. 4. Analects 7.6
5. 5. Analects 1.6
6. 6. Analects 1.12
7. 7. Analects 8.2
8. 8. Analects 3.4
9. Analects 6.16
10. Analects 3.18
11. Analects 13.5
12. Analects 13.13
13. Analects 15.32
14. Analects 8.13
15. Analects 12.19
16. Analects 14.8
17. Analects 1.5
18. Analects 17.23
19. Analects 2.15
20. Analects 9.24
21. Analects 16.4
22. Analects 16.5
23. Analects 3.3 Confucius, Raymond Dawson (Oxford University Press, 1981)
24. Analects 12.1 Confucius, Raymond Dawson (Oxford University Press, 1981)
25. Analects 17.9
26. Analects 3.23
27. Lin Yutang, Wisdom of Confucius, p.81-82
28. 28. Ibid. p.82
29. 29. Ibid. p.83
30. 30. Ibid. p.67-68
31. Hsu, Cho-Yun, Ancient China in Transition p.161,163
32. 32. Analects 12.4
33. 33. Analects 16.7
34. 34. Analects 16.10
Confucius was a philosopher, political intellect and an educator whose philosophies have significantly prejudiced not only the Chinese principles but the entire world evolution. He lived through the “Spring” and “Autumn” epoch of Chinese history, when east central China was separated over a dozen fighting states. The inordinate ailment and grief he saw swayed his political thoughts, which highlighted command, grading and the rule of a compassionate self-governing state.
To begin, Confucianism is a system of philosophical and ethical teachings founded by Confucius. Confucianism was the code of ethics accepted as the certified religion of most of the immense empires in the territory since the Han Dynasty. Confucianism provided an outline of ethical and religious beliefs that most of the Chinese expanded to make other religions such as Daoism and Legalism. To expand, Confucianism was founded by Confucius and his beliefs on the political and social order of China. Confucius believed that everything would fall into place if children had respect for their parents and if the rulers were honest. In Confucianism, specific roles were followed by each person in the family. The head of the family, the father, was the one primarily in control and then it was the oldest son that was next in line. Confucius had the belief that a ruler has to be everything he wants
Riegel, Jeffrey. "Confucius." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy . Ed. Edward N. Zalta. Stanford, 3 July 2002. Web. 8 Mar. 2012. .
Confucianism became popular during the Han Dynasty as it was the state religion and had a great impact on East Asia (Confucianism 1, pg. 7). Born in 551 BCE in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, Confucius himself absorbed the teachings of Mahavira and the Buddha (Confucianism 1, pg. 2) He had a set of virtues that he believed a functioning society should stand by such as benevolence, love and rites. Confucius wanted China to return to the old days when people were loyal to their rulers and rulers were polite and caring towards their people. He believed rulers s...
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, 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.
Following the Way in the pursuit of goodness leads people to the status of “gentleman.” However, this status can only be achieved from a lifelong pursuit, which if accomplished by many, will eventually lead to innate goodness within the entire society. Confucius reveals the amount of learning and time required for achieving such status of “gentleman” in book two, chapter four, where he states, “At fifteen, I set my mind upon learning. At thirty, I took my stand. At forty, I had no doubts. At fifty, I knew the will of Heaven. At sixty, my ear was attuned. At seventy, I follow all the desires of my heart without breaking any rule” (Analects, in NAWL, eds. Martin Puchner, et al., 3rd edition, vol. A, 1335). Confucius presents the achievement of the “gentleman” status in a superior, yet moderate manner. He does not motivate by promising personal gain or achievement; he instead teaches to always place what is right and morally correct as top priority. It was believed by Confucius that moderation led
Confucius lived from 551BCE to 479BCE, during the Chou Dynasty, where in fact imperial rule was breaking down. High principled men originally founded then ran the Chou Dynasty, but by Confucius' time, China was going through a very difficult period where conflicts and attacks had controlled the dynasty, while usurpers took over land, this dynasty was corrupt. This period of political turmoil (770BCE-221BCE) started a new era of a "hundred schools" where teachers, such as Confucius, would move from state to state teaching their other people about their ideas and morals. This was also the time though, where prisoners were put to death in mass executions, soldiers were paid when they presented the severed heads of the enemy, whole populations that were captured were beheaded a...
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.
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.
Confucius’s counsel and guidance recorded in The Analects instilled wisdom when they were first recorded and continue to provide a thought provoking analysis of life and the checkpoints that guide it. The Master’s commentary on restraint, diligence, decency, and citizenship are well intended and relevant. Politics and the role of government also come under scrutiny as Confucius offers his insights in bettering the organization of power. His proverb-like admonitions use clear examples of everyday life allowing them to be understood and easily digested. Confucius’s own eagerness and willingness to share goodness he experienced makes it easier to apply and practice in one’s own life.
Frederickson, H. George. "Confucius and the moral basis of bureaucracy." Administration & Society 33.6 (2002): 610-628.
Legge, James, Trans. Confucius — Confucian Analects, The Great Learning, and the Doctrine of the Mean. New York: Dover Publications, 1971.
The Chinese philosopher, teacher and politician, Confucius, highlighted the importance of personal morality and the ability to think for one’s self during the failure of imperial rule. His teachings became an orthodox philosophy in which followers realize the prominence of higher thinking and how one can achieve personal junzi, or “the gentleman”, through Confucius’ lessons. Throughout much of The Analects of Confucius, the master lists many ways to achieve junzi, such as book XII, chapter 16. The gentleman theme appears multiple times during the book to emphasize what Confucius believes a superior man should strive to achieve in his lifetime so as to reach Heaven. His goal in writing down his lessons was to produce moral men to think, speak
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.