Mencius vs. Confucius

Confucianism was founded by Confucius in 551-479 Bce. Confucius believed that everyone should live by the Five Constant Relationships: parent and child, husband and wife, ruler and subject, older sibling and younger sibling, older friend and younger friend. Each person

Confucianism is also a philosophical religion that is based on the beliefs as well as ideas of a Chinese philosopher named Confucius, which lived in or around the time of 551 or 479 B.C. (Cline, 2017). The values and ideas of the religion Confucianism started in the times of the Western Zhou dynasty in China. This religion was the most important force in the Chinese culture. Like Taoism, Confucianism has also influenced art, as well as other areas, such as education, government, literature, personal behavior, as well as philosophy (Cline, 2017).

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.

Ever since the Han Dynasty, Confucianism has been a cornerstone in Chinese culture. Established by the scholar Confucius, this belief system focused on achieving a "…perfect society in which all people devoted themselves to fulfilling their roles… (and) all wholeheartedly did what was expected of them." (PMEA, 32) This included all individuals knowing and enacting their responsibilities in order to create a world of harmony. During the Song, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, Confucian principles, were intertwined throughout the Chinese government, culture and everyday lives of subjects. Advancements made during this timeframe allowed Confucianism to develop and grow with the Chinese population, making this belief system a mainstay in Chinese society.

His philosophies did not seem to be effective during his lifetime, but after his death and in the following dynasties, his ideas came to be revolutionary for the time. After his death, disciples of Confucius compiled his works into the Analects. The Analects contained his most famous ideas and continued to educate new disciples even after his death. One of Confucius’ famous concepts was a set of relationships to show authority. These were called the 5 Right Relationships.

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

2. Confucius came after the collapse of the Chou Dynasty and China was in constant violence and war. After the destruction of china, two schools emerged. The legalism and Confucianism. The Confucianism believed a good government was accomplished by maintaining a good tradition by personal standers of virtue, respect for the family, venerations of the ancestors, etc.

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.

This philosophy became the basis for Chinese government, education, and most other aspects of the culture. Confucius lived from 551 BCE until 479 BCE. In his time he was known for his teachings, which are conserved in the Analects. (Confucian teachings) His teachings are vast; being the foundation for many of the dynasties we know of today, such as: Han, Tang, and Song. These teachings include ethics, humanism, altruism, the disposition to do well, and more. (Confucian teachings) There are three major principles of Confucianism; these three include Ren, Yi, and Li. (Confucius, Analects) All three relate to each other but they also have their own individual concepts. Ren is the commitment to altruism. Altruism is the belief of selflessness; in which doing something that might benefit another at the expense of himself is a strong conviction. The responsibility to have a moral character to do well unto others is the concept of Yi. (Confucius, Analects) Now Li is the expression of these Confucian ideologies, the outward practice of it towards others in your community. Relationships are a pivotal part of Confucius philosophy, especially the relationship between a father and his son. In this philosophy, this relationship is known as filial piety; which is the virtue of respect between father and son along with other

     Confucius’s counsel and guidance recorded in The Analects instilled wisdom when they were first recorded and continue to provide a thought provoking analysis of life and the checkpoints that guide it. The Master’s commentary on restraint, diligence, decency, and citizenship are well intended and relevant. Politics and the role of government also come under scrutiny as Confucius offers his insights in bettering the organization of power. His proverb-like admonitions use clear examples of everyday life allowing them to be understood and easily digested. Confucius’s own eagerness and willingness to share goodness he experienced makes it easier to apply and practice in one’s own life.

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

When it comes to the Confucius statement it has a more of a stern phycological context, in the sense of self control and structure. It represents that negative actions we put upon others can result in a negative reciprocation in return, therefore one should not have negative intentions towards other and should do things out of compassion. While Jesus’s statement is more positive, stating that having good intentions when dealing with others will result in others having nice actions in return. When it comes to producing a positive result I believe they both would due to the main concept being the way you treat others is what determines the reaction you get in return. In Jesus’s statement a helpful notion is what is emphasized. It is a general

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

     Confucius and Plato are two of the most respected and most widely studied teachers of history. There philosophies of how people should be governed and what characteristics make for a good leader. Both men’s ideas are good for the civilizations that they lived in, and they shared many similarities in their ideas. My own ideas of an ideal leader are a mixture of these two men’s ideas. The personal experiences of both men also play a key role in how they shape their ideas.