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The impact of Confucius on Chinese culture and society
Explanation of Confucianism Essay
Confucianism analysis
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When reading through The Analects, audience could find out that Confucius has led people a way to truly understand learning and how to enjoy learning. Not only did Confucius pointed out the great importance of reviewing what people have learned, but he also said “He who is able to acquire new ideas while reviewing old knowledge is worthy of being a teacher” (passage 2.10, The Analects) to emphasize that how people make good use the knowledge they learned to improve themselves is even more essential than gaining knowledge. When saying “acquire new ideas”, Confucius is actually referring to expanding knowledge based on what has been learned to more new domains. When students graduated from an actuarial science program from college with a solid …show more content…
For example, when a graduate steps out of the school and enter the insurance company, he is well equipped with the fundamental mathematical and business knowledge, as well as the analytic skills and understanding of market behavior. Only when he is able to apply his knowledge and skills to his work after, he is starting to become an influential actuary. Moreover, he should learn from people around him by listening to their opinions and observe how they what they learn to deal with various situations at work. Even the great master Confucius had to reflect on himself that “Am I a learned man? No I am not. But if a farmer asks me a question and my mind is a total blank, I shall keep turning the question over in my mind until I come up with an answer” and “There are those people who can do without knowledge, but I am not one of them. I listen to many views and choose the sound ones to follow. I see many things and keep them in my memory. Knowledge attained this way is the second best” (passage 7.28, The Analects). Knowledgeable as Confucius is, he kept seeking and absorbing new ideas from people around him to improve himself. Learning is
Aside from school or Universities, our world is a huge classroom. All of us learned things that are not taught in school, but there are some methods that we follow in order to simplify and to understand more regarding the task of different fields of knowledge. In our society today, most people learn by mimicking others and their actions that are influenced by past experiences. There is knowledge that is handed down from mouth to mouth generation that never committed in writing. When I think about knowledge, the first thing that comes up with my mind is education. Education requires self-determination, dedication, and experience. According to John Henry Newman’s philosophy of
From movies and everyday jobs, to life experiences and the classroom,knowledge can be gained. For instance in the movie, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Finnick says, “I haven’t dealt in anything as common as money in years.” Katniss then asks, “Well then how do people pay for the pleasure of your company?” Finnick responds, “With secrets.” (Francis Lawrence The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) Even in everyday jobs, people trade knowledge for a service. Everyone uses knowledge to gain something from undercover agents being informants to an attorney offering reduced sentences or lesser charges to someone under suspicion of a crime. Getting an education to gain knowledge and learning how to best use that knowledge can be the best weapon to go down any road in this
The next major theory on how one obtains knowledge comes from David Hume’s Empiricism. Empiricism itself is the idea that all knowledge obtained is done so through senses or experiences throughout life. This theory itself clearly contrasts with rationalism as rationalists believe at no point that they should gain knowledge through senses/experiences. Furthermore, as an empiricist, he does not value anything that is not attained through experience. One of Hume’s beliefs is the idea that everyone is born with a mental “blank slate”. Because all knowledge we gain is thought to be gained through experience (which a newborn would have none at that point) the “slate” starts as blank and will filled in as the person learns through experiences. This
thinking comes from that and then in the long run more knowledge comes. It is a continuous cycle that never stops.
As people, all of the actions we take, and as a result, the benefits and consequences which occur, are rooted from our own beliefs. This is seen every day through the way we carry ourselves, the choices we make, how we treat others, etc. But, most notably, it is seen throughout history in the actions and culture of nations. China in particular is an area with many belief systems/ideologies which have developed over its long history; these include Confucianism, Legalism, Daoism, and Buddhism. With the previous statement, it is only logical to conclude that these belief systems have had a large impact on China’s development and culture.
"The more we know the world around us, the more successful we will be." This quote, from the introduction of my high school chemistry book, was my driving force as a teenager to attend college. My expectations of college were to gain insight into a world that I had not yet discovered. I had high aspirations of receiving a good education and obtaining a good job when I graduated. But four years later when graduation day arrived, I felt unfulfilled. In evaluating my education, I realized that I learned how to get good, but not great grades. I learned how to study to make the most of my time. The focus I shared with many of my peers was not always to appreciate the information received, but rather, to value the counsel from someone else who previously took that professor's class and maybe to be lucky enough to get a hold of last semester's examinations. Basically, I acquired useful skills for any job: to follow directions, to give the boss what he or she was asking of me, and to network and gain insight from other colleagues. It was still disturbing to me that after four years of schooling, I felt I had not received the education I initially expected. Overall, college does not bring out the full academic potential of the students who invest the time and money into an education. Teachers need to set aside their biases and restructure and develop curriculum, as well as student-teacher relationships, in order to truly develop college students into freethinking, exploratory people.
