1

Introduction

Confucianism is a system of thoughts that includes a combination of ethics and values

that define a person’s character. Some historians claim that this set of values is not a religion

because of its digression from original Asian religions. Others say that Confucianism should be

classified as an official religion because of its widely accepted beliefs in moral values and

religious traditions. Confucianism began with Chinese philosopher and teacher Kung Fu-tzu, or

Confucius. Through Socratic methods of teaching, Confucius spread his ideas through the

scholars he tutored. However, his ideas were not accepted by rulers until long after he died.

Although Confucianism had a slow beginning, it became the main philosophical belief in China

for over 2,000 years. Its profound impact on China has spread Confucianism so widely that it is

now infused with many other religions worldwide. Its ideas and ethics are still practiced by

many today, and have affected major Asian countries including Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, as

well as European countries such as France and Germany. In total today, there are around six

million people whose main religious views are that of Confucianism. The majority of these

believers are concentrated in China, Confucianism’s birthplace. Even in the present day, China’s

Communist government is effected by its early Confucius roots.

Confucianism overall has had a great effect on the culture, ethics, education, and art of

many countries. Many aspects of this ideology can be seen in the artwork, literature, and schools

of a variety of ancient civilizations and continue to affect many regions in modern times.

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History

Confucianism is commonly known and accepted as an

ideology that focuses on improving one’s virtue and shaping

the perfect society. After Confucius’s death, Confucianism

grew exponentially throughout China, eventually crossing its

borders and into Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Confucianism has

profoundly sculpted many Asian countries’ development into

the civilization it is today.

Confucius lived in a time where political leaders’ power and

social rules were rapidly disintegrating. Neighboring feudal lords craved for more power and

constantly at war with one another. Surprise attacks and raids on the enemies’ lands were

common and villagers who resided on the land were the ones who received the heaviest blow. It

was a time of change, it was a time of upheaval. And coincidentally, Confucius was born and

grew up to be a man that strived to establish a utopia through ideals and social order. He was

born towards the end of the Spring and Autumn Period1 and lived in the beginning ages of the

Warring States Period2. During these events, he felt that there was injustice and corruption

among those who were on top in the social hierarchy and so he concluded that something must

be done in order to create stasis within society. The thought of ideals begin to bud into what will

eventually be known as Confucianism.

Who was Confucius?

Little is known about Confucius’s personal life. Most of what we know about Confucius

comes from The Analects of Confucius3, memories of his sayings gathered from his disciples and

students. His Chinese name is Kong Fu Zi and is commonly known as Kong Zi by the Chinese.

This is the holy symbol of Confucianism, Li.

3

He was born in 551 B.C. during the Zhou dynasty in

the Qufu4. During the time he was born, the feudal

system was in ruins. Vassals had risen to power and

kings became nothing more than figureheads. His

father was an old, valiant and well-respected military

soldier and mother was his young illegitimate

concubine when Confucius was conceived. His father soon died and his mother was left to fend

for her and for three year-old Confucius. Ata young age, he showed that he had an insatiable

appetite for knowledge, “’In a hamlet of ten homes, you will certainly find someone as loyal and

faithful as I, but you will not find one man who loves learning as much as I do.’”5 Confucius

vivaciously drunk in Chinese classics, particularly the Book of History (Shujing)6, the Book of

Changes (Yijing)7, and the Book of Poetry (Shijing)8. These classics romanticized China during

its golden age in the Zhou Dynasty as the perfect civilization, which deeply influenced

Confucius’s perception of the world around him. Around his late teenage years, his mother

passed away. Confucius grieved bitterly for his mother for three years as it was tradition to do so

when a parent dies. He married at eighteen and his wife was from a family who had become

poor. Confucius had a son and possibly a daughter and it is generally thought that his marriage

ended in a divorce. Though it is not confirmed, one can assume that his marriage was in discord

for such rumors to come about.

Political Career

Starting from the lowest jobs, he steadily rose to become the minister of Crime in his own

hometown. In his twenties, Confucius had held a few minor government positions but left them.

During the period he had mourned for his deceased mother, he dedicated much of his time

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reading many Chinese classics and other literature. And from them, his way of thinking was

deeply affected. Gathering intelligence over the years, he decided to become a teacher. His

reputation as a teacher grew rapidly, men from all social class flocked towards Confucius and a

group of eager followers were formed, all eager to soak up his words of wisdom. He had a

reputation for being wise and was an expert on traditional Chinese culture. Confucius was

willing to teach to those who wished to learn, regardless of their status. He did not reprimand

those who had no money to pay, “I never denied my teaching to anyone…even if he was too

poor to offer more than a token present for his tuition.”9 As a result, his class came from all

walks of life (excluding female).

Confucius still desired to hold public office because he believed that was the most

successful way to spread his political ideals. He yearned to transform China back to its former

state during its golden age10 in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. But how was this going to be possible?

Confucius wanted a position that was prominent and had influence. With influence, he would be

able to sculpt China into a utopia through past beliefs and values that existed in the past dynasty.

However, rulers were reluctant to promote him to such a high seat in the political world. His

towering frame of supposed 9 foot (actually around 6 foot), honesty, and integrity” was enough

for the rulers to fear him. The rulers’ narrow-minded

perspective frustrated Confucius and so he left office.

Mencius11 explains that in an official sacrifice, Confucius

was not given a piece of the sacrificial animal12.

Disappointed, he left right away as the rulers of Lu had

violated the sacrificial rites. Instead, he left to go on a trek

with his disciples that will last thirteen years.

This is Mencius.

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Confucius’s 13-Year Journey

After a supposed unsuccessful marriage and seemingly unsuccessful career, he and his

faithful followers left Lu to travel from state to state for thirteen years. In each state, he searches

for rulers willing to listen, follow his ideas. Hiring him to become their advisor, rulers rejected

his way of thinking and sent him and his followers away. There are finite records found on

Confucius’ thirteen year journey The Analects and other philosophers’ writings are some ways

but some sinologists deem them as inconsistent. Many rely on Sima Qian13, the “father of

historians”, on in-depth information concerning Confucius’s thirteen-year trek. However,

Zhuang Zi14 would be a more dependable source as he lived slightly closer to Confucius’s time

than Sima Qian. According to Zhuang Zi, Confucius has traveled to the state of Wei, Song,

Chen, and Cai. Confucius’s candor may be one of his best qualities, but it may also be one of his

worst. During his journey, his blunt mouth has put him and his followers in danger. Not only that

but rejection and hunger presented a challenge to Confucius and his followers, but they

relentlessly continued on. As the years passed on by, the numbers of his disciples winnowed

down as many had gone to begin careers of their own.

Return Home

Confucius was 55-years old when he began his journey and was 68-years old when it

ended. No officials attempted to follow his ideas or to appoint him to become their advisor. The

time he had invested towards his journey was gone and wasted. However, his teachings did not.

Many of his disciples and students had gone on to achieve minor to major political positions. The

then current leader of Lu, Duke Ai, invites Confucius to advise him on matters concerning the

state of Lu. However, Confucius soon learns that many did not accept his thoughts because his

words were not what they wanted to hear. Believing that his words go in one ear and out the

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other, he quietly spends the remaining years of his life reading, teaching, and editing the China’s

history and literature. During the last few years of his life, his son and his beloved disciple, Yan

Hui, passed away. Confucius had always admired his disciple’s virtue and viewed Yan Hui to be

his equal. However, when the news of his favorite disciple’s death reached him, he grievously

mourned over his death and wailed, “Heaven is destroying me, Heaven is destroying me!”15

Confucius would not live to see that he had become the acme of Chinese philosophy and his

mission succeed. Believing that he never truly fulfilled his aim in life, 72-year old Confucius

drew his last breath in 479 B.C. He was buried in the same place he was born in, Qufu.

Confucius’s closest disciples guarded his tomb and mourned for him for three years as it was

traditional custom to do so when a parent passes away. In an effort to prolong his existence and

to fulfill his lifelong goal, his students and disciples dispersed themselves all over China to

spread his teachings.

Confucianism over the Years

Confucianism’s, Ru Jiao, popularity in China has risen and plummeted over the years. Its

influence especially lost its hold in the Chinese throughout the 19th century. Its belief has been

reconstructed and edited over the course of history. From favorable preference to hating it

[Confucianism] with a passion, Confucianism has been ever present in many Asian households.

Qin Dynasty:

One of the most famous emperors of China was Qin Shi Huangdi16, also known as the

First Emperor. Under his totalitarian ways, China became united under his rule. He saw himself

as the first celestial emperor of China, and believed that the history of China shall begin with him

and his reign. Thusly, he ordered that all books should be burned to erase all records of the past.

He showed no mercy towards Confucius and many other philosophers and burned nearly all

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records and books that proved their existence. Whoever stood in his way and refused to do his

bidding would suffer dire consequences. Qin Shi Huangdi detested Confucianism more intensely

than others. It is generally thought that he had gathered a mass group of Confucian scholars and

had buried them alive. Along with many other philosophies, Confucianism was heavily

suppressed by the First Emperor. Fortunately, some books were successfully hidden away from

the First Emperor’s wrath.

Han Dynasty:

Unlike the previous dynasty, the Han Dynasty believed that Confucianism was beneficial

to China. The Emperor Wu of Han established Confucianism and its ethics as the state’s doctrine

and as China’s official philosophy. During this time, other philosophies were disregarded and

outlawed. By law, parents and schools taught only the teachings of Confucius and nothing else.

In former dynasties, one was appointed to high government positions through recommendation.

Resultantly, those with high status (usually aristocrats) were appointed. However, the Emperor

Wu of Han introduced civil service examinations based mostly on Confucian knowledge to allow

one to become appointed into government positions. This method introduced talent over status.

Tang Dynasty:

The Tang Dynasty is often viewed as the golden age of China and is one of the most

famous dynasties in Chinese history. During the Tang Dynasty rule, culture flourished.

Confucianism was re-introduced to China and its popularity as Buddhism declines. Knowledge

of Confucian ethics was instilled into the civil service examinations. Buddhist monks and nuns

resided in magnificent and rich monasteries which were exempted from taxes. Many Confucian

scholars were restless as long as Buddhism’s influence and presence remained. Subsequently,

under the influence of many Confucian officials, the then-current Tang emperor enforced a

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persecution against Buddhism and its followers, demolishing thousands of monasteries, resulting

in many homeless Buddhist monks and nuns.

Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty:

Initially, the Yuan Dynasty paid no heed to Confucianism. In fact, they were indifferent

to the Chinese culture and brought much of the Mongolian culture to China. Things began to

change once Kublai Khan17became ruler, a series of reforms was brought into China, including

bringing back many Chinese customs and rituals in court. Music, clothes, and dance that was part

of the Confucian ideology was reintegrated back into the court especially. Khan also came to

respect another particular Confucian ritual - respecting one’s ancestors. He then proceeded to

build an ancestral temple dedicated to his ancestors, especially his father and grandfather. Kublai

Khan’s second son, Jin Chin, was encouraged to have a Chinese education and became

acquainted with Confucian tenets in the process. Despite this, other Mongol rulers disliked

Confucian scholars and prohibited the scholars from high positions in the government.

Qing (Manchu) Dynasty:

The Manchus cling on to the old Chinese traditions and customs for fear and that change

will trigger a revolution. In their effort to prove their faith in Confucianism, the Manchus had

even renamed some of the main halls of the Forbidden City18 after Confucian ideas. Their fear

and respect for ancient Chinese culture led them to reinstate civil service exams packed with

Confucianism curriculum and reinstated many other Confucian practices and rituals.

Their attempt to proselytize Confucianism did nothing to prevent upheaval. As time

passed, many Manchus and other Chinese paid less attention to Confucianism laws and on how

to achieve a Confucian utopia. According to Chinese law, all the income from land and rice tax

belonged to the Emperor. Scholars, who had passed the imperial examinations, were in charge of

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keeping track of their province’s revenue. All scholars had been fiercely disciplined to

righteously rule over the province using Confucius’s tenets. Nonetheless, in reality, a number of

scholars and officials engaged in sophistry and corruption, stealing land and money here and

there from the defenseless commoners. Their actions went against one of the main Confucianism

beliefs, breaking one of the five main relationships. In this case, the ruler was to rule their people

with altruism and in return, the subjects are to faithfully follow their ruler. In actuality however,

the scholars and officials stole money and land that rightfully belong to the rulers as stated by

ancient Chinese decree. He Shen, one of the most corrupt officials, is considered a symbol of

corruption during the Qing dynasty.

China’s Addiction19:

Opium was nothing new in China; Arab had introduced the Chinese to this new substance

back in the 13th century. In 1729, opium is first banned. An event occurred which occurred the

British to trade opium in exchange for bricks of tea. The trade for opium began around 1678 and

the demand for it was relatively small, mainly used for medical purposes. For the next seventy-

seven years, the demand for the substance

remained around the same. However, opium

also became an addictive drug to many in inland

China. The ban on opium-smoking had not been

effective. It was reported that 1000 chests of

opium were imported to China by 1767. Opium-

smoking went against Confucius morality,

which stated that one did not have the right to when one smokes it severs the link from his body

to his ancestors. Confucianism tenets were clearly not popular amongst many as the majority of

This is a picture of two men smoking opium.

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China was flocked to opium dens like moths to a flame and neglected their familial duties and as

their roles as subjects. Confucian officials attempted to save China through Confucius’s

teachings but to little avail.

Republic of China

Confucianism was heavily suppressed when Mao Zedong rose to power during the

Cultural Revolution20. Many authorities favored Confucianism because it focused mainly on

ethics such as diligence, order, respect, and etc. However, Mao Ze Dong found it difficult to

agree with his ideologies. During his younger years, he was

infatuated with many heroes in ancient Chinese classic

literatures, disinterested towards strict Confucianism

discipline. As a result, young Ze Dong clashed with

authorities at school and at home and was often reprimanded

through physical abuse. In one scenario, he had to follow a

ritual at school where he had to walk up the teacher’s desk,

and recite a poem facing the class. He found this precision to

be too formal and unnecessary and so he remained on his seat

and said to his teacher, “’If you can hear me well while I sit down, why should I stand up to

recite?’” He ran away soon after as he knew the moment when his teacher attempted to

reprimand him through physical abuse (common practice in China). Mao Ze Dong also broke

another basic Confucianism principle with his father. His father had called his Zedong, “lazy and

useless” in front of a few guests he had invited to his house. Bursting out in anger, he curses his

father and runs away. He eventually returns home but not after negotiating with his father of

what he should or should not do to him. Mao Ze Dong detested China’s cultural tradition as he

This is President Mao Ze Dong.

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was against everything that involved old tradition and customs. Thus, the Red Guards21

demolished many religious temples and rebelled against their teachers and parents. After the

Chinese Communist Party took over, they spent the next few decades destroying and burning

down many ancient monasteries, temples, works of art. Confucius’s grave was desecrated,

statues of him were smashed, and memorials dedicated to him were demolished. Zhang and

Schwartz had translated a passage from Mao’s book, On New Democracy. According to them,

Mao had stated that those who: worship Confucius, supported his rules and old traditional rules

and customs, and opposed the newly formed Communist Party rules would be dispelled.

However, he despised the ideas of Confucianism and its culture, not Confucius himself. Mao had

claimed to dislike the Classics22 , but his speeches implied otherwise, brimming with teachings

and quotes of Confucianism and of other philosophers. As Mao grew older, he followed

Confucius for spiritual guidance. In spite of this, the Cultural Revolution did not end until Mao’s

death in 1976.

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Location of Origin

Confucianism was developed in Confucius’s birth place—in the state of Lu in China. It

all began when Confucius grew interested to in the ancient rites and music. At the age of 15, he

learned everything he could study and was given the nickname of “boxue” meaning universal

erudite. He visited state altars and learned many things from the priests working there. Soon

after, Confucius became the first private tutor in China and began teaching all throughout China

what he thought was right. Much like some religions like Christianity or Buddhism,

Confucianism was developed by Confucius’s disciples after he died.

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Present Day Numbers

Although Confucianism is not a verified religion, it is an ideology practiced in many places

across the globe. This

philosophical belief is

practiced mostly in mainland

China and Taiwan, in

combination with Buddhism

and Daoism. There are about

5,994,000 followers of

Confucianism in Asia, making

up about 2% of the total

population. Although the

percentage of adherents in

Europe, Latin America, and Northern America make up less than 0.1% of their populations, each

of these nations have a few thousand believers. Confucianism spread mainly because of its

ethical ideas and morals that appealed to rulers across Asia. Unlike many other religions, it was

not spread through force or conquests. By around 1000 A.D. none of China’s neighboring

countries were under direct Chinese rule, and their previously existing regimes in other countries

had not been aggressive in the spread of Confucianism. Because Confucianism centered in

China, one of the most influential empires of the ancient world, political, social, and religious

development of this country led to Confucianism’s scattering to surrounding countries. Over the

course of 2,500 years, Confucian teachings moved from China to countries like Korea, Japan,

and Vietnam through leaders during the Qin Dynasty, Han Dynasty, and Tang Dynasty, among

Africa Asia

Euro

pe

Latin Ameri

ca

North Ameri

ca

Oceania

Euras

iaW

orld0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Country

Chart of Confucius adherents across the globe

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others. Chinese historians believe that after the death of Confucius, his disciples traveled from

country to country and shared their wisdom with feudal lords. The period of time that the

scholars spread their knowledge was known as the Hundred Schools. Also, due to an interest in

the study of this ideology by western scholars, Confucianism was further spread across the

world.

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Location

The country most affected by Confucianism was China, Confucianism’s place of origin.

Confucianism in China taught that all the land and people in the country belonged to the

emperor. All citizens with a government position or education had the Confucian texts as the

foundation of their knowledge. During the Han Dynasty, from 206 B.C. to 220 A.D.,

Confucianism was the official religion of China. A school was set up and dictionaries of

Confucius’s formal teachings were created to help educate future government ministers about the

teachings of Confucius. Beginning in A.D. 59, sacrifices, temples, statues, and shrines were

made in honor of Confucius. Confucianism is credited with a large portion of the Chinese

empires’ success and has contributed in many ways that still linger in China today. Confucianism

helped to create a social emphasis on ethical, social, and political matters which helped China to

excel in massive projects and has helped to outline the ideals of a large number of great leaders.

The Chinese were traditionally Confucian in ethics and public life, but a mix of this ideology and

Daoism and Buddhism completed their faith. They were said to be Daoist in private life and

hygiene, and Buddhist in their beliefs about death (Smith 120).

Another major way Confucianism has affected China is the belief in filial piety. This is

the significance of family and ancestors in a person’s life. It is believed by some that the official

religion of the Chinese is their devotion and worship of filial piety. This belief explains the

complex family lines and ancestors of their extended family, and the origin of their surnames.

Filial piety also has to do with the respect that young people must show for their elders and the

type of relationship that, for example, two friends would have. Confucianism helped to make art

a priority in China, as it said that art was not merely something to look at, but also powers that

helped to fulfill the heart. One of the main reasons that Confucianism flourished so much in

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China was the belief that the emperor possessed the

Mandate to Rule from Heaven. Because of this,

emperors welcomed the religion, since it gave them all

power over ministers and people. Although there were

many positive effects of Confucianism on China, it

also helped to create many cruel dictators who were

obsessed with power and accomplishment. Overall,

Confucianism has created a foundation for Chinese

culture and has helped to develop modern ideas and

traditions.

The practice of Confucian ideas in Japan began when the first emperors of Japan

combined ideas of this ideology to contribute to their belief in Shintoism, the animistic belief of

the cosmic harmony of gods, spirits, people, and the physical world of nature. Confucianism for

Japan described the relationship between Heaven and Earth and detailed the concept of rulers

and the people. Confucianism helped to ensure that rulers were benevolent and maintained the

natural order of the cosmos. Confucianism was modified to fit Japan, though. Originally,

Confucianism allowed for people to have faith in science. However, Confucianism in Japan

allowed only for allegiance to the emperor or one’s superior. This idea stemmed from the belief

of the importance of natural order, a Confucius idea further explained by a Chinese philosopher,

Zhu Xi. The Japanese interpretation of Zhu Xi’s idea was absolute obedience to authority. The

practice of this ideology in Japan was especially important during the Tokugawa Shogunate

because it applied to their samurai code of maintaining tradition and keeping in touch with the

natural world.

A statue of Confucius in Japan

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The four major principles of Confucianism that effected Japan are fundamental

rationalism, essential humanism, historicism, and ethnocentrism. Fundamental rationalism

stresses the importance of reason and basic codes of conduct. Essential humanism has its focus

on social order as well as the five Confucian relationships. Historicism refers to the importance

of past accomplishments. Ethnocentrism means loyalty to the emperor and contributed to Japans’

isolationism. Confucianism was also important to Japan during 1868-1945 A.D. since it helped

to restore imperial government during the Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa period. Confucianism

in Japan helped to promote the image of the emperor as the “father of the state” which related to

Confucian ideas of filial piety and the relationship among family. Another effect of

Confucianism on Japan is that this country has one of the lowest crime rates in the world due to

the criminal law codes influenced by Confucianism and its ideas of filial piety. A statistic from

1982 shows that Japanese workers only took about 5.1 out of the allowed 12 days of vacation

time because they did not want to put a burden on their colleagues (Smith 121). Confucianism

has helped to contribute to the present day political system and tradition of Japanese culture as

well.

