EAI - 2 - Confucianism Part 1

Han classification of schools

Schools

• Ru 儒 — Confucianism

• Mo 墨 — Mohism

• Ming 名 — School of Names / Logicians

• Fa 法 — Legalism

• Dao 道 — Daoism

• Yinyang 陰陽 — Naturalists

Exam takeaway

• “Schools” are partly later Han classifications, not always self-contained ancient groups.

Confucianism vs Neo-Confucianism vs New Confucianism

1. Confucianism = broad early tradition;

2. Neo-Confucianism = Song/Ming metaphysical revival influenced by Buddhism/Daoism;

3. New Confucianism = modern reinterpretation of Confucianism.

Sources / textual history

Point

• Han scholars reconstructed, edited, and copied ancient texts.

• This may have rewritten texts.

• Sources include:

  • transmitted texts

  • archaeological finds

  • manuscripts

Exam takeaway

• Ancient Chinese texts are layered and edited; do not treat them as pure direct records.

Warring States

Point

• 481–221 BCE = wars.

• States challenge Zhou king and rulers assume the title of wang 王

• “Hundred Schools.”

• Main concern: stable political order.

Exam takeaway

• Ancient Chinese philosophy is mostly political philosophy because it responds to disorder.

Confucius basic biography

Key facts

• 551–479 BCE.

• Born in Lu.

• Chinese name: Kongzi 孔子, Master Kong.

• Given name: Qiu 丘.

• Poor civil servant background, shi 士.

• Itinerant philosopher.

• About 30 main disciples.

• Tried to persuade rulers to rule virtuously.

• Mostly rejected.

• Later becomes basis of Han state ideology.

Exam takeaway

• Confucius was a failed political adviser in life, but became central to Chinese ethics and government after death.

Lunyu 論語

Point

• Main work: Analects.

• 20 chapters.

• Compiled by disciples.

• Parts added after his death.

• Central to Chinese philosophy/politics.

• Not systematic.

• Dialogues.

• Confucianism developed gradually.

Exam takeaway

• Lunyu preserves Confucian sayings/dialogues but is not a systematic philosophical treatise.

Transmitter or innovator?

Point

• Was Confucius transmitting old Zhou ideals or creating something new?

• Did he distinguish outer behavior from inner morality?

• Point

  • Confucius calls himself transmitter, not creator.

  • Idealizes Zhou kings and sages.

  • Ruler should govern through virtue de 德, not excessive laws.

  • Personal example matters.

  • Compare Legalism!

    • using of laws to govern.

Exam takeaway

• Confucius presents himself as transmitter, but his reinterpretation of ritual and virtue is innovative.

Ritual li 禮

Point

• Li = ritual, rites, manners, proper behavior.

• Binds humans, spirits, family, society, and numinous realm.

• Regulates hierarchy, authority, power.

• Includes reciprocal relations.

  • in other philosophical systems is the role of family very different.

• Based on family and ancestors.

• Humanizes authority. Humanizing effect on authority.

Exam takeaway

• Li is both religious and political: it creates ordered relationships.

Ritual performance vs inner attitude

Point

• Confucius does not want empty performance.

• Inner moral quality matters.

Exam takeaway

• Ritual must express inner virtue, not just external correctness.

Junzi, yi, li, sun, xin

Terms

• Junzi 君子 — superior person / gentleman

• Yi 義 — righteousness / rectitude

• Li 禮 — ritual propriety

• Sun 孫 — modesty/deference

• Xin 信 — trustworthiness

Point

• Junzi uses righteousness as substance.

• Ritual puts it into action.

• Modesty expresses it.

• Trust completes it.

Exam takeaway

• The junzi is defined by moral substance expressed through proper conduct.

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Ren 仁

Point

• Humaneness/benevolence.

  • Governs human relationships.

  • Innate but must be practiced.

    • Starts like a child’s love for parents.

    • Includes mutual respect.

    • Includes filial piety. 孝

  • Political: ruler must have ren.

    • Inhumane ruler can lose Mandate of Heaven.

