Ganying And Correlative Confucianism

For example, in Athens “the good life” for upper class citizens was defined by participation in government and obedience to the law. He was expected to be an active participant in politics and discussions on government affairs and to adhere to the laws above all. This expectation is clearly seen in Pericles’ famous funeral oration where he proclaims that the individual must be informed on political matters in order to be a good citizen (doc. 8) and in the “Dialogues of Crito,” where Socrates explains the significance of obeying the law over everything else, even over concerns of life and family (doc. 9). During the “Dialogues of Crito,” Socrates was just convicted for corrupting the youth of Athens and he is explaining to Crito why he shouldn’t run from Athens, because by staying he would be doing what is morally right. Likewise, the role of the individual in Han society (although different from Athens’) was equally well defined and they also expected that citizens adhere to their role and to the law. In Han China the emphasis was placed on the Confucian principle of filial piety and the supremacy of the family. Filial piety meant blind loyalty, respect and obedience to a Chinese citizens’ parents and ancestors and this concept was extended by the Han to include the

China was greatly influenced by Confucian beliefs, especially during the Han Dynasty. Confucianists believe the key to harmony is good morals throughout society and the acceptance and respect of unequal relationships. Chinese Confucianists thought that society would run smoothly, as long as each person completed their respective tasks. Tang Emperor Wu stated that Buddhism allowed monks and nuns to not do their part in society, and therefore Buddhism needed to be eradicated from Chinese society (Document 6). Emperor Wu’s point of view does not reflect the viewpoint of the lower classes, especially Buddhist supporters, because he is an emperor who lives a lavish life. Emperor Wu fully supports Confucianism and has been educated using Confucian beliefs throughout his life, which further influences his negative opinion on Buddhism expressed in the proclamation. The unequal relationships between ruler and subject, or father and son, were present throughout Chinese society and were important to the success of the empire. Han Yu, a Confucian scholar, explained that the Buddha did not conform to Chinese laws or understand the unequal relationships present in Chinese culture, in order to convince the population that Buddhism does not belong in China (Document 4). The intended audience of the statement by Han Yu is the Chinese upper class in order to prevent further conversion and acceptance of Buddhism. Confucianism was most popular among the upper classes, due to the extensive education the wealthy received based on Confucianism. Negative responses were common among the Chinese population due to the many differences between Buddhist and Confucian

Augustus, the first Roman emperor, justified his rule by declaring himself as a dictator and taking the title of princeps, who was a man that stood first among a group of equal citizens. This gave the illusion that he and his people were equal, and that he stood out among them as their leader. The Han Dynasty followed the Mandate of Heaven which were used by previous Chinese dynasties. The Mandate of Heaven stated that rulers ruled with a divine right. If a person rose to the position of emperor it was because the gods wanted it, and if someone else succeeded him or her it was also the will of the gods.

Han China (206 B.C.E. – 220 C.E.), and Imperial Rome (31 B.C.E. – 476 C.E.), were powerful and influential civilizations whose fall had an everlasting impact on society. The inability to protect borders and corrupt officials led to the fall of Han China and Imperial Rome. Unlike the Han, Christianity tore Rome apart while Confucianism united China.

The ancient Chinese introduced three major religious views—Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism—during the “hundred schools” era, but Confucianism was by far the most influential upon the Chinese population. The major belief of Confucianism was that an individual’s affairs would prosper if they acted in accordance with their Dao, which was unique to each person depending on their individual role in life. An individual’s Dao was centered around the concept of duty and the idea of humanity. It was thought that there was a responsibility of all humans to base their own aspirations and interests upon the broader need of their family and/or community. Therefore, each individual would not only prosper themselves, but also prosper the other individuals surrounding them as well, creating a more stable community. It was also thought that each individual should have compassion and empathy towards one another, promoting good behavior from all individuals and fostering tolerance among communities. The concept of duty and idea of humanity brought about by the Confucian beliefs had a powerful influence on not only individuals, but the community as a whole through individual actions, having a great impact upon Chinese society and stabilizing it as a whole.

