Confucius And Religion

Confucianism has been a part of Chinese culture for over a thousand years. Many who have studied Confucianism would say that it is not a religion. It is better described as a philosophy or moral code. The philosophy of Confucianism comes mainly from the speeches and writings of Confucius, a great Chinese thinker and educator. He believed that Humanity, Rite, Neutrality, Virtue, Education, and Cultivation were the basis of human behavior. In addition, Confucius felt that this philosophy was the best way for people to behave and interact with others in society.

Thesis: Chinese Confucianism and Roman Christianity are similar in both set key principles adopted by governments and both were created by leaders who taught by lesson yet different in that Confucianism was promoted by the government whereas political leaders in Rome strongly opposed Christianity.

Confucian philosophy is an ethical and philosophical thinking system thought to have been developed from the teachings of Kong Fuzi, known as Confucius who lived between 551–478 BC in China. [1]The essence of Confucianism is that the human mind can be cultivated through virtue and moral perfection. Confucianism has had tremendous influence on Chinese history and culture as well as other East Asian

Confucius was China’s first moral philosopher, and his ideas influence people all over the world even in the present day. Confucianism is a philosophy, a political ideology, and a way of life. Confucius had many followers, two of which are especially significant and would continue his teachings long after his death. These two were called Mencius and Xunzi(Xun Kuang). However, even though they would continue to spread his ideas throughout the realm, they also developed nuanced and differing viewpoints from each other and that also differed from the teachings of Confucius himself. Their individual perspectives are each outlined in their own writings.

During the long era of Chinese Dynasties, three School of Thoughts emerged as philosophers spread their knowledge across the empires. Although each of the three philosophers that founded these School of Thoughts were able to alter the ways of the people’s beliefs, one in particular had ideals that over time, were powerful enough to change the ways of the Chinese culture, and eventually the world. Confucius, the founder of Confucianism, focused on spreading his political and ethical views based on how “humans should act in harmony with the universe” ( World History 91), and the effect of this would allow their society to blossom. As word of the practice of Confucianism spread, the Chinese empires began to adapt to new changes that this school of thought taught, and overtime, the government, and lives of the Chinese began to revolve around the Confucian

The term “Confucianism” is often regarded as a complex mechanism of social, political, moral as well as religious beliefs that have considerable influence especially upon the civilizations belonging to the East Asian countries such as China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea along with Singapore and Vietnam. With reference to the observation made by Reid (1999), it can be viewed that a clear depiction about different principles and beliefs exists within the sphere of “Confucianism”. Therefore, the major purpose of this report is to briefly review of T. R. Reid’s book “Confucius Lives Next Door: What Leaving In The East Teaches Us About Living In the West” through concisely unfolding the experience of

Many of these philosophies have been repeated through the ages, such as Jesus teachings of the golden rule “do unto others as you would like them to do unto you” (bible Luke 6:31). Confucius was a man who strived to be a public servant, but other than a few opportunties he was mostly unsuccessful, although still respected. He became a tutor and like many great men, the height of his recognition was not during his lifetime. Even though Confucianism is not a religion, on the basis that it lacks a higher being or God, it is more than just a moral compass to follow. Confucius philosophies have proven to be a set of values that have served East Asia invaluably We can all learn from the concept of Jen, or human goodness, that tells us that there is a basic good in everyone. From the concept of Chun tzu, or the Mature Person, Confucius shows us how a person should behave, respectful, relaxed and someone that others look up to. “Only as those who make up society are transformed into chun tzus can the world move toward peace” (Reid

The religion of Confucianism begins, of course, with Confucius whose Chinese name was Kong Qui and who lived from 551 B.C. to 479 B.C. Surprisingly Confucius was merely a low level government worker. He did not exactly view himself as the founder of a school of thought. Regardless, Confucianism is the most influential belief system in Chinese culture. It provides the rules which govern the social behavior of the individual. The basic teachings of Confucius are grounded in the Five Constant Virtues: humanity, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faithfulness. Confucius went on to define five basic human relations and

Confucianism is regarded as one of the primary religions that have profoundly influenced Chinese beliefs and ideologies. While Kongzi, or Confucius, is the founder of Confucianism, he is not the only philosopher who has contributed to such a significant impact on China. Similarly, the Analects of Confucius is not the single text that represents Confucianism. In fact, during different time periods throughout the history, there are a number of eminent representatives of Confucian thoughts, such as Mengzi and Xunzi. Because Confucianism aims at eliminating chaos and maintaining order in a harmonious society , they all agree that the guidance and education of virtuous Confucian pioneers are of extreme importance to achieve this

Confucius created a system of thinking called Confucianism. If only one word could be used to summarize the Chinese way of life for the last two thousand years, that word would be Confucian. No other person has had as great an effect on the life and thought of the Chinese people as Confucius. He is the most adored person in Chinese history. Confucius claimed no greatness, instead he looked to a past time that he saw as the golden age. He told one of his disciples, "I transmit but I do not create. I am sincerely fond of the ancient. I would compare myself to Old P'eng who was fond of talking about the good old days." Confucius was a transmitter of the wisdom of the past. From his study of Chinese tradition, he gathered the

Without a doubt, Confucius is regarded as one of the greatest sages of China history. Some people even refer to him as a deity. There have even been attempts to make Confucianism into a religion. However, present day people regard Confucius as an ethical teacher rather than a man of religious faith, and they refuse to believe that Confucianism is a religion. However, in order to determine whether Confucianism is a religion, the most important Confucian text, The Analects, must be analyzed to decide whether his teachings were rationally humanistic or based on religion and divinity.

When Western people think of Confucianism, they often think of it in a past sense- as something only relevant to ancient China that cannot be applied to modern day society. However, what these people fail to realize is that Confucianism’s roots have been so integrated into China’s society that the values have become a part of every day life. Without having to explicitly state that they are following specifics aspects of Confucianism, most Chinese people submit to them, often times unknowingly. However, Confucian values not only exist in the Chinese society, but also permeate into other areas of Chinese culture such as architecture and aspects of Feng-Shui.

Most ancient philosophical ideas developed in the ancient Chinese empires are believed to have their roots from Confucius. Confucianism was a simple way of life propagated by Confucius around the fifth and sixth century BC. Often perceived as a religion and other times as philosophy, it is conceivably best unspoken as a comprehensive humanism that neither slights nor denies heaven. The Chinese populaces have devotedly observed Confucianism for nearly two millennia. It has become an implicit part of their culture. However, there seem to be a cod division among its proponents holding contrasting perspectives and understanding with respect to it. The central focus of this presentation is to address the questions whether Confucianism is a religion or a philosophy or it encompasses both.

One of the most famous people in ancient China was a wise philosopher named Confucius (circa

The chapter also extends on to Confucius learning among the populace and its usage by the government, Confucian learning and its relevance to China’s modernization program, and connections between Confucian teachings and democracy. Essentially, the author’s purpose for chapter 1 is to establish an understanding on the importance of Confucian learning undergoing transformations and adapted to modern times.