What I Need to Know

“Do not do unto others what you do not want others do unto you” – Confucius

In the midst of chaotic periods in China, several schools of thought were born. This
is known as the hundred schools of thought, which was characterized by the struggle
to impose social order in China through philosophical teachings of great Chinese
thinkers. One of those is Confucianism.

Have you ever asked yourself your purpose in life and how this purpose may affect
your harmony to the society? Have you ever had to make a decision with proper
considerations of the moral way? In this module, you are in luck because you will be
introduced to the virtues of being a gentleman, a critical value in Confucianism.

The module is composing of one lesson, namely:

 Lesson 12– Confucianism: Confucianism: Confucius and the Sacred
Scriptures Classics
After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. Describe the five basic relationships (king to subject, father to son,
husband to wife, elder brother to younger brother and friend to friend)
2. Give examples of acts showing filial piety in the family, community
and society
3. Explain the core teaching of Confucianism is to be a “gentleman” in
order to promote harmony in society.
4. Present a character sketch of a person who personifies the Confucian
virtues

Thoughts for YOU

Try to think of who you are right now. Where are you in the
community? Who are the people you know? What kind of
relationships do you have with them? Are these relationships
healthy for you and for them? What kind of relationships are you
still struggling of? Lastly, what relationships are you aiming to
have in the near future?
 What I Know

Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate
sheet of paper.

1. Which Sacred Scripture is a collection of three hundred and five songs.

a. Book of Analects
b. Book of History
c. Book of Poetry
d. Book of Rites

2. How do they refer to adherents of Conficianism?

a. Confucianers
b. Confucianist
c. Confucianister
d. Confucianamerist

3. According to Confucius, which is true about relationships?

a. Easiest to perfect, hardest to attain.
b. Easiest to perfect, easiest to attain.
c. Hardest to perfect, hardest to attain.
d. Hardest to perfect, easiest to attain.

4. What does Confucianism emphasizes?

e. The economical dimension of the world and the human products.
f. The historical dimension of the world and the human race.
g. The moral dimension of the world and the human values.
h. The ethical dimension of the world and the human relationships.

5. Daoic Religions are centered on the Chinese philosophy of Dao. What is

the meaning of ‘Dao’?
a. The Way
b. The One
c. The Truth
d. The Analects
 Lesson Confucianism:
12 Confucius and the Sacred
Scriptures Classics

Hi! How are you? Have you been well? Has your experience in answering this modules
going pleasant so far? We hope you are enjoying and learning all about beliefs and
religions of the world up to this point.

In this module, being a gentleman is a core teaching. According to Confucianism, to

be a gentleman is to be a person who should follow the moral way, consisting of the
virtues of love, righteousness, wisdom, propriety, and loyalty. Becoming a gentleman
promotes harmony in society.

What’s In

Recently, you were done with the study of Dharmic religions that has the major
commonality of all emerging from the vast subcontinent of India, which includes
Hinduism and the two branches of Buddhism, the Theravada and Mahayana schools
of thought.

In this module, you are introduced to Daoic Religions. These religions are centered
on the Chinese philosophy of Dao (or ‘The Way”) which refers to the moral order that
permeates the universe or the force behind the natural order. Dao is immanent and
it pervades the natural world, the “mother of the universe” which constantly nurtures
nature. One’s goal therefore is to live in harmony with the Dao. In this chapter we
will discuss one of the three major East Asian or Daoic religions — Confucianism.

Notes to the Teacher

You may introduce the topic by allowing the students to
differentiate between Dharmic Religions and Daoic Religions. In
doing so, you may make use of diagrams and/or graphic organizers
to properly organize their thought and understanding. At the same
time, you may detect any confusions from the previous lesson so
they can be best prepared the new lesson.
 What’s New

Exercise 12.1
Do you remember the ‘thoughts for YOU’ at the start of the module? Have you
thought of your answers for the questions yet? If so, then try to fill out the following
organizer to see how much you are aware of your relationships in the society.
Instructions: Fill out the graphic organizer below by writing your relationship that
corresponds to the proper column/category that refers to the level of power relations
you have with them. Afterwards, identify the pros and cons of having those kind of
relationships (SUPERIOR? EQUAL? SUBORDINATE?).

