Confucianism

naglibog ko

CONFUCIANISM

• originated in china in the 6th-5th century BCE due to the political instability of the Zhou Dynasty

• Philosophical contexts include: 

• Concepts of virtue - moral virtue, self-improvement and communal effort

• righteousness - inner compass

• later known until 17th century by Jesuit missionaries from society of jesus

• Confucianism was coined in 1687

• focuses on the importance of the right action (orthopraxis)

Confucius (Master Kung, born in 551 BCE)

• developed his teachings in response to the conditions of the time

• was born to a minor aristocratic family

• his mother gave him proper education from a village tutor

• confucius is regarded as a sage-teacher, teaching philosophy over religious doctrine

Confucian Tradition

 general term for the religious and ethical ideas, values and behaviors

Ru

confucius followers; “scholars”

Master Kong

most faithful disciple

In the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE, 2 important scholars emerged:

Mengzi (Mencius) & Xunzi (Hsun-tzu)

Mengzi (Mencius)

• defined morality clearly

• addressed governance 

• believes that humans are inherently good; bad examples lead to evil

Xunzi (Hsun-tzu)

• opposed mengzi's views

• humans are inherently evil

• education and rites to understand goodness

FOUR BOOKS

• aka Sishu

• foundational confucian texts

• central education and civil service examinations in China form 1313 and 1905

• Shu Xi compiled these texts w/ commentaries in 1190, revitalized confucianism and became critical for civil service exam success from 1415 onward

ANALECTS/LUNYU

• foundational text of the religion

• compiled by confucius’ disciples after his death

• most reliable source for his doctrines

• consists of 20 sections w/ sayings, convos and reflections

basic ethical concepts of confucius

Benevolence (Ren), Ritual (Li), Filial Piety (Xiao), The Way (Dao)

Benevolence (Ren)

• emphasizing humaneness, compassion and empathy in treating others, linked to good governance

Ritual (Li)

•  rules governing behavior to maintain social order and harmony

Filial Piety (Xiao)

•  respect and duty owed to family

The Way (Dao)

• moral path to achieve harmony

MENCIUS OR MENGZI

• collection of conversations between the confucian scholar Lord Meng and the kings

• 7 chapters long

• all humans are inherently good; virtues need nurturing through education and self-improvement

• good governance - rulers must govern kindly and wisely, prioritizing the people's well-being

GREAT LEARNING OR DAXUE

• compiled by Zengzi, a disciple 

• focuses w/ the cultivation of self and promotion of moral governance

• highlights “extending knowledge” and “investigating things” as pathways to moral clarity and understanding

• believes that self cultivation leads to virtuous leadership and promotes harmony in family, state and the world

DOCTRINE OF THE MEAN/ZHON YONG 

• attributed to Zisi

• focuses on attaining perfect balance and harmony in life by avoiding extremes 

• emphasizing balance, modernation, and harmony that is supported by the key virtues

• Sincerity (cheng) - fundamental for true humanity, requires continuous self-cultivation and align w/ the Dao

FIVE CLASSICS

• came first than the 4 books

• compiled and edited book by confucius

• used for chinese literature and history, philosophy and governance

• used as fundamentals in moral and civic education

CLASSIC OF CHANGES “YIJING”

• manual divination/predictions using 64 hexagrams, contains yin and yang

• shows a specific state, process/phenomenon that aids decision-making skills of the person in situations

• record of events that goes way back to 3 mil years before CE 

• 58 chapters 

• first 33 chaps are called “modern scripts” since theyre considered as works of the 4th century BC

• 58 chaps of SHUJING

• 1-5: sayings and deeds of emperors Yao and Shun

• 6-9: happenings during the Xia fynasty

• 10-26: establishment of Shang Dynasty and its fall

• 27-58: circumstances that happened during the Xizhou Dynasty which ruled china until 771 BC

CLASSIC OF ODES “SHIJING”

• anthology of poetry written between 1,000 BCE and 500 BCE 

• promotes view on moral cultivation

• 305 poems

• 6 poems are traditionally excluded due to incompleteness by confucius

CLASSIC OF RITES “LIJING”

• records from about 300 years of the social forms, administration and the religious practices of the Zhou dynasty

