Chinese philosophy and influence on the Filipino

Moral, values and ethics define who we are and what we believe. Culture, religion, and many other
things affect our beliefs. One uses various types of ethics when surrounded by different groups. Knowing
between right and wrong is a good foundation to practice goo ethics and morals. These things make morals,
ethics and values important in society. many factors can contribute to what we think is morally right or
wrong. Religion, for example, may create a barrier on to what extent we do something. Some religions set
rules, or guidelines on which they limit what we do. Cultures as well contribute to people’s decisions. It
gives emphasis on the importance of knowing the proper way for human relations. This is the practice of all
virtues. It carries out what is known as the alpha and omega of one’s moral life – the principle of Chung
(loyalty) and Shu (consideration).
Confucianism is a philosophy and belief system from ancient
China, which laid the foundation for much of Chinese culture.
Confucius was a philosopher and teacher who lived from 551 to 479
B.C.E. His thoughts on ethics, good behavior, and moral character were
written down by his disciples in several books, the most important
being the Lunyu. Confucianism believes in ancestor worship and
human-centered virtues for living a peaceful life. The golden rule of
Confucianism is “Do not do unto others what you would not want
others to do unto you.”
There is debate over if Confucianism is a religion. Confucianism
is best understood as an ethical guide to life and living with strong character. Yet, Confucianism also began
as a revival of an earlier religious tradition. There are no Confucian gods, and Confucius himself is
worshipped as a spirit rather than a god. However, there are temples of Confucianism, which are places
where important community and civic rituals happen. This debate remains unresolved and many people refer
to Confucianism as both a religion and a philosophy.
The main idea of Confucianism is the importance of having a good moral character, which can then
affect the world around that person through the idea of “cosmic harmony.” If the emperor has moral
perfection, his rule will be peaceful and benevolent. Natural disasters and conflict are the result of straying
from the ancient teachings. This moral character is achieved through the virtue of ren, or “humanity,” which
leads to more virtuous behaviors, such as respect, altruism, and humility. Confucius believed in the
importance of education in order to create this virtuous character. He thought that people are essentially
good yet may have strayed from the appropriate forms of conduct. Rituals in Confucianism were designed to
bring about this respectful attitude and create a sense of community within a group.
The idea of “filial piety,” or devotion to family, is key to
Confucius thought. This devotion can take the form of ancestor
worship, submission to parental authority, or the use of family
metaphors, such as “son of heaven,” to describe the emperor and his
government. The family was the most important group for Confucian
ethics, and devotion to family could only strengthen the society
surrounding it.
The following values weighed by Confucius fall heavily on how
the followers of Confucianism see his teachings and how passionately
they’ve tried to follow the principles he had set. In reality, the Confucian values do not stray away from how
Filipino values, which has been greatly influenced by Christian morals, are presented. Much is true with the
concept of Jen which upholds the principles of Chung – do to others what you wish yourself – and Shu – do
not do to others what you do not wish yourself. This golden rule is the same as that of the teachings of the
church to the Filipinos in accordance to the bible. In the book of Luke, the value of benevolence is expressed
by the same saying as that of the Confucian teachings. Just like the followers of Confucianism, the Filipino
Christians value their relationships with others (loyalty); giving what is due to others and making sure they
do not impede on freely exercising the human rights and dignity of their fellow Filipinos (consideration).

Taoism (also spelled Daoism) is a religion and a philosophy from

ancient China that has influenced folk and national belief. Taoism has been
connected to the philosopher Lao Tzu, who around 500 B.C.E. wrote the
main book of Taoism, the Tao Te Ching. Taoism holds that humans and
animals should live in balance with the Tao, or the universe. Taoists believe
in spiritual immortality, where the spirit of the body joins the universe after
death.
The Tao Te Ching, or “The Way and Its Power,” is a collection of
poetry and sayings from around the third and fourth centuries B.C.E. that
guides Taoist thought and actions. While the author is traditionally believed to be the philosopher Lao Tzu,
there is little evidence that Lao Tzu existed at all. Rather, the Tao Te Ching is a gathering of earlier sayings
from many authors. This book was given an origin with the philosopher Lao Tzu for cultural and political
reasons. Lao Tzu is sometimes understood as the image of the Tao, or a god, and given legendary status.

The Tao (or Dao) is hard to define but is sometimes understood as the way of the universe. Taoism
teaches that all living creatures ought to live in a state of harmony with the universe, and the energy found in
it. Ch’i, or qi, is the energy present in and guiding everything in the universe. The Tao Te Ching and other
Taoist books provide guides for behavior and spiritual ways of living in harmony with this energy. However,
Taoists do not believe in this energy as a god. Rather, there are gods as part of the Taoist beliefs, often
introduced from the various cultures found in the region known now as China. These gods are part of the
Tao, like all living things. Taoism has temples, monasteries, and priests who make offerings, meditate, and
perform other rituals for their communities.

One of the main ideas of Taoism is the belief in balancing forces,

or yin and yang. These ideas represent matching pairs, such as light and
dark, hot and cold, action and inaction, which work together toward a
universal whole. Yin and yang show that everything in the universe is
connected and that nothing makes sense by itself. Taoism became well-
known in the eighth century C.E. as the religion of the Tang dynasty. In the
following centuries, it existed alongside Buddhism
and Confucianism (another philosophical religion). However, during
the Communist takeover in 1959, Taoism, Confucianism, and other religions
were banned. This caused a decline in the practice of Taoism in China.
Many modern Taoists live in Taiwan, although recent reforms in China have increased the number of
Chinese Taoists.
General character of Chinese philosophy
a. The ideal man is the sage or wise man.
b. The Chinese are a this-world people. Life is deemed desirable.
c. They believe in the cycle of ups-and-downs in this life.
d. The philosophy believed in the coordination of thought and action. Action agrees with thoughts.

Submitted by: Wennie B. Aquino