The final major country that was affected by Confucianism was Korea. Korea, like many

other Southeast Asian countries has had prosperous economic growth thanks to the effects it has

had because of Confucianism. Confucianism in Korea triumphed during the Yi Dynasty, when

Confucianism became Korea’s official state religion. They took on the ideals of Zhu Xi’s Neo-

Confucianism. The main purpose of their adoption of Confucianism was to gain a pool of talent

for government service. A public school system was instated to help spread Confucian ideas

throughout the country. The most seasoned scholars were celebrated at the temple of Confucius

in the capital, where the emperor would carry out rituals for them in the autumn. Confucianism

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has also given Koreans a sense of

morality and the importance of

kinship, like many other countries. In

the present day, there are over 200

shrines and academies in South

Korea dedicated to Confucianism.

This religion has helped to guide the

Koreans for over 2,500 years and fuel

the people’s social, economic, and

political lives. Confucianism has taught South Korea that leaders must be moral, and in recent

years, leaders are able to lose legitimacy if they do not follow this rule.

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Evolution

The evolution of Confucianism began with the rise of Buddhism, which was quickly

gaining popularity and threatened Confucianism’s small amount of followers. Rulers slowly

began to combine elements of Confucianism and Buddhism into one. They valued the qualities

of Buddha and wanted to achieve Buddha’s perfection in human forms. However, they also

valued the teachings of Confucianism in that they showed respect to family and social classes.

Buddhism has a strong appeal because of its belief in salvation since many of the Chinese were

poor and overworked. Many of the lower class had little to look forward to other than death and

took on Buddhist beliefs. Even Confucian scholars were influenced by Buddhism and

incorporated the practical view of the world into their values. Daoism was another religion that

effected the growth of Confucian beliefs. Confucianism was affected by Daoism by including its

ideas of forms of meditation. The emperor of China during the Tang dynasty claimed that he was

a direct descendent of the founder of Daoism, Laozi, and favored Daoism to other religions. This

was the cause of this religion’s effects on Confucianism.

Soon, because of the influence of these two different religions on Confucianism, the

ideals of this religion became blurred. It merged with the viewpoints of Buddhism and Daoism to

form a new set of ideas with new beliefs that had its roots at traditional Confucian teachings and

beliefs. Many tried to keep the original Confucian teachings alive, such as a Confucian official

Han Yu, during the Tang dynasty. He rejected Buddhist and Daoist beliefs, claiming that they

were “superstitious practices” and took away from the honest culture of Confucianism.

However, the widespread changes to this religion could not be stopped and had already had

major effects on countries like Japan and China.

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Branches

Though there are not any actual branches of Confucianism, Neo-Confucianism is a new

form of original Confucianism that stemmed from its classic ideas. Confucianism began to settle

into modern beliefs starting in the Tang Dynasty, from 618-907 A.D., when scholars began to

reexamine their traditions. By the time Song Dynasty began in 960 A.D., Buddhism and Daoism

had been deeply rooted in China, and began to influence new ways of Confucius thinking. This

new way of thinking became Neo-Confucianism. Gradually throughout the next few thousand

years, competition of schools of thought led to the transformation of this religion. Neo-

Confucianism took on the belief of Buddhism that said that the universe was ever-changing.

Neo-Confucianism did not take on all aspects of Buddhism, however. It did not take the idea of

yin and yang or the Yi Jing, but from this came the belief of the Supreme Ultimate. The Supreme

Ultimate helped to explain where all things in the Universe came from. The Supreme Ultimate

should not be confused with a god, though. It is a force that produces yin and yang, and not any

one person. Neo-Confucianism is also similar to Buddhism because it took the Yi Jing symbols

to explain the relationship between heaven and earth.

One major reason Neo-Confucianism spread was through

Zhu Xi (1130-1200). Zhu Xi turned the government from

mainly Buddhists and Taoists to having Confucian beliefs and

sought to bring this religion to a popular level by writing a

manual for its ritual and behavior that any citizen could use.

Zhu Xi’s interpretations of Confucianism had a more practical

approach to life and called for the rigorous study of the Five

Confucian Classics. Zhu Xi also developed a branch of Zhu Xi, a Confucian scholar

21

Confucianism called the rational wing which focused on the study of Li and the pattern between

human relationships. His interpretations of the Five Confucian Classics became the new official

interpretation that candidates for the Chinese examinations were required to memorize. His

works included commentaries on the Analects, the Mencius, the Great Learning, and The

Doctrine of Mean. Zhu Xi justified his altering of the Confucian teachings with the fact that he

had taken them from these classics and that he was merely strengthening his ideas by expanding

on its belied system. These new interpretations became the basis of Neo-Confucianism and were

known as the Four Books.

A Confucian thinker who tried to counter Zhu Xi was Wang Yang-ming. He had studied

the teachings of Buddhism and Daoism for many years, and his beliefs centered more on the

teachings of Chan Buddhism. His beliefs were that investigation was more important than study

and that investigating determined truth. He also believed that you had to act on the truths that

you find, and it is not enough to know this information. Many of his beliefs were original

Confucian ideas, though he did include characteristics of Buddhism and Daoism. He disagreed

with Buddhism in their belief that you should run away from problems instead of trying to solve

them. Although Wang Yang-ming had many followers, his ideas of Confucianism did not gain

enough popularity to overturn Zhu Xi’s beliefs. Wang Yang-ming’s most influenced country was

Japan. Other people who helped to add their ideas and contribute to the formation of this new

form of Confucianism include Chou Tun-i1, Chang Tsai2, Cheng Hao3, and Cheng I4.

The basic beliefs of Neo-Confucianism are similar to the original beliefs of

Confucianism. Its central belief is the same of Confucianism’s and is to teach oneself to become

a better person. It is also composed the five major beliefs of Confucianism, Jen, Chun Tzu, Li,

Te, and Wen, but these principles are expanded further. Neo-Confucianism emphasized the

22

importance of self-cultivation for a better society as a whole, not just self-fulfillment. The

similarities of classic Confucianism with Neo-Confucianism are that they both attempted to save

culture by creating a system of rules to live by to allow people to live life to their fullest extent.

Newer Confucianism and the old ways of Confucianism both believed in teaching in a classroom

setting and educating in a formal institutional setting. Another similarity between the two is that

they both had one major influence towards the development of their branch of religion. Classic

Confucianism was centered around the original teachings of Confucius while Neo-Confucianism

was developed by a combination of Zhu Xi, Confucius, and Buddhist and Taoist values.

Later Confucianism also differed from

original Confucianism because it believed in

the balance and harmony of nature with a

person, which was originally a minor concern

of Confucius. From Buddhist and Daoist

beliefs came the Neo-Confucianism theory of

enlightenment through a combination of

meditation and moral action. Another

difference between these two types of

Confucianism are that original Confucianism believed that the ultimate reality was tian, which

came in the forms of moral, personal god, an impersonal source of virtue, or a force of Fate.

Neo-Confucianism said that their ultimate reality was taiji, which said that everyone was meant

to become a sage, someone who has conquered all of their mental desires. They adopted this

belief from that of Buddhism. Yet another difference in classic Confucianism and Neo-

Confucianism is that classic Confucianism had Confucius at its head while Neo-Confucianism

Scrolls containing the Four Books of Confucianism

23

developed as a result of several other religions. This allowed Neo-Confucianism to develop a

much more open-minded set of followers compared to the original disciples of Confucius. Neo-

Confucians were also more well-rounded than classic Confucians and studied the Four Books,

written by a various number of Confucian scholars rather than the Five Confucian Classics that

were studied previously.

After its formation during the Tang Dynasty, Neo-Confucianism became important also

during the Song Dynasty, from 960-1279 A.D, and during the Ming Dynasty, from 1368-1644

A.D. Neo-Confucianism advocated development in education and had an enormous effect on the

intellectual life of China’s scholars. Neo-Confucianism also contributed to advancements in art.

Since its founding, Neo-Confucianism has become the most widely practiced version of this

religion, with few followers of the traditional ways.

All in all, Neo-Confucianism has developed into a freer and more open-minded style of

traditional Confucianism that still affects many countries today including China and Japan. Neo-

Confucianism contains many of the original beliefs of Confucianism with a modern twist that

contains ideas from Buddhism and Daoism and completes them into one religion. Many believe

that no matter what religion a person is, there is a touch of Confucian beliefs and ideals within

their system of ideals which root from the original Confucian teachings. Confucianism has

become one of the most influential ideologies of the modern day and will continue to effect

culture for many years to come.

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Tenets of the Faith

Confucius believed that in a good society, there must be trust between the ruler and his

people in order for the society to be in order. He tried to emphasize these points by putting them

in his principles and teachings. Through this, people can follow his thoughts and believe that the

tenets of faith work for humanity and peace too. The five tenets of faith include the following:

jen, chun tzu, li, te, and wen.

The first of the five, jen or ren, was a combination

of two Chinese characters—human being and two. It

means the relationships between individuals themselves.

It does not only mean that, but it also asks for goodness,

kindness, love, and human heartedness in all

relationships. This helps teach people to believe and

love each other as they become friends, family, brothers, sisters, co-workers, or even married

couples. It asks for this to teach everyone to have meaningful relationships toward each other,

not fake ones. In order to maintain a good relationship, there must be kindness, no wrongdoings,

and reliance on each other. Although Confucius said that he never witnessed fully-expressed

relationships, it was a behavior of moral standards in his eyes. Jen must be a careful work of art

in public life so that nothing can harm their relationships. However, in private life, it shows that

people have manners and an understanding of each other. Overall, jen is a tenet of faith between

two people and their human relationships.

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   Chun tzu is the second ideal of a faith

that means the one that lives under jen. It

means “son of a ruler” or prince, or someone

who is not petty, self-centered, cruel, or

vengeful. A person will be called a chun tzu if

they are comfortable around other people and are respectful to everyone they meet. It can also be

someone who tries to establish a good relationship with a new companion, like following the

standards of jen. This ideal shows how to be a chun tzu and what being one means. It is a morale

that Confucius made to help people know that being comfortable and respectful to others can

lead to a good society and more faith. That was why he developed the second tenet of faith, chun

tzu.

         Li is the third ideal of faith. It means doing things

the way it should be done, or it can also mean ritual. Confucius

made this ideal because he knew that making the right decisions

was hard for everyone, and people might not get too far in the

future if they had to figure it out themselves. He also wanted

everyone to have a simple life. He understood that it would be a

very long procedure to know what to do for a certain material, so he created this to help them

prioritize their matters. His lessons of li can be seen through his teachings in the Rectification of

Names, Doctrine of the Mean, Five Constant Relationships, the Family, and Respect for Age.