• Related to li (ritual) and yi(righteousness).

Exam takeaway

• Ren is both ethical and political: personal virtue supports legitimate rule.

Dao 道

Point

• Dao = right path / normative socio-political order.

• In Confucius, Dao means moral-political order.

Compare across schools!

• Dao is central in all Chinese schools.

• Each school interprets it differently.

  • Always specify whose Dao: Confucian, Daoist, Legalist, etc.

Exam takeaway

• In Confucianism, Dao is the Way of proper ethical-political order.

Five Relations

Relations

• ruler – subject

• father – son

• husband – wife

• older brother – younger brother

• friends

Exam takeaway

• Confucian society is built from ordered relationships, not isolated individuals.

Filial piety later

Point

• Later Confucianism formalized/legalized filial piety.

• Stories of extreme filial sacrifice developed.

  • Including extreme form of self sacrafice → during the song

  • Buddhism had to adapt to filial piety in China.

• Tang law integrated filial piety.

  • Offences became “Ten Grave Crimes.”

• Xiaojing 孝經 compiled early Han.

• Still VERY relevant in Chinese society.

Exam takeaway

• Filial piety becomes ethical, legal, religious, and social.

Way and former kings Slide 85

Point

• Ritual produces harmony he 和.

• The Way of former kings valued harmony.

Exam takeaway

• Confucius links ritual, harmony, and idealized ancient rulership.

Dao and de 德 vs punishment 胜利的86

Point

• Rule by punishments: people avoid punishment but feel no shame.

• Rule by virtue and ritual: people develop shame and correct themselves.

• Compare Legalism.

Exam takeaway

• Confucianism prefers moral transformation over coercive law.

Other key terms confucianisme

Terms

• Zhong 忠 — loyalty

• Yi 義 — righteousness

• Shu 恕 — sympathy/reciprocity

• Golden Rule: do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.

Exam takeaway

• Confucian ethics is relational and reciprocal.

Ideal man

Terms

• Junzi 君子 — gentleman / superior person

• Shengren 聖人 — sage

• Shanren 善人 — excellent/good person

Exam takeaway

• Confucius has several ideals of moral personhood, not just one.

Junzi vs petty man slide 94

Junzi

• Easy to serve.

• Hard to please.

• Only satisfied by what accords with Dao.

• Uses people according to their capacities.

Petty man

• Hard to serve.

• Easy to please.

• Accepts what is not Dao.

• Expects perfection from others.

Exam takeaway

• Junzi judges by moral Way; petty man judges by selfish preference.

Heaven Tian 天 slide 95

Point

• Confucius says Heaven took Yan Yuan.

• Question: is Heaven personal here?

Know

• Tian in Confucius can feel morally/divinely active, but not like a fully personal Christian God.

Exam takeaway

• Confucian Tian is morally powerful but ambiguous: partly cosmic, partly personal.

Confucius’ stages of life

Point

• 15: devoted to study.

• 30: established.

• 40: no doubts.

• 50: knew Tianming.

• 60: ear attuned.

• 70: follows heart without transgressing.

Exam takeaway

• Confucian cultivation is lifelong and gradually aligns desire with moral order.

Confucian classics

Texts

• Yijing 易經 — Book of Changes

• Shujing 書經 / Shangshu 尚書 — Book of Documents

• Shijing 詩經 — Book of Songs/Odes

• Ritual books:

  • Liji 禮記

  • Zhouli 周禮

  • Yili 儀禮

• Chunqiu 春秋 — Spring and Autumn Annals

• Yuejing 樂經 — Book of Music, lost/traditional

Exam takeaway

• These texts later became associated with Confucius and Confucian tradition.

Book of Documents

Point

• Collection of documents beginning with mythical rulers.

• Parts added by Han Confucians.

• Contains Mandate of Heaven.

• Ideal ruler is harmonious with Heaven.

• Ruler acts like father to tianxia 天下, “all under Heaven.”

• Ideal ruler avoids war and creates order through harmony.

Exam takeaway

• Shujing links rulership, Heaven, virtue, and cosmic-political order.

