Confucian thinkers in the West, inspired by religious pluralism and liberal democratic ideas, have explored the possibility of a third epoch of Confucian humanism. Although only 2% are adherents of Christianity, it is becoming a popular alternative. This represents 0.09% of the world's population, or slightly less than 1%. [citation needed], Other movements, such as Mohism which was later absorbed by Taoism, developed a more theistic idea of Heaven. Omissions? Women in the Teaching of Chinese Religions", "Women Existing for Men: Confucianism and Social Injustice against Women in China", http://yj.nuist.edu.cn/ch/reader/create_pdf.aspx?file_no=20130621&year_id=2013&quarter_id=6&falg=1, "Carrying the Confucian Torch to the Masses: The Challenge of Structuring the Confucian Revival in the People's Republic of China", "Confucius and the Mediums: Is There a "Popular Confucianism"? More generally, Bai argues that his model marries the best of meritocracy and democracy. According to China, its Confucius Institute is "a bridge reinforcing friendship" between it and the world. They argue that voters tend to act in irrational, tribal, short-termist ways; they are vulnerable to populism and struggle to account for the interests of future generations. [15][16] Most Confucianist movements have had significant differences from the original Zhou-era teachings.[17]. Filial piety is considered a key virtue in Chinese culture, and it is the main concern of a large number of stories. [54] The Five Constants are:[54]. William Theodore De Bary, Waiting for the Dawn: A Plan for the Prince (New York: Columbia University Press, 1993), 91110. Such duties are also extended to the dead, where the living stand as sons to their deceased family. [134] The New Life Movement in the early 20th century was also influenced by Confucianism. Reciprocity or responsibility (renqing) extends beyond filial piety and involves the entire network of social relations, even the respect for rulers. They also fought wars to enforce the belief system on others and enforce specific versions of it,[98][99] possibly some of the first in religious history done by factions who believed only a single divine being was the primary force driving the world. Rn (Chinese: ) is the Confucian virtue denoting the good feeling a virtuous human experiences when being altruistic. Although it is an exaggeration to characterize traditional Chinese life and culture as Confucian, Confucian ethical values have for well over 2,000 years served as the source of inspiration as well as the court of appeal for human interaction between individuals, communities, and nations in the Sinitic world. Legge), Xun Zi chapter (22) "On the Rectification of Names" claims the ancient sage-kings chose names (; mng) that directly corresponded with actualities (; sh), but later generations confused terminology, coined new nomenclature, and thus could no longer distinguish right from wrong. The aim of this study is to analyze the influence of Confucianism on health behaviors, health outcomes and medical decisions. Confucianism. In this set of flashcards, you will learn about the long and fascinating history of one Asia's most major religions: Confucianism. [155] More recently, some scholars have also begun to discuss the viability of constructing a "Confucian feminism". RELIGION AS A PERCENTAGE OF WORLD POPULATION: 0.1 percent OVERVIEW. [22]:7, The term "Traditionalist" has been suggested by David Schaberg to emphasize the connection to the past, its standards, and inherited forms, in which Confucius himself placed so much importance. said the share of the world's population living in autocracies had risen from . A virtuous commoner who cultivates his qualities may be a "gentleman", while a shameless son of the king is only a "petty person". [20] In late 2015, many Confucian personalities formally established a national Confucian Church (; ; Kngshnghu) in China to unify the many Confucian congregations and civil society organisations. [141], Joseph A. Adler points out that "Neo-Confucian writings do not necessarily reflect either the prevailing social practices or the scholars' own attitudes and practices in regard to actual women. Xunzi cites "songs and laughter, weeping and lamentation rice and millet, fish and meat the wearing of ceremonial caps, embroidered robes, and patterned silks, or of fasting clothes and mourning clothes spacious rooms and secluded halls, soft mats, couches and benches" as vital parts of the fabric of li. and the general population during times of peace and times of war. In so doing he attempted to redefine and revitalize the institutions that for centuries had been vital to political stability and social order: the family, the school, the local community, the state, and the kingdom. Confucianism in the United States - Wikipedia [142] Starting from the Han period, Confucians began to teach that a virtuous woman was supposed to follow the males in her family: the father before her marriage, the husband after she marries, and her sons in widowhood. Instead, the scholar Mencius, who was born more than a century after Confucius died, adapted his philosophy and preached in different states. Meanwhile, Islam promotes the unity of Muslims regardless of ethnicity or familial ties, creating an environment of extremely extroverted people. Confucianism and Buddhism | Encyclopedia.com [6] According to American philosopher Herbert Fingarette's conceptualisation of Confucianism as a philosophical system