CONFUCIANISM

Life:-
1-Confucius was the acknowledged Master of experts and scholars for several generations.
Confucius is no doubt the final authority and the Supreme Sage in the History of China.

2-His teachings and philosophy, often called Confucianism, has been the bedrock of Chinese
thought and beliefs.

3-Confucius was one of the most important personalities of Chinese civilisation. He could not
accomplish much in his personal life but made a lasting impact onthe philosophical traditions of
China. philosophical traditions of China.

4-He belonged to the state of Lu in modern Shantung province. His father was a soldier named
K'ung. He belonged to a lower class of poor aristocracy.

5-He had a great understanding of traditional knowledge. For some time he worked under the
Duke of Lu but later quit the job and wandered from place to place.

6-His beliefs and ideals could not lead him to be bound by any particular employment.
Unsuccessful as a statesman, Confucius became a great teacher. His thoughts inspired and
attracted many.

Thoughts:-
1-He strongly believed that knowledge was the key to happiness and good conduct.

2-He said that his regret was not that he was misunderstood but that he did not understand
others sufficiently.

3-His doctrines centred upon the good life and the good community.

4-He was quite optimistic in his approach towards the material world and human nature.

5-He advocated the restoration of central authority in the kingdom combined with a logical
distribution of power.

6-His notion of the ideal state was that of a benevolent paternalism where the ruler was
expected to set an example of good conduct before his subjects.

7-The progress and prosperity of the state was dependent upon the welfare of every village.

8-Social harmony could be achieved only by the combined efforts of the common masses at the
grass root level and the scholar-officials at the top layer of administration.
9-Confucius' teaching embodied a political philosophy which regarded the state as a natural
institution. The state could be modified with the efforts of the individual and thus achieve the
general well being of all the subjects.

10-His philosophy of social good relied heavily on mutual sympathy and cooperation.

11-He stressed the importance of five cardinal human relationships (i) ruler and subject, (ii)
father and son, (iii) elder and younger brother, (iv) husband and wife, and (v) friend and friend.
These could be expanded in any proportions and were bounded by none.

TRADITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH CONFUCIANISM

1-A prominent tradition which came to be accepted as part of the Confucian tradition was the
practice of ancestor worship, observed by Chinese from all walks of life. The memory of
ancestors was kept alive in numerous tangible ways, through various forms of veneration.

2-Apart from this was the notion ofHeaven and of Fate. It was believed that Heaven determined
destiny on all matters ranging from affairs of State to the most personal aspects of an
individual’s life. However, because Heaven, Earth and Man were consideredto part of a single
trilogy, the actions of men were considered capable ofinfluencing the course imposed on them
by Heaven.

3-Trying to predict or understand what Heaven had in store for men, or the practice of
divination,was another feature of the Chinese religious tradition.

4-The concept of Yin and Yang, or the unity of negative and positive elements, and of the Five
Elements,were also part of the Confucian belief system.

5-In later centuries, the rise of neo-Confucianism, or the revived version of Confucianism after
its temporary eclipse by Buddhism, led to the incorporation of certain other concepts of
metaphysical nature into the doctrine. This included the notion that all things derived from a
single source known as the Supreme Ultimate, and consisted
of both li and qi, loosely defined as ‘principle’ and ‘matter’.

MENG-TZU
1-The most prominent exponent of the Confucianist school of thought was Mencius (Meng-tzu).

2-He also relied on the inherent goodness of human nature and the need to develop a great
leadership to make use of it to the fullest.
3-For him the government was a moral enterprise and he had a more emphatic stand towards
the welfare of the masses.

4-He wanted the governments to take initiatives to reduce social inequalities and raise the
standard of living of the individuals.

5-He was quite outspoken in criticising the contemporary rulers. People have a moral right to
depose a corrupt ruler.

HSUNT-ZU

1- He was another great philosopher who despite being a Confucianist differed from Menus on
several fronts.

2-He regarded human nature as basically evil. But in his understanding, man can be improved
by proper education and rigorous discipline.

3-He led greater stress upon observance of rituals, formal training in the classics and a strictly
hierarchical ordering of the society.

4-He was not a pessimist and recommended rigorous action by the state to bring reforms.

5-Regulation of economic activities was a common point of the teachings of most of the
philosophers perhaps because political uncertainty had brought great misery to the masses.

CONFUCIANISM PROSPERED WITH THE CRITICISMS BY TAOISM?

1-Lao-tzu (The Old Sage) founded the Taoist philosophical school. He served as an officer at
the Chou capital. Later he moved to the western mountains in search of peace. He did
document some of his teachings and beliefs. Tao Teh Ching (Classic of Nature and Virtue) is the
source from which the principle Taoism is derived but this text was most probably not written by
Lao-tzu.

2-It becomes essential to discuss Taoism as most of their beliefs were contrary to Confucian
philosophies.

3-Unlike Confucius, Lao-tzu believed that the role of state was quite limited because if the
people were left to follow their own intuition they would live in a greater harmony with nature and
also with one another.
4-This however did not mean support for anarchy in his teachings. The purpose of the
government was to promote human happiness.

"The writings of all these scholars shaped the Chinese generation"

Notes
Arman
2020BAP1104