____________ 1.__________ ____________

SUPERIOR

CONS
PROS

____________ ____________ ____________

____________ 2.__________ ____________
____________ ____________ ____________
____________ 3.__________ ____________
____________ ____________ ____________
____________ 1.__________ ____________
EQUAL
PROS

CONS

____________ ____________ ____________

____________ 2.__________ ____________
____________ ____________ ____________
____________ 3.__________ ____________
____________ ____________ ____________
____________ 1.__________ ____________
SUBORDINATE
PROS

CONS

____________ ____________ ____________

____________ 2.__________ ____________
____________ ____________ ____________
____________ 3.__________ ____________
____________ ____________ ____________
Guide Questions:
4. How many relationships have you thought of while making the activity? Can
you site your favorite relationship and explain why?

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
5. Which among the PROS of relationships do you think is the most beneficial
for you? Why do you think so?

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
6. In relation to question number 2, which among the CONS of relationships
you cited do you think is the most stressful for you? How would you solve
this?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

7. What were your feeling while thinking of the relationships you have now?
How will you describe yourself with these relationships?

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
8. Would you say that you are satisfied and content with the relationships you
cited in this activity? If not, what relationships are you still hoping to have in
the near future?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
 What is It

Confucianism
Confucianism emphasizes the ethical dimension of the world, it gives primary
attention to human relationship, thus advocating social values and ideals which
should serve as the foundation of Chinese society.

As of 2010, the Encyclopaedia Britannica estimates the number of followers of

Confucianism at more than six million. This figure is misleading, however, for it is
said that people from East Asia may profess themselves to be Buddhists, Taoists,
Christians, Muslims, or Shintoists, but rarely do they stop being Confucians.
Because of this, the actual figure can rise up to more or less 300 million.

One important lesson is focus on relationships should be emphasized, for it is often

taken for granted that these relationships which we encounter everyday should be
the easiest to perfect, but in reality they are the hardest to attain.

Adherents of Confucianism are called Confucians or Confucianists. Religions in East

Asia are not mutually exclusive, hence one can still be a Confucian/Confucianist
while at the same time being a Taoist, Buddhist, Christian or Muslim.

Sacred
Scriptures

Beliefs Worships
and Confucianism and
Doctrines observances

Development
of
Confucianism

Fig. 12.1. Concept Map of Confucianism

Exercise 12.2
Instructions: complete the statements below by supplying the missing information.

Confucianism emphasizes the _____________ dimension of the world, it gives primary

attention to human relationship. The number of followers of Confucianism is at more

than ________ million but the actual figure can rise up to more or less ______ million.

_______________________ are the easiest to perfect, but in reality they are the hardest

to attain. Adherents of Confucianism are called ___________________.

Religion vs Philosophy
There has always been a debate whether Confucianism should be regarded as a
religion or a philosophy. Take a look at the following claims;

As a Philosophy As a Religion
Those who argue that Confucianism is a Confucianism is considered a religion
philosophy assert that when Kung Fuzi because its ideals were inspirational,
founded Confucianism, he never meant not in the supernatural sense but in the
to establish a new religion; he merely sense of aiming for excellence in one’s
wanted to interpret and revive the relationships with others.
ancient religion of Zhou dynasty.
Confucianism has often been
Advocates of Confucianism as a categorized together with Buddhism,
philosophy further argue that Kung Fuzi Christianity, Hinduism, Islam,
seldom touched on religious matters, Judaism, and Daoism as one of the
thus branding him as a humanist world’s major religions, and has greatly
advancing practical and ethical wisdom. influenced the East Asian political and
spiritual life

Exercise 12.3
Instructions: Answer the question below using a maximum of three sentences:

1. In your own point of view in life, what is the difference of Philosophy to Religion?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

2. According to your understanding, is Confucianism a Philosophy to Religion?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
The Life of Confucius

Illustration by Joel Royola Arcamo

Exercise 12.4
Instructions: After seeing the profile of the life of Confucius, answer the following
questions.

