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 <-> subjects

      • Husband <-> wife

      • Parent <-> child

      • Elder brother <-> younger brother

      • Friend <-> 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


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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