Confucianism Midterm Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering Confucian philosophy, ethics, societal roles, and key concepts from the midterm review notes.

Rituals and Laws

Mechanisms intended not for discipline, but to develop a larger societal harmony and do things as they should be done in order to be in line with returned order.

Embodied Virtue

Virtue that becomes second nature through giving or receiving development, focusing on the golden rule of treating others how you would want to be treated.

Contagious Empathy

A shared empathy that spreads across society by focusing on microsocial interactions between people and practicing consideration and empathy daily.

Moral Energy

Energy that is renewed through everyday interactions and spreading amongst people toward an end goal, focusing on society as a whole rather than the self.

Harmony

The condition where everyone plays their designated part and celebrates differences to create a balanced whole.

Ideal Society

An ethically correct society where everything is harmonious with each other.

Civil Service Examination

An examination system through which people can move up through classes and ranks, tested on the 4 books and 5 classics, that encourages critical thinking.

The 4 Books and 5 Classics

The core texts tested on the Civil Service Examination that encourage critical thinking and provide a path for upward social mobility.

Individual Cost of Confucianism

The personal toll resulting from constantly placing everyone (the collective whole) over one's own individual needs and freedoms within a system that provides a role for everyone.

Filial Piety

Respect to parents.

The 5 Relationships

The five fundamental social pairings (ruler - subject, father - child, husband - wife, older sibling - younger sibling, and friend - friend) where individuals practice ritual propriety within a larger ecosystem.

Transformative Ritual

The concept that rituals have the power to change individuals because human beings are malleable rather than fixed.

No Fundamental 'True Self'

The Confucian concept that individuals do not have an innate core self, but are instead the sum of their responses to others and the environment, which form patterns that can be changed to train oneself into a better person.

The 5 Constants

The core virtues emphasized by Confucius: 1. Humanness, 2. Righteousness, 3. Integrity / trust, 4. Knowledge, and 5. Ritual propriety.

Gentleman / Noble Person

An individual who embodies the 5 constants and focuses their concern on the 'way' or behaviors rather than wealth or status.

Pole Star

A model of moral conduct that one strives to reach by radiating an example daily.

Ritual Propriety

Knowing how to act and actively practicing it by matching one's behavior to the moment, adapting appropriate responses, and harmonizing without disagreeing or breaking harmony.