Confucianism

Scholars and ritualists

Ru

School of the Learned

Ru jia

Confucius/ 'Master Kong' lived from

551-479 BCE

Who died when Confucius was 3

his dad

How was confucius raised

by his mother in poverty

How old did Confucius mother die

at less than 40 years of age

Who did Confucius marry at 19

Lady Qiguan

Confucius kids

one son and two daughters

who held a series of modest
positions as keeper of granaries
and livestock and as district officer
in the family’s feudal domain

Confucius

Who was appointed in the local
government as minister of works
and then as minister of crime

Confucius

Why did Confucius leave his position and home

Due to conflict with a clash between local
rulers and aristocratic families

What did Confucius look for during self-exile

rulers who might be willing to accept his influence and be guided
by his vision of virtuous government but with no success

what did confucius consider himself

a transmitter of cultural values of earlier period

What period did confucius transmit cultural values of

the Xia, Shang, and Western Zhou dynasties

Key text in Confuciunism

Analects

Who composed analects

Confucius’s leading disciples

What are in the analects

Record statements by Confucius
Exchanges with students
Remarks of students

Mandate of “Heaven”, given to a person or to a dynasty to rule a country

Tianming

Key factor for awarding the mandate by Tian

Moral uprightness

When can Tianming be revoked

if the ruler is found lacking in morality

Who Tianming be transferred to

another person or family

What was tianming initially used for

initially used by Zhou Dynasty to justify the shift of power from Shang Dynasty

how did Zhou kings explain shift of power from Shang with tianming

Zhou kings contended that heaven favored their triumph
because the last Shang kings had been evil men whose policies
brought pain to the people

What impact did tianming have on East Asia'

one of East Asia's most enduring political
doctrines, stating that Worldly affairs were supposed to align with those of the heavens,
the heavens conferred legitimate power on a human ruler, The ruler was duty-bound to uphold heaven's principles of harmony and honor, The ruler was not just a political leader exercising power over both territory and people, he was also a religious figure who served as intermediary between Tian and humanity

Confucius Interpretation of Tian

Confucianism advocate this idea that divine mandate is based on
proper behavior and moral qualities of rulers. However, it is not
limited to rulers or feudal lords

Who did Confucius extended the responsibility of adhering to Tian and practice of Li to

people beyond royalty and aristocracy

How did Confucius interpret Tian

conscious divine will that will reach out to moral and noble men in society

What do virtuous people have the responsibility to do

revive the moral order or to align the worldly affairs with the heaven

How does Tian manifest itself

It is not directly articulated or revealed

It manifests itself silently in the course of seasons and in the records of human events

What can a moral person do

understand the imperative of Tian and become its messenger

What is the intermediary between Tian and humanity

not rulers but moral elites

man of virtue/ noble man (men of moral rectitude)

Junzi Confucius interpretation

descendant of feudal rulers

Junzi original meaning

What did Confucius do to the term Junzi

He endowed the term with a strictly ethical dimension, from High-born to high-minded

Do junzi have political authority

No

What task do Junzi undertake

implementing Tian’s Dao in human world

become the mouthpiece of Tian which did not speak itself.

mission of virtuous people

What should men of virtue do when rulers are incapable or unwilling to uphold this order of implementing Tian’s dao

take it upon themselves
and preserve it

the way, the total normative social-
political-ethical order

Dao

What message does Tian seeks to convey through the
spiritual elite

Dao

What are the aspects of the order to convey Dao

Proper ritual behavior in public sphere and Moral uprightness in private sphere

Two key principles for maintaining the normative human order

Ren and Li

Benevolence, humaneness, virtue, Germ of moral consciousness to form a perfect human order

Ren

obedience and service to one’s parents
being respectful to elders
carry out sacrifices to the ancestors;
not be rebellious

Filial piety

How does ren start

with filial piety

Exerting one’s utmost effort in fulfilling one’s diverse roles in
society

Dutifulness

inherent in everyone, But it needs to be developed

Moral disposition

What is ren a key factor for

maintaining harmony among human beings and relationship with Tian

sacrificial rituals of kings and nobles

Li original meaning

The specific ways that inner benevolence (ren) should be manifested in one’s behavior

Li Confucius meaning

What is li in relation to ren

Externalization of Ren

Manners, etiquette, ceremonies, customs, rules of propriety

example of Li

Rites of passage (births, weddings, funerals)

example of li

Ceremonies of honoring ancestors and gods

example of li

Using polite language, addressing others with appropriate
titles and honorifics, and avoiding offensive or disrespectful
speech

example of li

Welcoming guests with warmth and generosity,
offering them food and drink, and providing comfortable
accommodations

Hospitality

Hospitality

example of li

Observing proper etiquette during meals, such as serving
others before oneself, using chopsticks correctly, and
expressing gratitude for the food.

example of li

5 fundamental relationships

ruler and subject,
father and son,
elder brother and younger brother,
husband and wife,
friend and friend.

The prescribed mode of conduct for li is seen as what

having a magical power

What follows when social rituals are conducted in proper context with
grace and sincerity

goodwill, trust and harmony in society

Does Confucius care about the afterlife

no he focused on this world

How to spiritually evolve

through living perfectly in the world that one can spiritually
evolve

Confuciunism is

Different mode of religiousness (more philosophy than religion)

This-worldly transcendentalism

Confuciunism

Secular as sacred

Confuciunism

Humanistic religion

Confuciunism