The first lesson, the Rectification of Names, was where Confucius said and taught that

everyone should be more than their given name. He argued that a person named a father should

be more than a father. He argued that the person named a father should show what a father is by

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showing love to his children and others. He also said that a person wearing the word “ruler”

should show what and who a “ruler” is because a name was something that defined the person,

and it would be a waste to do nothing with a given name. Overall, in the Rectification of Names,

it meant to build into people’s given names so that they can show who they are and how

deserving their names are.

The second lesson, Doctrine of the Mean, taught how things should be done. “Nothing in

excess” was its motto because it meant to not overdo what people have in their minds. It taught

simplicity as well as teaching to take the path in the middle when in between two impractical

extremes. Confucius said it was a guide to finishing things on time because it brought

compromise and stopped over-enthusiasm from rising. Respecting this also brings harmony and

balance because it is not overstepping the boundaries, making it perfect like yin and yang.

The third lesson is the Five Constant Relationships. This teaching is like the jen because

it talks about establishing relationships as well. However, Confucius targets this on the ones

everyone needs to concentrate on because these five are the most important in life. The first

relationship shows that a parent must be caring, and a child must be obedient because the old are

gentle and the young are respectful. The second one is the elder sibling and younger sibling. The

eldest one must be tender while the younger one must be modest. This creates a more balanced

atmosphere for both. The third relationship is husband and wife. The husband must be kind-

hearted and reasonable, while the wife must be considerate and obedient so that no breakouts and

divorce can occur. In the fourth relationship, older friends should be kind and younger friends

should be awed by their older friends to inherit an interesting friendship. For the last relationship,

in order for a good society, Confucius believed that the ruler needs to be kind in order for his

subjects to be loyal to him. With this, it creates a cycle where no disagreements and disruptions

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may come in between the ruler and his subjects, which creates a balance of love and trust. These

relationships are important because Confucius said it would make all humanity spring. He

believed that these were not evil and were the right rules that everyone should abide to because it

led to a fair and stable society for all.

Lastly, Respect for Age tells everyone how to respect the ones that are older and younger

to you. Confucius believed that since the old take care of the young, the young should take care

of the old when they get older as thanks for protecting them from troubles and work. He also

believed that this represents respect; as people grow older, more respect is earned for their age

and service from their youth. He taught that the old should be the ones more attended to

because they have served more than the younger ones and that aging would not be a big deal to

them. This was what aging meant in Confucianism, and how these four teachings made up li and

his way of teaching how things were to be done.

However, li also meant how to do things the right and comfortable way so that it would

make life simple and almost like it was a dance. It encourages doing things the right way so that

life would be uncomplicated and balanced with harmony. It

shows how every step could affect the future and how by

taking the right steps the future can be balanced and alright

to survive.

Te, the fourth ideal of faith, means power in the

political world and excellence. It is to show that rulers need

the cooperation of their subjects because rulers cannot rule

their whole city all on their own without support and loyalty. Confucius has seen how rulers who

have controlled a large population fall like the Eastern Zhou Dynasty1. To stop this, he developed

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te where rulers are good examples to follow which leads to more followers and supporters to

help the ruler rule his land. He said that in order to maintain a good reign in power, the ruler

must be generous, not self-centered, and knows when it’s time to make a change that helps

everyone with their troubles. He taught that with this philosophy, it will inspire many to follow

and help the ruler to rule for many centuries. “He who governs by te is like the north star. It

keeps its place and other stars turn toward it,” was what Confucius said about te and what he

hoped a ruler can be to create a better society for all his citizens.

  Wen—the last tenet of faith, refers to the poetry, music, and culture of its aesthetic and

spiritual mode. It means “the arts of war and peace”, and it expresses Confucius’s love for the

arts. He enjoyed it because it could smarten one’s mind and spirit by just reading and

understanding it. He believed that the arts could help equalize people’s moods and minds to help

them understand life better by bringing them peace, melody, and knowledge. He also saw that

the arts cultivated many nations and helped bring them together. Knowledge also helped unite

nations; so he believed that the arts, music, and the knowledge of philosophers could bring trust

in each nation and individual. Confucius taught wen to help a great society develop with belief

and trust.

The five tenets of faith were later acknowledged, bringing China wealth and peace. As

Confucius had predicted, life had become more humane and productive with trust, belief, love,

and kindness. The tenets of faith paved the path to a good society for China and many other

nations as well.  

29

Rules and Beliefs

Teachings

The teachings of Confucius include six values, Li, Hsiao, Yi, Xin, Jen, and Chung. Li

was propriety, etiquette, and rituals. Hsiao was love within the family, both a parent’s love for

their children and vice versa. Yi was righteousness. Xin was honesty and trustworthiness. Jen

was benevolence, and humaneness to others. This was the highest virtue in Confucianism. Chung

was loyalty to the state and to each other.

Confucius also taught that when countries are under the Law, people are punished by

officials after they commit an offense. The people will conform to the laws, usually without

understanding them. Confucius then thought of a way to change this. He thought that they should

internalize behaviors so actions are already controlled. Then, people behave the way they want

because they do not want to be shamed. This helps reduce the number of laws in the society.

The “Golden Rule” of Confucianism was based on ethics, humanity, and love. Confucius

said that “fellow-feeling” would be one word that could describe the whole duty of a gentleman.

What he means by fellow-feeling is to treat others the way we want to be treated. People have to

put themselves into others shoes and see if what they are doing is right. They have to think about

what would happen if they were the ones being the one affected. This teaching is used on the

modern world nowadays throughout worldwide. Through the “Golden Rule”, Confucius hoped

for people to be kinder and wiser about their actions, which was a significant aspect of Chinese

beliefs.

Relationships

The Chinese believed that the basic unit of society was the family. The family was

considered an economic, social, and political unit, because each member had a part in it. The

family was responsible for training in morality and was the bridge between an individual and his

30

or her society. Confucius taught that the family was where an individual could reach his full

potential.

Of the five human relationships, three are within the family. They are: father/son, older

brother/younger brother, husband/wife. Confucius viewed the family in a patriarchal point of

view. He did not consider the maternal or sister relationships. The other two relationships are

friend/friend, and ruler/subject. The Father/son relationship is the strongest. The son was

required to respect to the father, even after the father’s death. The son was responsible for

sacrificing to his father’s spirit at the shrine. This is one way to show filial piety. Filial piety is

solely based on the respect and obedience of a child to their parents. It says that a child’s duty to

their parents is the basic foundation of virtues. Filial piety acts as the first step to learning the

other virtues including ren and shu. As children grow older, Confucius taught that they would be

wiser and would respect their parents more. Through filial piety, a stable family would be born.

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Rituals

The Book of Rites stated that “the

wise kings of old knew that the rules of

ceremony could not be dispensed with,

while the ruin of states, the destruction of

families and the punishing of individuals

are always preceded by the abandonment

of these rules”(Confucianism: World

Religions, 87). This statement refers to

the sacrifice made by the emperor each year before the winter solstice. It symbolizes the heaven

and the sun after the “yin” portion of winter which is the cold and darkness. The ceremony had

to be carefully performed. On the night of the Winter Solstice, the gates of the Forbidden City1

were opened. The emperor sat in a sedan chair and was carried by 16 nobles southward. Two

thousand people, including nobles, officials, servants, and ministers, led the way on the road.

Flag-bearers carried banners with the constellations, planets, and mountains depicted on it. It

passed through the southern gate of the Capital City and ended at the four miles square of the

Temple of Heaven2.

Once inside, the emperor would visit the memorials of his ancestors and purify himself at

the Hall of Fastings3, where he would retire. The next day, at dawn, the emperor went to the altar

that was open to the sky. There, he would perform ancient ceremonies to renew his reign’s

Mandate of Heaven4. All of this had to be closely followed or else they would face punishment

from the Heavens.

This is a picture of the Forbidden City.

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Before the Summer Solstice, the emperor performs a similar ritual on the northern end of

the capital. Because “yin” has reached its fullest power, “yang” must be honored. The altar was

square, and the main color was yellow. Instead of being burned, the offerings were buried.

The sacrifices of Confucianism were divided into three parts according to size: great,

medium, and small. The Board of Rites, a government department, provided officials who

guided the people through their duties. The emperor can choose others to perform the Small and

Medium Rites. His officials normally performed the rites at the temples on many occasions.

Some Medium Sacrifices were offered to Confucius in temples dedicated to him. Other

ceremonies include sacrifices to Emperor Huang Di’s wife, Lei Cu, who was believed to have

discovered silk making.

Then, there were the four Great Sacrifices that only the emperor could perform. The other

two were sacrifices to successional ancestors and the gods of soil and grain. Although these were

performed long before Confucius’s time, it was adapted into the Confucian System. It was a

private ceremony, open to only the invited.

There are three types of sacrifices made to Confucius. The first was at the time of his

death, and his descendants carried out ancestral rites at the family home in Qufu. The second was

when Confucius became the patron saint of the scholar class, and all schools made rituals to him.

The third was when his teachings influenced the state religion, and he was honored as a well-

known sage.

The largest temple was located in Confucius’s house in Qufu. At the time of the Ming

Dynasty, it already occupied 49 acres with hundreds of walls and pavilions. The center of this

complex was the Great Hall of Confucius, or the Dacheng Dian. Statues of Confucius, four loyal

companions, and twelve disciples can be found inside the halls. Ceremonies take place here on

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Confucius’s birthday every season. During the Han Dynasty, the Scholar-of-officials encouraged

to build temples throughout China. He felt like it was appropriate to honor him as the founder of

the state religion and as a god.

The second temple was built in Beijing and was completed in 1306; it holds tablets

inscribed with the names of Confucius and his followers. This building has been rebuilt many

times. A ceremony traditionally held at this temple occurred on the second and eighth month of

the lunar year5. They struck a big bell at three in the morning, and a master of ceremony guided

participants through the rites. Offerings of grain, fruit, oil, wine, jade, and silk were presented

along with a prayer. An orchestra played ancient instruments while a choir sang poetry specially

composed for the occasion. Dancers holding feathery wands performed traditional and elegant

moves. This was a model followed by dozens of other Confucian temples.

Each household was led by the head of the house—the father. The Chinese greatly

respected their ancestors and had their names engraved on tablets kept in shrines. The father was

responsible for making sacrifices and informing about family matters to the shrine. Although he

may be assisted by his eldest son or his wife, only he [the father] was allowed to address the

ancestors directly. Rural villages had a shrine for local families to share, while a larger home

would have an offering hall on the eastern side in the main room. The offering hall would have

four altars, with tablets engraved with the names of ancestors. The head of the house would visit

the hall every day and “report” family matters or issues. The hall was also used for events, like a

wedding or a child reaching adulthood. Although they varied by time and location, they followed

the general practice of Confucian thoughts. Generally, the higher the status, the more elaborate

the ceremony was. Neo-Confucian Zhu Xi wrote Family Rituals, which greatly simplified the

traditional ceremonies.

