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.”

THE BELIEFS OF CONFUCIANISM

are not based on religious views alone but revolve around human society. Confucianism’s
central beliefs are based on the ethical values that every individual must possess. Its beliefs in
the afterlife discouraged the thought of thinking about life after death. Confucius stated that
thinking about life after death was beyond human understanding and one should not worry
about it. Instead, one must concentrate on living life in a harmonious manner.

The beliefs system about Confucianism beliefs in God is rather very vague, as there was no
indication about God in the teachings of Confucius and respecting other human beings was
like a religion to this great philosopher.
There are five principles around which Confucianism revolves:
• Jen
• Li
• Xin
• Chung
• Yi

The concept of Jen is based on human nature and benevolence. Li is a principle of respect
and propriety. Xin refers to faithfulness and honesty towards oneself and others and helps
individuals to earn admiration. Chung, one of the important Confucianism beliefs, upholds
that loyalty strengthens the bond between the rulers and the citizens of the country.
Righteousness is believed to be the base of human virtue. One must always follow the
principle of Yi and be able to differentiate between what is right and wrong. Confucianism
beliefs are not only followed in China but also in other countries like Korea, Japan, Vietnam,
and Taiwan.

Confucianism is a philosophy developed by Master Kong (known more commonly as

Confucius) during China’s Zhou Dynasty (1045 – 253 BC). It focuses on innate human
goodness and the importance of interpersonal human relationships. The goal of Confucianism
is to achieve social harmony.
According to Confucian beliefs, there are four elements necessary to achieve social
harmony:

• Rites
• Rituals
• The Five Relations
• Rectification of Names
• Ren

 Rites and Rituals

Confucius taught the importance of rituals in uniting people. In the Analects—a collection of
ideas, thoughts, and quotes attributed to Confucius—the importance of observing rites and
rituals with body and mind is revered.

The Master said: "Authority without generosity, ceremony without reverence, mourning
without grief—these, I cannot bear to contemplate." The Analects, 3.26

According to Confucian beliefs, all ceremonies should be intentional acts of social

unification. They should be practiced with others, and they should be done with reverence
and high regard, rather than a mindless repetition of words and actions. Rites and rituals
include funeral practices during which observers wear white and grieve for the dead for up to
three years, weddings beginning with appropriate matchmaking, coming-of-age ceremonies
for young men and women, and offerings to ancestors, among many other regional practices.

 The Five Relations

Using his studies of the past, Confucius determined that in order to achieve peace and
harmony, every relationship must fall under a strict hierarchy, with each relation
acknowledging and exercising its dominance or submission.

Duke Jing of Qi asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied, "Let rulers be rulers,
ministers ministers, fathers fathers, sons sons." The Analects, 12.11

There are five key relations under which all social interaction falls:

 The ruler to the subject

 The parent to the child
 The husband to the wife
 The older brother to the younger brother
 The friend to the friend

Even within friendship, a hierarchy must exist to ensure continuous harmony.

 Rectification (Or Redemption) of Names

The rectification of names is the designation of the five relations to all members of a society
in order to clear up confusion about the roles and responsibilities of the people to achieve
social harmony. According to Confucius, chaos results from confusion when proper “names”
(positions in society) are not known or exercised.

If names are not correct, language is not in accordance with the truth of things. If language is
not in accordance with the truth of things, affairs cannot be carried on to success. The
Analects, 13.3

 Ren

There are many definitions of the word "Ren," but the most commonly accepted definition is
virtue or kindness. The ultimate goal of Confucianism is to be, according to Confucius, "the
gentleman," or to exercise true altruism in every encounter. This is best illustrated by the
relationships between two people, which is why understanding and exercising one’s place
within the social hierarchy is essential.

Fan-Chi, asked about humanity (ren). The Master said, "Love all men." The Analects, 12.22

Unlike Nirvana or entrance into Heaven, Ren is not a place or state of being that can be
achieved. All people are born with Ren, meaning all people, according to Confucius, possess
an innate sense of goodness. However, possessing ren and acting on it are two different
things. A Confucian “gentleman” always acts in the interest of others within the boundaries
of his social status and hierarchical relations.

KEY IDEAS OF CONFUCIANISM

• Dr. Robert Eno of Indiana University wrote: “The teachings of the school that bears
Confucius’s name go well beyond the ideas that Confucius himself articulated during
his lifetime, but throughout the Classical period they remain well within the spirit of
Confucius’s original Dao.” Among the most important ideas is that “People are do not
become fully human without effort. We are only truly human.. unique among all
living species.. to the degree that we are as sensitive to the needs and human feelings
of others as we are to our own needs and feelings. The perfectly human person
Confucius called “Humane,” using a word (ren) that was almost identical to the word
for “person” in ancient Chinese.

• “The Ideal Ruler. That kind of broad-scale transformation could take place, he
thought, only with the active encouragement of responsible rulers. The ideal ruler, as
exemplified by the legendary sage-kings Yao and Shun or the adviser to the Zhou
rulers, the Duke of Zhou, exercises ethical suasion, the ability to influence others by
the power of his moral example. The virtues of the ruler correspond to values that
each individual is supposed to cultivate:

1) benevolence toward others.

2) a general sense of doing what is right.
3) loyalty and diligence in serving one’s superiors.