In restoring Confucianism to China, the Han government put their faith in the good of humanity. Under this system moral living by the people was paramount in the health of the government. The people were punished fairly (punishment fit the crime) for wrong doing but were encouraged to treat each other fairly, honor your parents, teachers, bosses, and governmental leaders. As an upper class, commoner or slave you were all important to the success of the government. Strength of the people and increased knowledge were stressed to create a more stable viable society. Each class of people had their place in the government and should not aspire to reach any

Whereas the expectation to serve in the military and fight for the empire was generally enforced upon soldiers of Han China through the urging of the state, this social responsibility was ingrained into Roman soldiers through a culture of warrior ethos. Although the Han Dynasty moved away from many of the strict Legalistic regulations and punishments of the Qin Dynasty, it still integrated some Legalist institutions into Confucian doctrine. One such convention was the expectation for commoners to serve as either farmers or warriors in order to support the state. As explained by Lord Shang, a prime minister of the Qin Dynasty in the mid-fourth century in The Book of Lord Shang, “The means whereby a country is made prosperous are agriculture and war… That is called “wearying the people.” Soldiers of the Han Dynasty served mainly due to the obligation enforced upon them by the government for the purpose of “wearying the people” – in other words, the Han government wanted to limit education and thought and limit the people to war and agriculture in order to limit possible rivalries and opposition to the government. Contrastingly, the warriors of the Roman Empire upheld a powerful warrior ethos that heightened their sense of honor and ultimately produced the immense power of the Roman army. As Polybius, a prominent historian of Roman society, explains,

The Han Dynasty strived to further Confucianism as a means of teaching certain values in the elite, and if possible, other social classes. (Ch. 8 pg. 160) The emperors stressed a tradition of emphasizing their divine royal power through a Mandate of Heaven. Mandate of Heaven stated that a dynasty could only rule if approved by the God. They used this mandate to prove to the people they were the favorites and could do no wrong, and if failed he would be overthrown.

Confucianism is a belief system of thoughts taught by Confucius in China during the 5th and 6th century BCE during the Zhou dynasty. During this time, China was dealing with serious political conflicts, moral chaos, and intellectual conflict and order were almost non-existent. During this political struggle, Confucius believed that going back to the “traditional ways” was the only path for society to get back on track and developed his thought into what is known as Confucianism. It has existed for over two millennia and has changed over time. Some people refer to Confucianism as philosophy while others view it as a religion. Confucianism is a belief system which can be incorporated into other religious beliefs and forms of religion. This belief system has heavily influenced politics and life in China and neighboring places.

One of the oldest philosophies in Chinese history is Confucianism. At the time of the warring states, Confucius wandered throughout China seeking a ruler who accepted the Confucian way. Since then, his ideas grew and are still relevant today. Throughout time other philosophers, Mengzi and Xunzi, have interpreted Confucius’ teachings and have long debated whether human nature is good or bad. I argue that human nature is not, as Mengzi believes, inherently good, instead, completely self-interested.

Nevertheless, political states, imperfect as they are, serve a divine purpose. At the very least, they serve as vehicles for maintaining order and preventing reprehensible actions. In that respect, the state is a divine gift and an expression of divine mercy, especially if the state is righteously ruled. The state maintains order by keeping wicked people in check through the fear of punishment. Although God will eventually punish the sins of all those elected for damnation, He uses the state to levy more immediate punishments. Rulers punish the guilty and always are justified in punishing sins. In this regard, the institution of the state marks a relative return to order from the chaos of the Fall. Rulers have the right to establish

Chinese philosophy is dominated by a set of so-called Confucian values. These values, inherent in Chinese thought, were pushed forward by Confucius himself during his life time in an effort to propose a better, guided way of leadership. While Confucian values stress the naturally good nature of man, they stand in direct opposition to the writings of Han Feizi, a legalist philosopher under the first emperor of China. For the Legalists, the nature of man must be stressed as evil, and combatted under that assumption. Han Feizi and Confucius take two different stances regarding man’s true nature, and in these differing stances propose varying guidelines for how a state and its leader should act. Confucianism, under the belief of limited action,

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.

Confucianism is a time enduring philosophy that has stood up to invading clans, war, resentment, enforcement and infringement of new philosophies, and eventually, revival. For almost 80 years, up until the late 1970’s, Confucianism and its ideas and values have been all but wiped away from China. Though effort was made to remove Confucianism for good from China by the Communist leader Mao Zedong in 1949, the ideas and values were so deeply embedded into peoples mind and the culture that even suppression could not keep it out of the culture and practices. The main factor that has brought Confucianism back into the limelight in China and other East Asian countries is the recent

The concept of filial piety was exhibited in other Confucian texts as well, such as the Book of Rewards and Punishments. Although this text was technically a popular religious text, rather than a Confucian one, it highlighted many Confucian ideals, such as filial piety. It describes good, virtuous people seeking immortality as those who "exhibit loyalty to their ruler, filial piety to their parents, true friendship to their older brothers" (143). Contrarily, those who are evil "insult their ruler and their parents behind their backs" (143). According to this text, it is impossible to be a good, virtuous person without showing respect for one's parents. The inclusion of filial piety in this popular religious work also helps to show how widespread the belief in filial piety was in China. Although it received a great deal of support and promotion from Confucianism, filial piety was not limited to Confucians -- it was a widespread part of Chinese culture.