34

Traditions

Even before Confucius, males were preferred over females. This was a cultural attitude

that lasted until the 20th century. In one of the Five Classics, the Book of Poetry, two poems are

found expressing how to treat newborns, based on their gender.

In one of the poems, boys were treated nicely, and they were allowed to sleep on a bed,

wear robes, play with a jade scepter, and be the head of the house. Girls, however, were the

opposite. They had to lie on the ground and wear binding clothes. They also had to play with a

loom whorl that had no decorations and were only allowed to have wine and food. They were not

supposed to bother her parents.

As soon as the children could understand, they were taught how to respect elders and

properly behave. They were taught to use their right hand to eat6 and were taught to greet seniors

properly. If they did not behave properly, they were scolded and severely warned. At age six,

both were taught words. Boys learned how to write, and girls were taught simple women’s

chores. They both knew how to recite the Analects. At age nine, boys were reciting other books

from Confucius’s Five Classics. Girls knew how to recite the biographies of famous and

admirable women. At ten, boys went to a school outside of home, but girls remained at home.

They learned how to breed silk worms, weave, sew, and cook. This supposedly taught girls not to

be selfish and extravagant because they would know the hardships in obtaining these luxuries.

Reaching adulthood was an occasion with special ceremonies. The boy’s ceremony took

place when he was between fifteen and twenty. Exactly three days before, his father invited

another man to be a sponsor of the event. At dawn, on the day of the event, three sets of robes

and caps were laid out, and participants gathered in the hallways. The head of the family entered

first, followed by the witnesses in order of age. The sponsor would place a cap on the boy’s

35

head, and the boy went into a side room to change into his gown and shoes. This was repeated

two more times with other items of clothing. The sponsor then read the boy’s full name, and the

father presented him to the elders as an adult.

For a girl, it took place when she was between fourteen and twenty, normally at the time

she became engaged. The mother presided over the ceremony, and a sponsor was also invited.

The sponsor would put a pin in the girl’s hair, and put a woman’s cap on her head. Then the girl

would change into adult clothing and receive a new name. The ceremonies were both followed

by parties, where the guest of honor was the sponsor.

Neither child had any say in the

choice of their husband or wife. The parents

made the decisions, and through a

messenger, began negotiations. For the

groom, the decision was important because

the girl was to be a new member of the

household. Likewise, the bride’s family had

to choose wisely because if the marriage

failed, the bride would be returned. The bride’s family was expected to give a dowry7 to the

family of the groom. The ancestors were consulted, and after the messenger negotiated the

dowry, the groom’s father visited the shrine. He had the groom’s younger brother deliver the

betrothal to the bride’s family, who entertained him, and the father took the betrothal to his

shrine.

The day before the ceremony, the bride’s family sent a messenger to deliver the dowry to

the groom. On the day of the wedding, the groom went to the bride’s house on horseback, with a

This is a picture of a traditional Chinese wedding.

36

goose—a traditional present. The bride’s father made a final visit to the ancestors and then

instructed his daughter of her duties. The bride entered the groom’s carriage, dressed in red8;

they were honored with a feast. By exchanging cups of wine, they declared themselves a married

couple because no priest was there to pronounce them husband and wife. On the day after the

ceremony, the bride was officially introduced to the groom’s parents. If she was the wife of the

eldest son, she would serve food to her in-laws, a duty that would last until they died. On the

third day, she was presented at the shrine of her new “family.” The day after, the groom would

visit his in-laws, and they would entertain him.

There are many specific actions that must be performed. For example, when the groom

visits the bride’s house on the fourth day of their marriage, the father must greet him at the

threshold. The groom bows, kneels, and takes the father’s hand. They enter the house, and the

groom is presented to the mother, who is standing inside the left door. The groom bows outside

the door. Both sides give silk as gifts.

The death of a family member meant elaborate and long lasting ceremonies. If the head

of the family died, the mourning lasted three years. During that time, the family wore clothing

according to the length of time passed since death.

If the news of death was received while a person was not at home, they were to wail, then

change clothing, and depart for home. If they were on the road, they were to wail when they felt

grief, and when they sighted the country boundary, the city, the home, and the prefectural

boundary. Upon entering the gate, he would go up to the coffin, bow twice, change his clothes

twice, and take the appropriate seat of mourning. The first duty was to place rice in the mouth of

the deceased. Then, they had to bathe the body, dress it, and lay it in the coffin. A soul seat and a

soul cloth were put next to the coffin. Food and drink were to be placed on the seat and cloth

37

every day for three months. A banner was hung outside announcing the death. Fellow mourners

brought presents, such as incense, tea, candles, wine, fruit, money, and silk. After three months,

the body was buried. At the cemetery, they made more offerings to the god of the earth. Food,

clothes, and other gifts were buried with the deceased. The name of the deceased was then added

to the list of ancestors. During the three-year period of mourning, various sacrifices were made—

two for good fortune and one for peace.

38

Famous People

Mencius

Mengzi, or Mencius, was born in 372 BCE in the mid-fourth century, in the State of Zou,

now known as the city of Zouxian, in the Shandong province of China during the Zhou Dynasty.

Mencius lost his father when he was still a child, so he learned mostly from his mother, Meng

Mu. With the help of his mother and further teachings of Confucius’s disciples, Mencius became

a great philosopher and sage. He served as an official and scholar at the Jixia Academy in Qi. He

died in 289 BCE and was buried in Mencius Cemetery with a giant stone tortoise marking his

grave, in Zouxian’s urban area.

Mencius is considered as the second Confucius. It is said that he learned under

Confucius’s grandson, Zisi, and much like Confucius, Mencius traveled to a myriad of different

states offering advice to rulers about his thoughts about how they should deal with the society.

He proposed that goodness comes from discipline and education and also practiced filial

devotion for three years to his mother when she died.

Most of Mencius’s thoughts and teachings are found in the Mengzi, which is one of the

Four Confucian Books. This text is similar to the Analects of Confucius. Mencius taught in detail

the ethical ideals of Confucius which included the ren, li, yi, and zhi. He also used these

teachings to help with the spreading of self-cultivation which was similar to enlightening oneself

to becoming a wise and kind-hearted individual which is the first step to creating and

maintaining a stable country.

Through Mencius’s teachings, Confucianism continues to spread worldwide, and people

now know yet another important philosopher and teacher who was once as great as Confucius.

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General Yue Fei

Yue Fei was a great general during the Song

Dynasty. He was born in 1103 in the northern part

of the Song Dynasty. The country was constantly

being invaded by the Jurchen army. He received a

traditional education at childhood. Yue Fei was

worried about the Song Dynasty’s eventual

destruction. When the Northern Song Dynasty collapsed, and the Southern Song Dynasty

formed, he renounced his education and joined the army. He quickly moved up in ranks, and was

appointed general commissioner1. His army was known as “the army of Yue’s, and it was highly

disciplined and upon hearing the name, enemies were immediately afraid. He was also a poet. He

wrote a heroic poem in Chinese literature, which helps strengthen the patriotism the Chinese

during battles.

His last attempt against the northern invaders was a grand victory, but when he tried to

reclaim the lost territory, he was opposed by Minister Qin Hui. Emperor Gaozong ordered Yue

Fei to return, after accepting Qin Hui’s peace offering. Yue Fei was executed in Fengbo Pavilion

of Dali Temple after Qin Hui set him up. Many were saddened by his death.

Although Yue Fei did not entirely grasp the concepts of Confucianism, he deeply

respected it. He was self-educated so he was very appreciative of Confucian teachings and ideals.

He relied on some Confucian ideals and teachings in his learning and used it in his knowledge as

a general.

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Main Religious Documents

Although Confucius did not physically take part in writing the actual books and

documents related to Confucianism, the books are all based on his words and teachings that his

disciples learned through him. The main works that deal with Confucianism include the

following: the Five Classics and the Four Books.

The Five Classics, which include the Book of Poetry, Book of History, Book of Rites,

Book of Changes, and Spring and Autumn Annals, is a series of stories and teachings that acts as

a guide to life for millions of people, much like the Analects. Not only do the Five Classics act as

guides to life, they are also used to look at the Chinese history as models for behavior and

honesty. Many Chinese people studied the Five Classics in order to become scholars or officials

during the Han Dynasty1.

The Book of Poetry, known as Shijing in Chinese, holds over 300 of the oldest forms of

Chinese poetry. It was put together during the Shang2 and beginning and middle of the Zhou

Dynasty3. These poems were also sometimes called songs because the Chinese sang poetry at the

time. It contains three different types of songs, “airs”, “odes”, and “hymns”. More than half of

the poems in the book cover topics including love, work, and war; the rest are related to the

court.

The Book of History is called the Shujing or Shangshu in Chinese; it is sometimes called

the Book of Documents or Documents of the Elder because it contains many important speeches

and reports that relate to the government and politicians. This book is known as the oldest text

that gives information describing Chinese mythology and history. It contains five parts to it

including the Tangshu (Book of Tang), Yushu (Book of Yu), Xiashu (Book of the Xia Dynasty),

Shangshu (Book of the Shang Dynasty), and the Zhoushu (Book of the Zhou Dynasty). This

41

book was one of the books that was destroyed by Qin Shi Huangdi4 in 213 B.C.E. because he

was persuaded to believe that Confucians were not on the same side as he was. Even though the

Book of History was destroyed, many scholars had memorized the entire context and restored it

during the Han Dynasty.

The Book of Rites, or Liji, is contains three separate texts: the Zhou Li, Yi Li, and the Liji.

The Zhou Li was written during the Warring States period5, when it was known as the Zhouguan.

It was not until the Western Han Dynasty that it was later known as the Zhou Li. This first book

explains how the government was like during the Zhou Dynasty. It contains six parts for the six

ministries6 which include the following: Celestial Offices7, Terrestrial Offices8, Spring Offices,

Summer Offices, Autumn Offices, and Winter Offices.

The Yi Li, which was names during the Jin Period9, is the Ceremonial where it contains

information on proper etiquette during events like weddings, banquets, funerals, sacrifices, and

archery contests10.

The Liji was the longest book out of the three books. It was put together by the Confucian

scholar, Dai De11, and his nephew, Dai Sheng12. It describes the government regulations, and

gives instructions on how to be independent through cooking, managing a household, driving a

carriage, naming a baby, and many more.