A large amount of ancient texts contain themes relating to violence, power, and war, while others, such as The Bhagavad Gita and Confucius’ Analects, focus on individual and collective development through a series of selfless acts. The two texts provide an in-depth system of duties and learning created to provide direction for the betterment of the self, as well as society as a whole. The Bhagavad Gita places a greater focus on the duties of individuals that must be fulfilled to achieve an enlightened state with the divine forces. Contradictory consequences are presented for those who choose to act in an egotistical manner and deny their duties. Confucius’ Analects, on the other hand, places its main focus on collective development and responsibility
4) Confucius was a big influence and explained the region?s low rates of crime and
By the following knowledge, we can find happiness and help us do the right things. The power of knowledge hasn't lost a bit of significance even today and still valued by the majority of people. The society we live in today, knowledge is accepted by each and every one of us. The strong beliefs bring out more people seeking higher education and aspire to get a degree in such a field they desire. In the knowledge-based society we live in today, it has widely come to be accepted. A knowledgeable person gets the job quickly in the field. Considering the fact that knowledge and information are the important part of our lives, a knowledge is to fully understand it can give you enough value throughout your
Our knowledge is a key to our success and happiness in our life to give us personal satisfaction. Knowledge is power but not always. Sometimes our self-awareness and growth as an individual gives us negative thoughts that make us want to go back to undo it. Everyone wants to unlearn a part in our life that brought us pain and problems. Good or bad experiences brought by true wisdom can be used for our self-acceptance, self-fulfillment and these experiences would make us stronger as we walk to the road of our so called “life”, but Douglas’s and my experience about knowledge confirmed his belief that “Knowledge is a curse”. Both of us felt frustrated and sad from learning knowledge.
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether this happens at twenty or at eighty. Anyone who keeps on learning not only remains young but becomes constantly more valuable, regardless of physical capacity.';
Marcus Aurelius was a famous philosopher in 121 through 180 C.E. He lived a hard life and even though he was surrounded by crowds he was considered a recluse. He was known for his kindness and mercy. The last years of his life were spent on a military campaign. It is said that these years were the hardest and loneliest. However, instead of becoming bitter and angry Aurelius wrote The Meditations. This was a diary or journal of his personal thoughts. He believed that by writing this it was his duty to his soul. The Meditations, is a popular piece of stoic literature. In this paper I will be describing how Aurelius used stoicism in book two of The Meditations and what I liked and did not like about what he said.
“You will never know what you are doing until and unless you have done it.” ― Santosh Kalwar. (http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/education?page=11) Throughout the 18 years I’ve lived on Earth, I have learned one thing. Life is nothing but trial and error. You can only learn by learning. You can only experience by experiencing. All my life I took something so vital for granted; pushing it away because I was afraid. I allowed myself to be held back by my trials. I let myself become my problems. I never took an open opportunity like this to better myself, until now. “The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.” ― Sydney J. Harris. (http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/education?page=11) My education is my future; a second chance I thought I’d never get. And I’m never turning back. That is what my education means to me.
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall” (qtd. in "Quotes by Confucius"). Confucius was an exceptionally prominent character around 551 BCE until his death in 479 BCE, although records are unclear. He was greatly influential back in that time, and still remains so to this day; especially in Eastern countries such as China. Through his teachings and ideologies, he founded the Ru School of Chinese Thought, which today has been given the name of Confucianism. Confucius impacted political and sociological standpoints; much of which still helps to shape the Chinese thought.
The literary works by Confucius, who was a teacher, politician, philosopher, and a social reformer helped developing Confucianism, often regarded as a religion. Confucianism is often believed as a system of social and ethical philosophy. When Confucius was born, the Chinese central government had lost power and there were numerous warring states. The violence, social instability, and cruel governance were some of the reasons why Confucius chose to be a teacher and a social reformer. His influence is greatly felt in China, Japan, and other parts of the world. His teachings were accepted as state dogma. The books he edited, namely the books of Changes, Poetry, History, and Rites, and the one he compiled, the Spring and Autumn are used as study material in both private and public schools in China. These subjects were also studied for civil service examination (Wu-Chi). His