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China’s Culture and Beliefs

Decent Essays

Confucianism is a popular Chinese religion that spans over the course of a thousands of years and has influenced China’s culture and beliefs. It is based around displaying virtues and morals that coincide with humanitarian beliefs. It is a wide standing belief throughout Asia which has existed since 500 B.C.E. and is worshipped by millions of people, making it one of the most well known and oldest religions in the world. Confucianism’s main philosophies are characterized by the display of virtues, humanness, and loyalty, all taught by the Chinese philosopher Confucius.
The beginning of Confucianism began in Ancient China, started by the ancient philosopher Confucius, who was born in 551 B.C.E., “was a brilliant teacher, viewing education not merely as the accumulation of knowledge but as a means of self-transformation” (Yao 14). Confucius’s teachings centered around “personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity” (Yao 28). He began his teachings during the Qin Dynasty, and following the defeat of the Chu and the collapse of the Qin Dynasties, the Han Dynasty was victorious and utilized his teachings into a system known as “Confucianism”. After the dissolution of the Han Dynasty, the ideologies of Buddhism and Taoism were introduced and proceeded to govern most of intellectual life in China. Confucianism would not become a popular ideology till late during the rule of the Tang Dynasty, but with its reemergence came many new

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