The Book of Changes is known as the Yijing or the Zhouyi. This book helped Confucian

followers foresee the future events that will happen and learn the reason behind the human

existence and the natural happenings in life. In the Book of Changes, there are 64 hexagrams that

are formed by putting two trigrams together which represent symbols like Heaven, Water, Earth,

Wind, Fire, and etc.

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The last book of the Five Classics is the Spring and Autumn Annals, which is also called

the Chun Qiu. This is a short chronicle regarding the events from 722 B.C.E. and 481 B.C.E. that

had occurred in the state of Lu, which is also Confucius’s hometown. The state officials

assembled this into a seasonal record of events during the rule of twelve dukes. People have

assumed that Confucius was related to the writing and revising of this text for the events came up

close to his death.

The Four Books, assembled by Zhu Xi13, contains the Analects, the Great Learning, the

Doctrine of the Mean, and the Meng Zi.

The Analects is known as one of the most widely

read texts in the entire world. It was put together by

Confucius’s second generation disciples, but it contains

the words and teachings of Confucius himself. The

Analects contains 497 verses where a problem is given,

and Confucius, also known as Great Master Kong,

would provide a wise answer to solve that problem.

For example, “Duke Ai14 asked: ‘What should I do to

win the hearts of the people?’ Confucius replied:

‘Raise the straight and set them above the crooked, and

you will win the hearts of the people. If you raise the

crooked and set them above the straight, the people

will deny you their support.’” In this passage, Duke Ai asks Confucius how to win the people’s

support; Confucius answers by telling him to promote the people who are honest and trustworthy

rather than the people who are selfish and corrupt. If the Duke were to promote the selfish and

This is one of the versions of The Analects.

43

corrupt people, then people who have lower ranks will not want to follow a leader who makes

wrong decisions. Today, the Analects is used as guide to life for millions of people because all of

the verses deal with the everyday situations that happen in life.

The Great Learning is known as the Daxue in Chinese, and

it is a guide that teaches how to become a true Confucian

follower. The theme that this guide teaches is self-

cultivation. Many boys and men, including the king and his

officials, use this guide to carry out their life through the

Confucian way of thinking. The Great Leaning emphasizes

on Confucius’s idea that in order for people to take care of

others, they must first learn how to take care of themselves.

The idea behind self-cultivation is that everyone has to take

part in it in order to create harmony within the state and the

society. That way, there will be peace on earth. There is a

process about this self-cultivation. First, everybody must be willing to learn about the world and

through that will they gain the perfect knowledge of what is around them. After gaining perfect

knowledge, one will be able to reach sincerity. Through sincerity, the individual will be able to

purify their heart from all the bad things they have done. After this is done, the individual will

have gone through self-cultivation. Through this, everyone in the family will unite as one, and

with this, the entire society can be governed in a good way. With all things done, there will be

peace on earth.

The Doctrine of the Mean, or Zhongyong meaning middle for zhong and normality for

yong, talks about the ideas of moderation, balance, and harmony. A series of essays and stories

This is one of the versions of The Great Learning.

44

were compiled to make this book, some describing the personality and jobs of a true Confucian

gentleman and others of quotes. In tradition, many people suggest that Confucius’s grandson,

Zisi, was the author of the Doctrine of the Mean, but some scholars, including Cui Shu15, were

doubting this because they think that part of the text was put together during the Former Han

Dynasty when Zisi lived during the Zhou Dynasty. The Mean from the Doctrine of the Mean is

the main idea of Confucianism. The three virtues of this way are wisdom, kindheartedness, and

courage, and these three virtues are what make the society stable. Sincerity is also a very

important part in the Zhongyong. Sincerity is what makes a human whole and well-rounded;

without it, the human race will not have existed. Through sincerity, individuals learn to do wise

things, like thinking about things carefully and acting faithfully.

The Mengzi, or Master Meng, is an assortment of

stories that Confucius’s disciple and philosopher,

Meng Ke16, also known as Mencius, compiled into a

book. In the book, he also discusses with high-

ranking officials and rulers. The book is seven

chapters long and is split into two parts. Mencius

taught four principle including kindheartedness (ren),

appropriate behavior (yi), etiquette (li), and wisdom

(zhi). For kindheartedness, Mencius teaches to love and care for others and to keep away from

harming anyone, whether they are a human being or animal. For appropriate behavior, Mencius

talks about respecting oneself and isolating oneself from dishonor. In etiquette, Mencius teaches

similar things from Book of Rites. It refers to the ceremonial events and teaches how to properly

carry out the ceremony, whether it is for a funeral or a sacrifice for ancestors. For wisdom,

This is a picture of Mencius.

45

Mencius teaches about the proper ways of the heart and mind. It guides the individual in order

for the person to know what is right and wrong and choosing to do the right thing.

46

Interviews with 4 Adherents

Interviewee #1: Ms. Yuqi Wei- Mandarin Teacher

Q#1: How does this ideology affect your daily life?

A: I think that Confucianism has been a very traditional philosophy. It teaches every

aspect of life and how to be respectful and show justice. It is a Chinese ideology and a

philosophical system, so we were brought up with these ideas. It affects every aspect of my life

about how I deal with my family, my parents, and how I am doing my work.

Q#2: What makes Confucianism different from other ideologies or religions?

A: To me that Confucianism is not a religion, it is just an ethical and philosophical

system that teaches doctrines, teaches how people are supposed to behave and live their life.

Q#3: What do you like most about this ideology?

A: I think that this ideology focuses mostly on families and focuses on how people deal

with each other and how people respect other people and how to be justice and how to fulfill

your self-dementing ethics.

Q#4: What about this ideology do you have problems agreeing with?

A: I think that now the society has changed a lot, but in the past, I think that one part that

I don’t agree with is about the rules that they place on women. For example, in the past, this

doctrine or this practice usually requires women to be obedient to their husband if they get

married. Before they get married, the women had to be obedient to their parents. And even if,

after they got married, if her husband died, the woman is supposed to be kind of obedient to their

son or their children. So, I think this part of the doctrine or ideology is really not what I like.

Nowadays is kind of more open, and women have more independence and they probably don’t

follow this anymore.

47

Q#5: Does this ideology teach a belief in reincarnation?

A: No.

Q#6: How does this ideology resemble any other religion?

A: I think that the part that this ideology resembles other religions is that they teach

people to be respectful to do good things to people. I think this is what they have in common.

Q#6: Are there any religions or ideologies you are talking about, or is it referring to religions in

general?

A: In general, they all teach people mostly; you know, especially like Christianity,

Catholicism, and Buddhism, they all teach people to be kind, to do good deeds.

Q#7: Do you have any dietary restrictions or requirements?

A: No.

Q#8: Does this ideology promote preaching or conversion of others to your faith?

A: I don’t think so.

Q#9: What is your most memorable saying by Confucius?

A: There are lots of sayings by Confucius. I think my favorite one is that when three

people are together, you always learn something from one of them. I think this is the one that I

kind of follow and remember because when you are together with other people, you can always

get something from the other person.

Q#10: Would you like to add anything about Confucianism?

A: No, not really.

Interviewee #2: Mrs. Alice Su- Math Teacher

Q#1: How does this ideology affect your daily life?

48

A: This ideology affects my life to be humble. Confucius keeps saying about when a

person is about 15-25 years old, their main focus is studying. When they are 30-years-old, the

person has already established a profession in the society. When they are 40-50, the person is

already in the stage when their profession is established. As my profession as a teacher, I try to

treat all my students the same. People can judge you by the way you act, but I should not be

affected.

Q#2: What do you like most about this ideology?

A: It talks about an ideal society about a great country that would be able to serve the

serve.

Q#3: What part of this ideology might you have problems with?

A: I have no problems with this ideology. I don’t just study about Confucianism; I also

study about Laozi and Zhuangzi too.

Q#4: Does this ideology teach a belief in reincarnation?

A: No, I don’t think so.

Q#5: Do you believe in another religion?

A: I don’t really have a religion because I go to both churches and temples.

Q#6: How does this ideology resemble any other religion?

A: I think all ideologies in general resemble each other where each of them do good

things.

Q#7: What makes Confucianism different from other ideologies?

A: In Confucianism, the idea is that we all start from ourselves. Then, you extend to

family which then goes to the society, country, and worldwide. Confucius has the ideal country

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where the young ones [childen] are taken care of. For other ideologies Daoism, Laozi is

concentrating on one individual.

Q#8: Do you have any dietary restrictions or requirements?

A: No.

Q#9: Does this ideology promote preaching or conversion of others to your faith?

A: No.

Q#10: What is your most memorable saying or teaching by Confucius?

A: The very first saying I can remember is that there is no segregation in education.

Interviewee #3: Andy Do- Eligibility Worker for the Government

Q#1: How does this ideology affect your daily life?

A: Well, this ideology provides a main frame of how to live in this society, to provide the

roles of each member of the family, of husband, of wife, and children to parents for the moral

and characteristics to live in life.

Q#2: Describe one of your major holidays. What is its purpose, and how is it celebrated?

A: One of the major holidays for this ideology is what we call the teacher honor day. On

this teacher day, we show respect to our teacher; we try to show how much appreciation that we

were given ideas, thoughts, and training, as well as knowledge that we become well-equipped in

life. The purpose for this holiday is for the students to show their appreciation toward their

teachers who provide them with all the knowledge in life. Around the 20th of November of each

year, the students would gather around the school campuses, sometimes go to the teacher’s

home, and buy gifts and flowers and say all kinds of messages about the teacher. This can

happen to any teacher, not just certain teachers.

Q#3: What about this ideology do you appreciate most?

50

A: Well, this ideology, like I said earlier, provides a main structure for how to become a

person, how to live your life in a society. It tells you what is right from wrong to live your life

with. Basically, it’s a good framework for every member of the society. It teaches me to what’s

right from wrong, you cannot be selfish and not to hurt others if you don’t want to be treated

badly. You do not want to treat people badly. For example, things like that would be in

consideration of this ideology. It teaches you more like a general guideline to teach each member

of the society to live right.

Q#4: What part of this ideology might you have problems/ believing/ agreeing with?

A: Well, like any other religion, there is always some area or some point in that certain

practice in the ideology where I encounter or question in that needs to be improved. This

ideology is the same thing; part of this ideology tells me that women can be a cause to the social

problem. This is something that we always in doubt about, but after this point, we can see that

women contribute to societies, women can do good things in society. We’ve seen a lot successful

women in the world today who are great world leaders and political, successful people. The point

that was taught that women could be a cause to society is obviously something that I would not

one hundred percent go for. This is something that needs to be reconsidered and justified.

Sometimes, I’m thinking about this, and it kind of bothers me that we somehow look down at

women for this kind of ideology and this is not right.

Q#5: Does this ideology teach a belief in reincarnation?

A: Well, this ideology doesn’t really believe in the reincarnation, or into the next life.