What will you LIKE What will you COMMENT

from Confucius' profile?
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
to in Confucius' profile?
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________

What will you say in a

What will you SHARE
from Confucius' profile?
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
MESSAGE to Confucius?
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________

SACRED SCRIPTURES: THE CONFUCIAN CLASSICS

The Five Classics are a group of books which was regarded as early Confucianism’s
basic texts. The Analects is also considered an important source of Confucian
teachings since it contains a record of his conversations with his disciples. Let us
now take a look at what these classics are all about

Book of Changes
Also known as the I-Ching, the Book of Changes is believed to
have existed at the time of Confucius and is the oldest of the
Classics. It focuses on short predictions following a type of
divination called cleromancy wherein six random numbers are
picked and arranged under sixty-four hexagrams. Later on,
commentaries were added to the predictions, the longest of which
was the Hsi-tz’u or Appended Remarks, which discusses early
cosmological and metaphysical assumptions in an obscure
language.
 Book of History
Also known as the Book of Documents or Shangshu, the Book
of History is conventionally attributed to Confucius by early
scholars. It is composed of speeches (or prose) of royalty and
ministers mainly from the Shang and Zhou dynasties. It also
consists of chronological accounts of imperial achievements
and rules of government.

Book of Poetry
The Book of Poetry, also known as the Book of
Songs/Odes/Shijing, is a collection of three hundred and five
songs compiled around 600 B.C.E. which includes four sections
of various themes such as love, courtship, abandonment and
dances. It also includes feast songs or state chants. It was
supposedly compiled by Confucius from an ancient repertory of
three thousand, and is considered as the oldest existing
compilation of Chinese poetry.

Classic of Rites
Originally the Three Li/Three Rites/San Li, the Classic of Rites is
a compilation of ceremonial rituals, administration, and social
forms of the Zhou Dynasty. It is considered as a complete body of
work which includes the Ceremonials (I-li/Yili), an early manual
of protocol for the nobility, describing such occasions as
marriages and funerals, sacrifices and even archery competitions.
It also includes the Book of Rites (Li-chi/Liji) which is composed
of forty-nine sections of ritual and government guidelines, as well
as essays on education, the rites, music and philosophy.

Analects
The Analects, or Lunyu (“conversations” or “sayings”), is also
known as the Analects of Confucius. It is a collection of sayings
and ideas attributed to the Chinese philosopher Confucius and
his contemporaries, traditionally believed to have been written by
Confucius' followers. It is believed to have been written during
the Warring States period (475 B.C.E.-221 B.C.E.) and finalized
during the middle of the Han dynasty. It acquired tremendous
significance that it has been classified as one of the Four Books
along with Great Learning, Doctrine of the Mean, and Book of
Mencius.
 What’s More

Activity 12.1
Find and encircle ten (10) words that has a significant meaning in Confucianism.

Activity 12.2
List three (3) things about Confucius according to the categories.

Confucius’
Facts about Interests of Life Events of
Previous
Confucius Confucius Confucius
Employment

1. _______________ 1. _______________ 1. _______________ 1. _______________

__________________ __________________ __________________ __________________
2. _______________ 2. _______________ 2. _______________ 2. _______________
__________________ __________________ __________________ __________________
3. _______________ 3. _______________ 3. _______________ 3. _______________
__________________ __________________ __________________ __________________
 What I Have Learned

These are important key points that you may make use of in your first module about
Confucianism. We hope you learned a lot from this module and enjoyed in doing so.

