Confucianism

Founded on Confucius’ (551-479 BCE) teachings
- Most famous Chinese philosopher
- Grew up impoverished → learned from feudal practices
- Watched what higher-ups did, learned how to copy
- Never wrote down his teachings
- Students wrote it down in the Analects: book compiling all his principles
  - Became foundation for social life in China
  - Philosophy centered around it
Government + society grounded in Confucianism thought
- Basic order in the universe
- Natural harmony linking man + nature + cosmos
- Man = naturally social
  - Five relationships with reciprocity
  - Ruler
  - Husband
  - Parent
  - Elder brother
  - Friend
- Filial piety = children’s devotion to parents
- Family = primary social unit
  - Caused society to view government ruler as “father” of the state
- Ren = highest virtue
- Humaneness/sense of relatedness to other persons
- Dao = the right way/path
- Following the correct virtues leads you in harmony with dao
- Mandate of heaven = ruler gets authority from heaven → Heaven’s son
- Rulers are supposed to help the state + people
  - Expectations = stability + wealth + population growth + good living conditions
- All humans are essentially alike
- Change throughout education + environment
  - Why Confucius stressed education
- Man = naturally good
- Affected government rule
  - Ruler’s main function = educating/transforming population using moral examples
  - Merit bureaucracy = civil service with elected officials with the best moral role modeling
  - Used civil service exams to choose candidates
Fell into decline at the fall of the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 AD)
- Dormant for roughly 600 years