which regards "the secular as sacred",[7] Confucianism transcends the dichotomy between religion and humanism, considering the ordinary activities of human lifeand especially human relationshipsas a manifestation of the sacred,[8] because they are the expression of humanity's moral nature (xng ), which has a transcendent anchorage in Heaven (Tin ). [41], Confucius used the term in a mystical way. [116] Tongdong Bai's approach incorporates different ways to select members of the meritocratic house, from exams to performance in various fieldsbusiness, science, administration, and so on. Confucianism and Daoism | Stanford History Education Group https://www.britannica.com/topic/Confucianism, ChinaKnowlwdge.de - Confucius and Confucianism, Asia Society - Center for Global Education - Confucianism, Ancient History Encyclopedia - Confucianism, United Religions Initiative - Confucianism. "[160] With the latter definition, Confucianism is religious, even if non-theistic, in the sense that it "performs some of the basic psycho-social functions of full-fledged religions. Confucianism advocates love with distinctionsone always loves one's family first and then moves outward. Submission to authority (tsun wang) was only taken within the context of the moral obligations that rulers had toward their subjects, in particular benevolence (jen). [156], Ever since Europeans first encountered Confucianism, the issue of how Confucianism should be classified has been subject to debate. Confucianism Though not formally recognized as a religion by the Chinese government, Confucianism has had an undeniable impact on Chinese history and culture since its conception by the Chinese philosopher Confucius around 479 BC. [44] This is shown in the story where Duke Jing of Qi asks Confucius about government, by which he meant proper administration so as to bring social harmony. [66], In Confucian philosophy, filial piety (, xio) is a virtue of respect for one's parents and ancestors, and of the hierarchies within society: fatherson, elderjunior and malefemale. [128] This synthesis, blending Confucians rituals and institutions with a broader liberal democratic frame, is distinct from both Western-style liberalismwhich, for Tseng, suffers from excessive individualism and a lack of moral visionand from traditional Confucianismwhich, for Tseng, has historically suffered from rigid hierarchies and sclerotic elites. Definition. There are many characteristics of the junzi: he may live in poverty, he does more and speaks less, he is loyal, obedient and knowledgeable. East Asians may profess themselves to be Shintists, Daoists, Buddhists, Muslims, or Christians, but, by announcing their religious affiliations, seldom do they cease to be Confucians. [citation needed] Modern Confucianism is the descendant of movements that greatly changed how they practiced the teachings of Confucius and his disciples from previous orthodox teachings. "[141] Matthew Sommers has also indicated that the Qing dynasty government began to realise the utopian nature of enforcing the "cult of chastity" and began to allow practices such as widow remarrying to stand. [112] In his account, the exams select for intellect and other virtuesfor instance, the ability to argue three different viewpoints on a contentious issue may indicate a certain degree of openness. Like many contemporaries, Confucius saw ritual practices as efficacious ways to access Tian, but he thought that the crucial knot was the state of meditation that participants enter prior to engage in the ritual acts. In 7.23 Confucius says that he has no doubt left that the Tin gave him life, and from it he had developed right virtue ( d). [105], In Just Hierarchy, Daniel Bell and Wang Pei argue that hierarchies are inevitable. Zhougong was said to have helped consolidate, expand, and refine the feudal ritual system. [citation needed], In South Korea, there has long been criticism. While China has always had a diversity of religious beliefs, filial piety has been common to almost all of them; historian Hugh D.R. These stories depict how children exercised their filial piety in the past. On spirituality, Confucius said to Chi Lu, one of his students: "You are not yet able to serve men, how can you serve spirits? How many Confucianism followers are there worldwide? Confucianism - National Geographic Society What percentage of people follow Confucianism? - Sage-Answer [137], After Confucianism had become the official 'state religion' in China, its influence penetrated all walks of life and all streams of thought in Chinese society for the generations to come. . Though in his own day, Confucius had rejected the practice of Martial Arts (with the exception of Archery), he did serve under rulers who used military power extensively to achieve their goals. display courtesy; ensure male heirs, uphold fraternity among brothers; wisely advise one's parents, including dissuading them from moral unrighteousness, for blindly following the parents' wishes is not considered to be xiao; display sorrow for their sickness and death; and carry out sacrifices after their death. [45] Confucius himself was a ritual and sacrificial master. Another meaning of rn is "not to do to others as you would not wish done to yourself. as the embodiment of Confucian ideas. Confucianism is a philosophy developed in 6th-century BCE China, which is considered by some a secular-humanist belief system, by some a religion, and by others a social code. [23] This translation