 Daoic Religions are centered on the Chinese philosophy of Dao (or ‘The
Way”) which refers to the moral order that permeates the universe or
the force behind the natural order.

 Confucianism emphasizes the ethical dimension of the world, it gives

primary attention to human relationship.

 As of 2010, the Encyclopaedia Britannica estimates the number of

followers of Confucianism at more or less than six million to 300 million

 One important lesson is focus on relationships should be emphasized,

though it may be the easiest to perfect, but in reality they are the
hardest to attain.

 Adherents of Confucianism are called Confucians or Confucianists.

 The Five Classics are a group of books which was regarded as early
Confucianism’s basic texts.

 Book of Changes, also known as the I-Ching, the Book of Changes is

believed to have existed at the time of Confucius and is the oldest of the
Classics.

 Book of History, also known as the Book of Documents or Shangshu,

the Book of History is conventionally attributed to Confucius by early
scholars.

 Book of Poetry, also known as the Book of Songs/Odes/Shijing, is a

collection of three hundred and five songs.

 Classic of Rites, originally the Three Li/Three Rites/San Li, the Classic
of Rites is a compilation of ceremonial rituals, administration, and
social forms of the Zhou Dynasty.

 Analects, or Lunyu (“conversations” or “sayings”), is also known as the

Analects of Confucius. It is a collection of sayings and ideas
 What I Can Do

Activity 12.3
The following are some of the famous passages from the Analects of Confucius.
Accomplish the following task within 5 sentences only.

First, choose one among them where you can best relate to. Tell us why you think so
and some of your experiences about it.
__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
Second, choose another one that you think may help you in future and explain why
you want to hold unto that one for your future endeavors.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
 Assessment

A. Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Encircle the chosen letter
of your answer.
1. Analects is also known as Lunyu. What is the simple translation of Lunyu?
a. rites c. sayings
b. documents d. poetry

2. How many classic books are there which are considered as early
Confucianism’s basic texts?
a. 4 c. 6
b. 5 d. 7

3. Which Sacred Scripture is a collection of sayings and ideas?

a. Book of Changes c. Book of Poetry
b. Book of History d. Book of Analects

4. Which Sacred Scripture is a compilation of ceremonial rituals, administration,

and social forms?
a. Book of Poetry c. Book of History
b. Book of Rites d. Book of Analects

5. Which Sacred Scripture is conventionally attributed to Confucius by early

scholars?
a. Book of Changes c. Book of Poetry
b. Book of History d. Book of Analects

6. Which Sacred Scripture is a collection of three hundred and five songs.

a. Book of History c. Book of Poetry
b. Book of Changes d. Book of Rites

7. How do they refer to adherents of Conficianism?

a. Confucianers c. Confucianister
b. Confucianist d. Confucianamerist

8. According to Confucius, which is true about relationships?

a. Easiest to perfect, hardest to attain.
b. Easiest to perfect, easiest to attain.
c. Hardest to perfect, hardest to attain.
d. Hardest to perfect, easiest to attain.

9. What does Confucianism emphasizes?

a. The economical dimension of the world and the human products.
b. The historical dimension of the world and the human race.
c. The moral dimension of the world and the human values.
d. The ethical dimension of the world and the human relationships.

10. Daoic Religions are centered on the Chinese philosophy of Dao. What is the
meaning of ‘Dao’?
a. The Way c. The Truth
b. The One d. The Analects
B. Critical Thinking. Read the following carefully and answer the following by
expressing your understanding of Confucianism.
1. Do you agree that Confucianism is both a religion and a philosophy? Why or
why not?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

2. Why do you think Confucius were often labeled as the first person to devote
his whole life to learning and teaching for the purpose of social
transformation and improvement?

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

3. What particular Confucian values do you think can be applied to your life?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
4. What are your thoughts about the Golden rule “Do not do unto others what
you do not want others do unto you”?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

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