• reflected it as a tool towards good etiquette and social order

• 49 chaps

• tackles on different aspect of our lives

• family rituals (proper marriage, funerals, worship)

• value of education

• self-cultivation

• proper conduct of society

• political rituals/ethics in the Zhou Dynasty

ANNALS OF SPRING AND AUTUMN “CHINQIU”

• annual record of events of the place Lu, his hometown

• wars, political events, festivals, royal visits, civilian marriages, deaths, religious rituals

• confucius indicated his own insights on to teach right and wrong based on the situation that happened in Lu

Tian

• “heaven”

•  is not a person but is more like the sky, nature, or natural order that controls the world

• represents rules and goodness that help everything work well

• how people should behave

• taught that people should live good lives by following these natural rules and being kind and fair to others

• “Mandate of Heaven” is the leader/ruler

• meaning they have permission from Tian to govern if they rule justly and care for people

Junzi

• noble, virtuous, humble, wise 

Xiaoren

•  selfish, narrow-minded, greedy

Confucian goal

•  to become Junzi

5 LASTING RELATIONSHIPS

1. parent to child

2. husband to wife

3. elder sibling to younger sibling

4. teacher to student 

5. ruler to subjec

ZHENGMING (RECTIFICATION OF NAMES)

• father must act as a true father

• ruler must rule w/ justice

• key elements for personal transformation include education, appreciation of the arts, responsibility towards others, personal integrity, and a serious approach to conduct and character

• disharmony arises from self-centered behavior

• such behavior, exhibited by xiaoren, negatively impacts society by setting a poor example

• to combat disharmony, individuals should treat others based on how they wished to be treated

CULT OF CONFUCIUS

• many traditional rituals in china had already disappeared

• people thought rituals were wasteful during the war

• theyre important to bring back harmony, discipline and order

• The chinese word Li originally meant religious offerings like burn sacrifices

• later came to mean the right way of behaving in everyday life

• taught that people should live as if every moment was a part of a ceremony

PRACTICING LI

• Li was not only for ceremonies but also for daily living

• guided how people dressed, ate, behaved, and treated others w/ respect

• by practicing li, families, communities, and empire could achieve peace and harmony

• Li means the right way of behaving

ANCESTOR VENERATION

• key practice of Confucianism

• showing filial piety/respect for parents and grandparents

• families honored ancestors through offerings like incense, food, and paper money

• the Qingming Festival is an important tradition where families visit graves and give respect

TEMPLES OF CONFUCIUS

• built to honor confiucius and his teachings

• 1st was in Qufu in 478 BC

• followed by state temples and the famous Beijing Confucius Temple

GROWTH OF THE CULT

• expanded during the Tang and Song dynasties

• temples and sacrifices were more organized 

• new temples were built by emperors and descendants

RITUALS AND TEMPLE DEBATES

• debates on which scholars to honor in confucian temples

• by the Ming dynasty, one ver of the teachings became official

• statues were banned in 1530, replaced by spirit tablets, bust descendants’ temples kept statues

FAMILY CULT CONNECTION

• linked his descendant w/ the state cult

• shrines built for Shuliang He, his father

• preserved family traditions

IMPACT OF THE CULT

• the religion was more than just a philosophy

• rituals, veneration, temple practices are what shaped chinese culture w/ order, harmony, and respect

Hierarchical System (Issues of Confucianism)

ranks ppl by status, age, and gender to keep harmony, can feel oppressive

Major Revolutions (Issues of Confucianism)

2 major revolutions in china (20th century) result of rejecting rigid confucian order

Low birth rates (Issues of Confucianism)

Declining birth rates idfk basta you get the idea

Patriarchy (Issues of Confucianism)

male dominated system; women in lowest hierarchy

Obedience rule (Issues of Confucianism)

daughters obey fathers, wives obey husbands, widows obey sons

Dong Zhongshu (179-104 BCE) (Issues of Confucianism)

combined confucianism w/ daoism during the Han Dynasty

male preference (Modern issues of confucianism)

society values sons more than daughter

one-child policy (Modern issues of confucianism)

law in china allowing only one child per family caused gender imbalance