Mandate of Heaven chapter slide 99

Point

• Former Xia kings cultivated virtue and avoided Heaven’s calamities.

• Descendants failed.

• Heaven sent calamities and transferred favor.

• Shang ruler receives Heaven’s appointment.

• Virtue wins people’s hearts.

Exam takeaway

• Mandate of Heaven explains dynastic change morally: bad rulers lose Heaven, virtuous rulers gain legitimacy.

Good rulership

Point

• Former king cared about human bonds.

• Listened to criticism.

• Followed ancient wisdom.

• Showed intelligence in high position.

• Showed loyalty in lower position.

• Used people according to their strengths.

Exam takeaway

• Ideal rulership combines virtue, humility, listening, loyalty, and proper use of people.

Warnings against bad rulership

Key points

The ruler is warned against three corrupt habits:

1. Sorcerer-style behavior

• constant dancing in palaces

• drunken singing in chambers

• basically ritual/pleasure disorder

2. Extravagance

• obsession with wealth

• obsession with women

• wandering around

• excessive hunting

3. Disorder

• despising sage words

• resisting loyal/upright ministers

• rejecting the aged and virtuous

• surrounding oneself with bad youths

Meaning:

Bad personal behavior becomes political danger.

If an official behaves this way:

• his family can collapse.

If a prince/ruler behaves this way:

• his state can collapse.

If ministers do not correct the ruler:

• they are also guilty.

Exam takeaway

In Confucian political thought, the ruler’s morality is not private. Personal vice leads to political ruin.

Heaven rewards virtue and punishes evil

Main idea

Heaven’s favor is conditional.

Key points

• The ruler must respect earlier warnings.

• Heaven’s ways are not invariable.

• Heaven blesses the good-doer.

• Heaven sends misery on the evildoer.

• Virtue brings joy to the realm.

• Lack of virtue brings ruin to the ancestral temple.

Meaning

This is basically Mandate of Heaven logic:

Good ruler → Heaven supports him.
Bad ruler → Heaven withdraws support.

Exam takeaway

The Mandate of Heaven is moral and conditional: political legitimacy depends on virtue, not bloodline alone.

Book of Songs / Shijing 詩經

Main idea

The Book of Songs is a collection of poetry used in the Confucian classical tradition.

Key points

Contains:

• popular songs

• aristocratic poetry

• ritual/sacrificial songs

Three types:

1. Ballads

• 160 poems

• from 15 states

• many popular songs

2. Odes

• 105 poems

• mostly aristocratic

3. Offering songs

• 40 songs

• include sacrifices in Zhou, Lu, and Song

Meaning

The Book of Songs is not just literature.
It preserves:

• social values

• ritual practices

• political ideals

• emotional/moral expression

Exam takeaway

The Shijing became a Confucian classic because poetry was seen as morally and politically meaningful, not just artistic.

Ritual books

Main idea

The ritual books describe rites and connect ritual with ethics.

Key points

• Describe performance of rites.

• Include philosophical discussions.

  • Traditionally linked to Confucius and his disciples.

• Important concept: relation between ritual and morality.

  • Important for ruler and subject.

• Rituals reenact cosmic order.

Meaning → Ritual is not empty ceremony. It reflects and recreates the correct order of the cosmos and society.

Exam takeaway

In Confucianism, ritual connects ethics, politics, hierarchy, and cosmic order. That is why li 禮 matters so much.

Spring and Autumn Annals / Chunqiu 春秋

Main idea

The Spring and Autumn Annals is a historical chronicle that became important through commentaries.

Key points

• Describes events from 722–481 BCE.

• Original text is short.

• Later long commentaries were added.

  • Important commentary: Zuozhuan 左傳, “Commentary to the Left.” Important meta-point

  • Commentary literature is massively important in Chinese philosophy.

Why? → Because later thinkers often express new ideas through commentaries on older classics. So innovation is often hidden as interpretation.

Exam takeaway

Chinese philosophy often develops through commentary. Later thinkers present new ideas as explanations of classical texts, which becomes very important for Neo-Confucianism.