Confucianism: The Way of Ritual Propriety

Confucius

The founding teacher (Kong Fuzi) who emphasized social order and virtue.

Analects

The collected sayings of Confucius, the primary source of his teachings.

Li

Ritual propriety or etiquette; the outward practice of performing social roles correctly.

Ren

Humaneness or benevolence; the inward feeling of goodness toward others.

Junzi

The exemplary person or superior man who has mastered both Li and Ren.

Filial Piety (xiao)

Extreme respect of parents and ancestors; the foundations of all virtue.

Mandate of Heaven

The divine right to rule based on the virtue of the leader.

Duke of Zhou

An early historical figure whom Confucius viewed as the ideal model of a virtuous ruler.

Mencius

An influential follower who argued human nature is inherently good.

Xunzi

A follower who argued human nature is inherently bad and requires strict ritual (Li) to fix it.

Sage (Shengren)

The ultimate state of human perfection, higher than a Junzi.

Five Classics / Four Books

The core curriculum of Confucian education and civil service exams.

Neo-Confucianism

A later medieval revival that added metaphysical and spiritual depth to the tradition.

Three Sovereigns

Mythical founding rulers of Chinese civilization.