• “Ritual (Li). Universal moral ideals are necessary but not sufficient conditions for the
restoration of civilization. Society also needs what Kong Qiu calls li, roughly
translated as “ritual.” Although people are supposed to develop propriety or the ability
to act appropriately in any given social situation (another sense of the same word, li),
still the specific rituals people are supposed to perform (also li) vary considerably,
depending on age, social status, gender, and context. In family rituals, for instance,
rites of mourning depend on one’s kinship relation to the deceased. In international
affairs, degrees of pomp, as measured by the ornateness of dress and opulence of
gifts, depending on the rank of the foreign emissary. Offerings to the gods are also
highly regulated: the sacrifices of each social class are restricted to specific classes of
deities, and a clear hierarchy prevails.”

BASIC TENETS OF CONFUCIANISM

Confucianism stresses the importance of precedent and universal truths articulated by

sages of the past and emphasizes self-improvement. The two major doctrines of
Confucianism are:
1) Zhong, based on the Chinese character that combines "heart” and "middle," meaning
fidelity to oneself and humanity within; and
2) Shu, meaning cherish the heart as if it were one's owner.
 Confucianism is a social code based on morality rather than laws. Confucius said: “If you
govern by regulations and keep them in order by punishment, the people will avoid
trouble but have no sense of shame. If you govern them by moral influence and keep
them in order by a code of manners, they will have a sense of shame and will come to you
of their own accord."

STRUCTURE OF CONFUCIAN THOUGHT

Dr. Eno wrote: “The following ideas are basic to the structure of early Confucianism:

1) People are only fully “human” to the degree that they are as sensitive to others' needs
and human feelings as they are to their own. The perfectly human person Confucius
called “humane,” using the word, “ren,” which was almost identical to the word
“person.”

2) The patterns of perfect humanity had been embroidered in the past by successive great
Sages, inspired by Heaven, of whom the latest were the Zhou Dynasty founders. These
heaven-ordained patterns constituted a complex set of social, political, and religious
conventions and ceremonies known as “ritual,” or “li.” These rituals of everyday and
ceremonial conduct were no longer properly practiced in chaotic Eastern Zhou society
restoring these patterns of Chinese civilization was the practical path back to the ideal
society.

3) Individuals should seek to recapture the patterns of li in their own conduct. The best
place to begin was in one's conduct towards one's parents. li was not isolated ceremonies
to be practiced alone but expressed the norms that were meant to govern all human
relationships. Of these, the parent-child relationship was the most basic; therefore, the
first duty of every person was to act towards his or her parents in a perfectly filial manner.

“4) Once a person had mastered the patterns of filial li in the role of the child, he or she
would discover that the key to “humanity” (the virtue of ren) was the mastery of all the
social roles that the human community needed him or her to play in a lifetime. The most
basic of these roles were expressed as a set of Five Relationships: parent/child;
elder/younger; ruler/subordinate; husband/wife; 3 friend/friend. Once everyone
understood and acted out the proper li for each social role they occupied, the world would
be returned to order.

5) The person who had fully embodied li and ren would represent a superior type of ideal
person the fully human being. Confucius referred to such a person by a special term:
junzi. This term originally had meant a “prince,” or man of high birth. For Confucius
“princeliness” was a matter of moral skills not of birth, and he pictured his perfected
people as a new type of ethical aristocracy.
 GROUP 3 QUESTIONNAIRE

What philosophy and belief system from • Chung

ancient China, which laid the foundation
for much of Chinese culture? There are many definitions of the word
"Ren," but the most commonly accepted
• Confucianism definition is
• Virtue or Kindness.
What are the five principles around which
Confucianism revolves: Who wrote: “The teachings of the school
that bears Confucius’s name go well
1. Jen 4. Xin beyond the ideas?
2. Li 5. Chung
3. Yi • Dr. Robert Eno of Indiana
University
What principle of Confucianism that be
able to differentiate between what is right What are the two major doctrines of
and wrong? Confucianism?
• Yi 1. Zhung 2. Shu

What principle of Confucianism refers to
faithfulness and honesty towards oneself
and others and helps individuals to earn
admiration.
• Xin
What key ideas of Confucianism that kind
of broad-scale transformation could take
place, he thought, only with the active
encouragement of responsible rulers?
• The Ideal Ruler.

Confucianism is a philosophy developed The perfectly human person Confucius

by ________ (known more commonly as called:
Confucius) • Humane
• Master Kong
What kind of elements is the designation
What are the four elements necessary to of the five relations to all members of a
achieve social harmony: society in order to clear up confusion
about the roles and responsibilities of the
1. Rites and Rituals people to achieve social harmony?
2. Rectification of Names • Rectification of Names
3. The Five Relations
4. Ren What kind of elements that in order to
achieve peace and harmony, every
What principle of Confucianism is based relationship must fall under a strict
on human nature and benevolence? hierarchy?
• Jen • The Five Relations

What principle of Confucianism has What are the four places that
respect and propriety? Confucianism beliefs are not only
• Li followed in China but also in other
countries?
What principle of Confucianism, which is 1. Korea
one of the important Confucianism beliefs, 2. Japan
upholds that loyalty strengthens the bond 3. Vietnam
between the rulers and the citizens of the 4. Taiwan.
country?
Confucius was a philosopher and teacher • 551
who lived from ______ to ______ B.C.E. • 479