Unlike Buddhism, it does not believe in the reincarnation of the human life. Basically, what this

ideology focuses on is the current life, current issues and problems and how to solve it. It doesn’t

51

talk about if you do something good; it will go to the next life. If you do a good deed, it is

basically what is happening right now in your current life.

Q#6: Do you believe in more than one God?

A: Well, actually, I do believe in more than one God because to me, God is not like a

human being; he is not an individual. He is not like us humans where we have one or two we can

count.

Q#7: How does this ideology resemble any other religion?

A: I do not believe this ideology resembles any other religion. It just mainly provides the

framework for how to live your life in a correct way as a member of the society. You are not

doing bad things, not breaking the law, not killing or hurting people. It is just basic common

sense of life. It is not like other religions where it talks about the future or past. It just talks about

doing something good in your current life.

Q#8: Do you have any dietary restrictions, or requirements dealing with this ideology?

A: This ideology does not have any dietary restrictions. It doesn’t tell you to not eat any

animals or vegetables.

Q#9: Does your religion promote the preaching or conversion of others to your faith?

A: This ideology is taught and spread throughout societies. It does allow you to talk about

things in life and to share and learn from each other. It promotes active communication between

members of the society.

Interviewee #4: Kathy Luu- Self-Employee

Q#1: How does this ideology affect your daily life?

A: This teaching was so influential because he was the only well-known philosopher at

the time, and people listened to him and followed his guidance. With that, people implemented

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that into their household. However, when other philosophers arose, his philosophy was not—it’s

still strong, but yet as relevant as before. With his teaching, I do believe that in my parenting

skills, I do follow some of his strong points of teachings, such as listen to your elders, basically

respect, and pay respect to your ancestors. That, I fully agree with.

Q#2: What do you like most about this ideology?

A: It’s not what I like about it; it’s more like I was brought up with it. It’s something that

was embedded in me from childhood. So, it’s not that whether I like it or not, it’s more like here

this is your belief and this is how it was presented to me. I grew up around my family members

who have the same belief as well, so it’s very influential to my upbringing. As I get older, I think

my upbringing is very influential to my parenting skills as well. I think it is independently

making your own judgment. I’m not abided by a certain law or order whereas other religions,

you have to abide by certain law of orders. In my personal thoughts, I make my own judgment,

the actions that I make, it’s my own personal values, and that reflects who I am and not what

others tell me to be. I think with that taught makes me who I am.

Q#3: What part of this ideology might you have problems agreeing with?

A: I don’t agree about the wife being the servant, but I do understand that in old schools,

women were taught to serve their husbands, and nowadays, I don’t believe in that; I believe in

fair share of everything. There is no woman or man job, I do not agree with that. I think that’s

the only—and also ranking. Of course, we respect our elders, but there are certain, as far as

ranking, where you have to respect him because he is “such and such”. I don’t believe that, I go

by face value, not just because you’re older, stubborn as a needle. I don’t tolerate that.

Q#4: Does this ideology teach a belief in reincarnation?

53

A: Yes because Buddhism teaches us that reincarnation exists, and so, with

Confucianism, I strongly believe that we will be reincarnated. If you do good things, you will

pass on into another life.

Q#5: Do you believe in another religion?

A: I respect all religions.

Q#6: How does this ideology resemble any other religion?

A: They all have similarities with each other, especially respecting your God and

religion. Some religions do believe in the afterlife, I believe.

Q#7: What makes Confucianism different from other ideologies or religions?

A: I think with every religion, there is a snippet of Confucian teaching in it. From my

understanding, with every religion, there is a bit of Confucian influence in it.

Q#8: Do you have any dietary restrictions or requirements?

A: As a practicing Buddhist, you eat vegetarian, or you sacrifice the 15th and the 21st of

the lunar month. That was just two days of sacrifice in a month. I believe that Buddhism and

Confucianism coincide.

Q#9: Does this ideology promote preaching or conversion of others to your faith?

A: No, it doesn’t because I don’t think that I would ever want to convert anyone or

convince anyone to convert to what I believe in. I think that it is valuable to share with other

people, but as far as converting other people, I don’t think that is something I would do. I

wouldn’t want anyone else to employ that on me either, but I have utter respect for other

religions and great understanding. When I was growing up, my parents teach me to be respectful

of other religions. It’s nice that we don’t have to not be only strictly abided by our own religion,

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but to be able to expose yourself and view what other people view. For me, I have a greater

understanding of not only my religion but of myself and my values; that in itself is a religion.

Q#10: What is your most memorable saying or teaching by Confucius?

A: I think it’s the ancestors. It’s the teaching of valuing your ancestors because they are

basically your thread, your fiber, so I think that with his teaching of that, it completes the person.

We understand and study our roots than you have your own living history. Also, where you

remember the anniversary of their death, you celebrate that. I think that it’s very valuable

because nowadays, if someone passes, then it is only a vague memory for the rest of the

generation that follow. By worshiping your ancestors, it lets the later generations know the

history of where they came from.

Q#11: Would you like to add anything?

A: To me, Confucius’s teachings also reflect some of the Buddhist teachings from my

understanding. I find that his teachings and Buddhist teachings are such a strong, powerful

message.

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Literary Works with Allusions of Confucianism

In the biography of Mao Zedong, titled Mao Zedong: Founder of the People’s Republic

of China, Mao Zedong is someone who despised Confucius beginning to when he was eight-

years-old. He was a “rebel” who acted disrespectful to both his teacher and parents. As a result,

he was greatly beaten as punishment. Mao’s way of thinking contradicted the teachings of

Confucius. Confucius taught that the child must always be submissive to their parents and to

other authorities. Mao did the opposite by talking back to his teacher when she told him to stand

up and recite a ritual. Another scene happened when his father invited guests over and

embarrassed1 Mao in front of everyone. As a result, Mao broke the simplest rule taught by

Confucius of disrespecting his father by cursing at him. He ran away after and negotiated with

his parents. Through this, Mao realized that when he rebelled, his father ended up listening to

him, compared to when he was very timid and obedient, he would end up getting beaten up.

This thought was basically the opposite of Confucius’s teachings where authority was supposed

to be obeyed.

The book, The Culture of Power: The Lin Biao Incident in

the Cultural Revolution, is about the mystery behind Lin

Biao’s, President Mao’s chosen successor, plane crash and his

plan to overthrow and assassinate the president. In this book,

Confucianism is talked about in Chapter 6 about families in

Chinese politics. The book says that family problems could

have been the reason to Lin’s death and plans for assassination.

This is where Confucianism comes into the picture where it

teaches that family is a very important aspect of life. It This is the book, The Culture

of Power.

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explains how the family makes up the basic structure of the state and society. This chapter called

“Families in Chinese Politics” also refers to the different relationships of respect taught through

Confucianism including father/son and ruler/subject. In China, the relationship between family

members determines what will happen with the state. So, if the family is in a stable condition,

then the state will also be stable. Confucius taught that women in general had to be obedient to

their husbands when they married or to their parents if they were single. In the chapter, the wives

of leading revolutionaries, like Mao Zedong, had to spend their lives obeying and taking care of

their husbands who had more than one wife to serve them.

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Examples of Art and Music

Several examples of art and music

were based on Confucianism. Confucius

admired the cores of art and music, and he

was interested in how it made the mind

smarter and the nations more connected. It

was also because of one of his tenets of faith,

wen, which meant the arts of war and peace.

Three examples of art were Confucius’s

calligraphy of his thoughts and writing,

viewing stones, and whiteware ceramics or pottery related to Confucius’s teachings and

scholarly practices. They represented the lessons of Confucius and of his beliefs in a good

country and government and were valuable pieces of art that represented the master of

prosperity, humanity, and peace in the society.

The Calligraphies of Confucianism were

artworks that had Confucius’s writings and

thoughts of his beliefs for the good of the

community and government. They included

many of his famous quotes that were

inspiring to many people and had pictures of

Confucius or of items as a symbol for his

writing. Some of the calligraphies would

also include his teachings like the tenets of

faith, his morals, beliefs, and his philosophies that talked about what was right for a good

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society. It helped spread along Confucius’s ideas and brought together many people and the

nations as well.

Another form of art that was based on

Confucianism is viewing stones, also known as scholar

rocks. They came from the Han Dynasty1 and have been

used ever since as decorations, art, meditation, spiritual

symbolization, and gifts from the Chinese and monks. It

symbolized nature as well. In Confucianism, the rocks

were symbols of what Confucian scholars should be. It

acts as a reminder of what they should be like and

symbolizes a quality that they should possess: an uncompromising person. This meant that the

scholar should be a person who knows what is right for all yet be a figure that stands strong with

his standards and be hard to persuade. These stones were also very unique and interested many

scholars because of its pretty or sometimes unpleasant color and uncommon shape. Nevertheless,

it had a Confucian meaning in its own core.

Whiteware ceramics and pottery also represented

Confucianism. The whiteware ceramics and pottery were either

vases or bowls that showed a symbolization of Confucianism and

its teachings to others. It was a piece of art that tried to represent

living a simple and humble life. It also relates to religious and

scholarly practices. These are still used today as part of the

Confucian tradition.

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There were several examples of Confucian music as well. Music was something that

Confucius thought perfected personal cultivation. Music was also a powerful piece of art that

harmonized and balanced societies and lives, which was why Confucius admired. He presented it

through his teachings in several books and taught how it can smarten people and make harmony

like how he saw it through his eyes. Several examples of this harmonious music include “The

Ceremony of the Silk Offering”, the Chinese Zither, and a ceremonial set of huge bronze bells.

“The Ceremony of the Silk Offering” was a type of shrine music that was played for

Confucianism. It was a ritual that honored Confucius and honored the silk that provided

refinements for all. Although silk is in its name of the song, the music was not just about silk. It

also taught how to perform the ritual of the music. It was mostly about doing a ritual for silk with

their whole heart. In this performance, dancers danced to the beat and many different instruments

were used. Drums were also used, creating a unique sound that played throughout the shrine for

everyone to hear. The music sounded holy with words sometimes spoken and sung like a chorus.

Another example of music was the

Chinese Zither2. Confucius used the

Guqin, a member of the zither family, to

help him teach his students. Not only did

he say his teachings, he played it through

lyrics and songs with the harmonious

sounds the Guqin made. He hoped that

this would unify the students with his teachings and that they feel harmony and balance in each

other as he taught them what balance was. Now, the zither is commonly used to pass down his

musical teachings and to link people together into a bond. Most of the instruments that were used

This is a Chinese Zither.

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during his time are found in the Tomb of Marquis Yi3. This zither was also included in the Tomb

of Marquis Yi's collection as well.

