Every society has a system of government that impacts the values and interpersonal relationships of its citizens. This can be founded on either religious or philosophical doctrine. A few famous examples are Christianity in the Western world, and Confucianism in the East. The latter transcends religion, for Confucius teachings influence daily interaction between people on every level of society. More significantly, it demands a hierarchy within families that centers on expressing respect for the male head of house. In order to better understand the role Confucianism plays in eastern society, it is crucial to examine its history and core values. Originating in China between the years 551 and 479 BC, Confucianism grew under the influence of Kong Qiu, who focused his teachings on filial piety (loyalty to the family) and respect to elders or those of higher station. This meant that children would respect their parents (namely their father), a wife would respect her husband, and adults would support their parents in their old age. There are five relationships that Confucius emphasized as the most central. They included: father-son, emperor-subject, husband-wife, young-old, and friend-friend. It is noticeable that three out of five can be included or is exclusive to the family dynamic. Filial piety not only meant giving respect to elders and family, but it also implied a sacrifice of self. To do what was best for the family and to think as a unit rather than an
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 teaches that each person should accept his or her role in society. According to document number five, Confucianism became the basis of order and respect in China. It was central in governing China. The teachings of Confucius were even studied for civil service exams. Essentially, Confucius believed that younger people should show respect and obey anyone who was older, so respect your
during the Zhou Dynasty, China was experiencing a great deal of political turmoil. A major part of this era was called the Period of the Warring States. It was a time when there were numerous wars that occurred due to the conflict that existed between seven states. (Watkins, 2013) These warring states were the Han, Wu, Zhao, Chu, Qi, Yan and Jin. According to Jerry H. Bentley and Herbert F. Ziegler of the book Traditions and Encounters, “This period forced some people to reflect on the nature of society, and the roles of humans beings within society.” The authors continued saying that it forced others to “identify principles that would restore political and social order.” (Bentley & Ziegler, 2011) The principles of Confucianism were established and followed in order to help the citizens of China to live and govern their communities more efficiently. Through Confucianism, Confucius helped legitimize China’s rule and bring about order in the mist of turmoil. The effects of Confucius’ principles are still seen and felt today in many aspects of modern day Chinese society. Veritably, there were points throughout Chinese history where Confucianism affected almost every aspect of life in China. Confucius has impacted the development of Chinese thought and culture in various ways from education to politics, to familial relationships.
Confucius created the doctrine that 300 years after his death became a permanent impulse of social life in China, established rules of behaviour not only in the state, but also the family as a social unit.1
Confucian reinforced the need for people to respect their family and encouraged them to work hard
Founded by Confucius, Confucianism followers highly valued education as well as respect for ancestors. According to Document 1, disorder will not be created if followers remain respectful to their superiors, for filial piety is one aspect that is the root of humanity. Filial
This essay will illustrate the history of Confucianism and the background of Master Kong (Confucius) in the early beginnings of the religion. The purpose of the paper is to discuss the common characteristic of Confucianism with other eastern religions, the contemporary issues it faces, and the interaction between the modern world and Confucianism. Also the paper list the nine most common text of literature used by the religion and it includes the role of women and the five bonds also known as the five great relationships.
Confucius believed that society should be organized through five basic relations; the relation between a ruler and a subject, the relation between a father and a son, the relation between a husband and a wife, the relation between an older brother and a younger brother, and finally friend between a friend.
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.
The first point in Confucius 's three main points is the importance of family. Confucius stressed that family is composed of many types of relationships within the family. These relationships are: parent and child, husband and wife, and elder brother and younger brother. The relationship between the elder brother and younger brother is a simple one, but it can easily be overlooked. The relationship between parent and child is one of the ones most emphasized by Confucius. Confucius uses the idea of Filial Piety, the respect of a child for his or her parents, to stress the importance of this relationship. Confucius is also known for the idea that “if the interests of one’s ruler and one’s parents conflicted, one’s support of the parent came first” this is according to the book, page 48. Confucius also has the belief that everyone is born into the world as good. Last but not least, is the relationship between husband and wife. In Lessons for Women by Ban Zhao, Ban Zhao lists many different maxims that led to a
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
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 one of the main influential ideologies on the Chinese culture. The founder of this religion is Confucius; he was a Chinese teacher. He taught traditional disciplines at that time, and believed that he could change the order of the Chinese society. He has different principals in life. First, Li: “It is the medium within which to talk about the entire body of the mores, or more precisely, have the authentic tradition and reasonable conversations of society” . In other words, li is the social rituals between people and they are divided into different categorized relationships like father and son, filial piety, between brothers, husband and wife; Ruler and subjects, and between friends. The Second principal was Jen, which is humaneness; it describes the inner personality of a person and that people should practice respect to one another. Li and Jen are values that complete each other to create the superior man, according to the Confucius. Also, Confucius believed in the spirits but keeping them at a distance. There are Five Classics and the Four Books are regarded as a reference for Confucianism.
Women are consistently deemed to be inferior to men in multiple facets of life, such as education, career, and leadership. This patriarchal hierarchy is incredibly visible in the role of women in Chinese society, not only historically, but also in a present . In traditional Chinese culture, Confucian’s teachings were the main guidelines for how to value and treat women. According to these guidelines, the male was considered to be head of the household as well the sole provider for the family. This can be seen through the five main relationships in Confucian teachings.
Confucianism was orchestrated and created by Master Kong who was later named Confucius by missionaries from Jesuit when visiting China. Nevertheless, the basic principles of Confucianism preceded his birth during the Zhan Empire. During that time, the concepts of respect and the considerations for others flourished but there was as well emphasis given to spiritual concerns- specifically, the divine’s goodness and supremacy. Such concepts focused on uniting the people, establishing stability and monitoring rebellion against existing authorities.