The third example of music related to

Confucianism is the huge bronze bells4 used in

ceremonies. These were included in Confucian

music because they were the initial parts of the

music and tradition. They were the ones that linked

ceremonies or people's ritual doings with their

sound and that was what brought it to be in

Confucian music. Confucianism and one of its tenets of faith, li, are teaching about priority and

ritual. The huge bronze bells brought that to everyone as well.

These were the three examples of art and music that were related to Confucianism. These

examples were included to be in Confucianism because it made a type of bond through every

single individual with its connections. Overall, Confucius had these implied into Confucianism

because it made life more simple, knowledgeable, connected, and balanced from the harmony

and melody produced that helped even out every individual's soul. They would also bring a

better society as well.

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Conclusion

Confucianism played a very significant role in building the basic foundation of China’s

society; it is still widely followed today. It has greatly impacted people and their actions whether

it is through their teaching skills or dealing with their children. With about six million people

following Confucianism, it is one of the most followed ideologies today.

The teachings of Confucius are infused in a myriad of religions so that it is followed

throughout many people’s daily lives. Some examples include parents wanting their children to

get good grades or following what they are supposed to do. All of these tiny details add up to

develop Confucianism, and through these teachings, Confucianism became a world famous

ideology that is greatly used worldwide.

Confucius spread his ideas as he traveled around China in order to show people what

their society was like. He did not tell them that the society they lived in was corrupt and falling

apart, but instead, he just wanted to improve it to make it better. He felt that with his ideas and

teachings, he could change the society into a more respectful and compassionate place that

people would not feel out of place or uncomfortable in.

In his lifetime, Confucius made it his mission to perfect China’s society through his

ideologies and philosophies. His main objective was targeting one’s wellness and teaching

people how to improve their society by perfecting or enhancing their “inner-goodness.”

However, on his deathbed, he died believing that he had failed and accomplished nothing after

his time-consuming efforts. Confucianism’s presence today as we know it proves otherwise. It

has been ever more present in China as older generations struggle to preserve China’s history

and its traditions. Confucius’s goal may have surpassed his lifetime, and it may not have

developed into what he saw in his mind, but his ideas lived on and he will never be forgotten.

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Endnotes

History

1: (770-476 BCE); the second period of the Zhou dynasty; in early years, civilization was in harmony and kings were righteous and subjects loyal. However, towards the end of the period, the imperial power diminishes and war between feudal lords begins while their kings’ power declines; order and balance is in discord.

2: (475-221 BCE); the third and last period of the Zhou dynasty; fighting between feudal lords ensues while the kings become mere figureheads.

3: A collection of Confucius’s sayings, gathered by his disciples and students.

4: It is located in the state of Lu in the Shandong province.

5: Analects 5:28 p. 23

6: It is considered the oldest book in Chinese history. It was sometimes called the Book of Documents.

7: It helped Confucian followers have a glimpse at what could possibly happen in the future.

8: It is also known as the Book of Songs because the poems were commonly sung as songs.

9: Analects 7:7, p. 29

10: Initial years of the Spring and Autumn Period

11: A fourth-generation disciple of Confucianism, he later becomes the second most influential philosopher after Confucius himself.

12: The Authentic Confucius In sacrificial rites, those

13:Known as “the father of Chinese historians,” he dedicated his life to complete the 2,000 year history record of China his father started. (145-90 BCE)

14: one of the most influential Taoist philosophers (370-301 BCE)

15: Analects 11:9, p. 50

16: Qin Shi Huangdi is widely known as the emperor who enslaved thousands of many to construct his Terra Cotta army for his massive tomb.

17: A Mongolian ruler who became the first ruler of the Yuan Dynasty; grandson of Genghis Khan

18: An imperial palace that was home to the royal consort, Empress/Emperor, and many other royals staffs from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty.

19: Opium became the number one addiction in China, effectively derailing China’s economy and its advancements during the Ming Dynasty.

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20: Led by Mao Ze Dong, the Cultural Revolution was a political movement from 1966 to 1976 that attempted to wipe out the “Four Olds”: old ideas, old habits, old customs, and old culture.

21: Consisting mainly kids to young adults, the Red Guards were ardent worshippers of Mao Ze Dong during the Cultural Revolution. They ardently adulated Mao as the one and only “prophet” who promised radical changes for a better future. The cult was responsible of wiping out much of China’s cultural and historic pieces, instilling fear through violence towards those speculated as “counter-revolution”.

Evolution

1. Chou Tun-i (1017-1073 A.D.) – Also known as Zhou Dunyi, was a Neo-Confucian philosopher and cosmologist from China during the Song Dynasty. He helped to explain the relationship between how human forces are driven by universal forces. His best known contribution to Confucianism is the “Explanation of the Diagram of Supreme Polarity” which is similar to the belief in yin and yang and balance in the natural world.

2. Chang Tsai (1020-1077 A.D.) – Also known as Zhang Zai, was another Neo-Confucian philosopher and cosmologist during the Song Dynasty who was influenced by the Classics of Changes and helped to distinguish between original nature and physical nature. 3. Cheng Hao (1032-1085 A.D.) – A student of Chou Tun-i and nephew of Chang Tsai, and was a Neo-Confucian philosopher and cosmologist during the Song Dynasty. His philosophy taught about tangible and intangible things, movement, social roles and relations, and chance. 4. Cheng I (1033-1107 A.D.) – Also a student of Chou Tun-i and little brother of Cheng Hao. He is also known as Cheng Yi. He was a Neo-Confucian philosopher and cosmologist during the Song Dynasty. He became expositor-in-waiting in Luoyang, China, and gave many lectures on Confucianism.

Tenets of Faith

1. Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770 - 221B.C) - The Seven Warring States Period at the end of its ruling period ended the dynasty because of nasty disputes and unsolved conflicts against each state. Also, the states did not trust each other, causing them all to finish the dynasty together.

Rules and Beliefs

1. Forbidden City- this is where the emperor and his family lived

2. Temple of Heaven- the four mile square grounds where the emperor’s ancestor’s memorial tablets were kept

3. Hall of Fastings- this is the hall where the emperor purified himself before his duties the next day

4. Mandate of Heaven- a king’s right to rule claimed to have been granted to ancient Chinese rulers by the gods

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5. Lunar Year- the calendar of the Chinese was based on the cycles of the phases of the moon.

6. Right hand- the Chinese believed that left-handedness was evil, so they forced the use of the right hand.

7. dowry- gift a bride’s family gives a groom

8. red- a traditional color, usually meaning prosperity

Main Religious Works

1. Han Dynasty- (206 BCE-220CE) This was the first long-lasting imperial dynasty of China, which was founded by Liu Bang (Emperor Gaozu)

2. Shang Dynasty- (17th-11th century BCE) The Shang Dynasty was often called the Yin Dynasty.

3. Zhou Dynasty- (11th cent.-221 BCE) This dynasty was said to have been the longest reigning dynasty of the entire world. It was founded by Zhou Wen Wang and Zhou Wu Wang, who were also known as Kings Wen-Wu

4. Qin Shi Huangdi- He reigned over China from 259 BC - 210 BC during the Qin Dynasty. He destroyed the Book of History because he thought the Confucian followers were against him.

5. Warring States period- (5th cent.-221 BCE) It is called the Zhanguo and it occurs during the end of the Zhou Dynasty. It was called “Warring States” because warfare enlarged the power of the states.

6. Six ministries- The six ministries included the following offices: Celestial offices, Terrestrial offices, Spring offices, Summer offices, Autumn offices, and Winter offices.

7. Celestial Offices- The Celestial offices, or tianguan, were also known as the regulating offices. They represented “heaven”. It was headed by the prime minister along with 63 other officials who cared for the royal palace and the administration. They were also at the heart of the central government.

8. Terrestrial Offices- The Terrestrial offices, or diguan, was given the title of educational offices. It represented the “earth”, and was regulated by the overseer of public affairs along with 78 officials. They were in charge of the local administration, royal domain around the capital, and the citizens living in the area.

9. Jin Period- (1115-1234) It was the second largest dynasty of northern China. It was founded by Wanyan Aguda (Emperor Taizu of the Jin)

10. Archery contests- Archery was a very common sport among the aristocracy in China.

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11. Dai De- His given name was Dai Yanjun, and he was also called Dai Senior. He is a Confucian scholar during the Han Dynasty.

12. Dai Sheng- His given name was Dai Cijun, and he was known as Dai Senior. He is a Confucian scholar during the Han Dynasty. His uncle is Dai De. He compiled a series of collections which were transferred to the Book of Rites.

13. Zhu Xi- He was Confucian scholar during the Song Dynasty. He was the most influential rational Neo-Confucian follower in China.

14. Duke Ai- He was the ruler of the state of Lu, which was also Confucius’s hometown.

15. Cui Shu- He was a scholar during the Qing Dynasty who doubted that The Doctrine of the Mean was written by Confucius’s grandson.

16. Meng Ke- Meng Ke’s western name was Mencius, and he was the most important Confucian philosopher who also became a teacher like Confucius. His teachings are found in the book, Mencius.

Famous People

1. General Commissioner- the highest position in the army.

Art and Music

1. Han Dynasty (206 B.C. E - 220 A.D.) - This dynasty was the most prosperous of all dynasties. Its leader was a humble man named Liu Bang who revolted against the Qin Dynasty and turned it into a new dynasty free from the Qin's power. The new Han Dynasty still followed the Qin's way of ruling separated areas instead of one area as a whole, yet they followed a Confucius and his ideology for it brought great knowledge into his dynasty and turned it into a good society after approaching it. The emperors of the Han Dynasty were all powerful along with the most powerful one, Emperor Wu of Han, who gave the dynasty more territory to live on.

2. Chinese Zither - a string instrument that is part of the string family and has many different types created. It originated in many other states including China. This instrument is harp-like except it is flat and has many strings stretched onto a flat, thin, and hollow body of wood. It is played by plucking the strings not in the air but on an individual's lap. It creates harmonious sounds which brings together peace and harmony and people as well.

3. Tomb of Marquis Yi - a huge earth pit where the tomb of the Emperor of the marquises state Zeng lays. It was from the period of the Warring States during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty where the emperor lay and discovered by soldiers. This pit had three luxurious rooms in it and one hall and included and instrumental collection of his own that had instruments for public ceremonials and instruments that were for smaller ceremonials with strings.

4. Huge Bronze Bells - adult chest-sized bronze bells decorated for use of ceremonies and rituals for ancestors. They were created during the Shanxi Province in northern China and were among

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the oldest instrument in the world. They are played by striking the bell with mallets that creates different sounds which creates music. The music produced gives life to links and daily practiced rituals and connects art and music in ancient China. Another set of bronze bells were also a special ceremonial instrumental set from the tomb of Marquis Yi which was too precious to touch, yet used later with many different tunes and sounds made from it.

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