of the word r is followed by e.g. [83] In his view, the power of Tian is immanent, and responds positively to the sincere heart driven by humaneness and rightness, decency and altruism. Many European and American admirers such as Voltaire and Herrlee G. Creel point to the revolutionary idea of replacing nobility of blood with nobility of virtue. Most scholars attribute the origins of this idea to futurologist Herman Kahn's World Economic Development: 1979 and Beyond. In other words, at a minimum, democracy needs Confucian meritocratic checks. Although often grouped with the major historical religions, Confucianism differs from them by not being an organized religion. In 9.5 Confucius says that a person may know the movements of the tin, and this provides with the sense of having a special place in the universe. For example, South Korean writer Kim Kyong-il wrote an essay[when?] The traditions of the ("Nine Fields") and of the Yijing flourished. [64] The famous thinker Huang Zongxi also strongly criticised the autocratic nature of the imperial system and wanted to keep imperial power in check. [118] Because they believe that promotion should depend upon peer evaluations only, Bell and Wang argue against transparencyi.e. Strictly speaking, there is no term in Chinese which directly corresponds to "Confucianism". In the later dynasties, more emphasis was placed on the virtue of chastity. Confucianism was initiated by the disciples of Confucius, developed by Mencius (c. 372289BCE) and inherited by later generations, undergoing constant transformations and restructuring since its establishment, but preserving the principles of humaneness and righteousness at its core. The State of Religion in China There are approximately 6.1 million followers of Confucianism worldwide. [14] Y (; ) is the upholding of righteousness and the moral disposition to do good. [147][148] Finally, scholars have discussed the attitudes toward women in Confucian texts such as Analects. A conceptual framework". Since the surviving line of the Zhou kings continued to be recognized in name, they still managed to exercise some measure of symbolic control. Li embodies the entire web of interaction between humanity, human objects, and nature. In Japan, Confucianism stands, along with Buddhism, as a major religio-philosophical teaching introduced from the larger Asian cultural arena at the dawn of civilization in Japanese history, roughly the mid-sixth century. It is thought that his pure virtue would lead others to follow his example. The Master said: "In teaching, there should be no distinction of classes.". These movements are not a part of mainstream Confucianism, although the boundary between Chinese folk religion and Confucianism can be blurred. First is raw efficiency, which may require centralized rule in the hands of the competent few. While contemporary defenders of Confucian political meritocracy all accept this broad frame, they disagree with each other on three main questions: institutional design, the means by which meritocrats are promoted, and the compatibility of Confucian political meritocracy with liberalism. Confucius includes in his discussions of li such diverse topics as learning, tea drinking, titles, mourning, and governance. [6] They may be practiced by all the members of a society. Confucianism, the way of life propagated by Confucius in the 6th5th century bce and followed by the Chinese people for more than two millennia. [42] He wrote in the Analects (7.23) that tin gave him life, and that tin watched and judged (6.28; 9.12). The first spiritual leader of the church is the scholar Jiang Qing, the founder and manager of the Yangming Confucian Abode ( Yngmng jngsh), a Confucian academy in Guiyang, Guizhou. [44] However, Confucianism does venerate many aspects of nature[16] and also respects various dao. [129][131], Confucianism influenced the German philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who was attracted to the philosophy because of its perceived similarity to his own. The search process identified 833 publications matching the search criteria, and after the review . Li (; ) is a classical Chinese word which finds its most extensive use in Confucian and post-Confucian Chinese philosophy. In accordance with the Master, they identified mental tranquility as the state of Tian, or the One ( Y), which in each individual is the Heaven-bestowed divine power to rule one's own life and the world. In his book Confucian Perfectionism, he argues that Confucians can embrace both democracy and liberalism on instrumental grounds; that is, while liberal democracy may not be valuable for its own sake, its institutions remains valuableparticularly when combined with a broadly Confucian cultureto serve Confucian ends and inculcate Confucian virtues. [86], The idea of a "Confucian Church" as the state religion of China has roots in the thought of Kang Youwei, an exponent of the early New Confucian search for a regeneration of the social relevance of Confucianism, at a time when it was de-institutionalised with the collapse of the Qing dynasty and the Chinese empire. [48] Analects 10.11 tells that Confucius always took a small part of his food and placed it on the sacrificial bowls as an offering to his ancestors. Li also means religious rites which establish relations between humanity and the gods. Social harmony or morality is identified as patriarchy, which is expressed in the worship of ancestors and deified progenitors in the male line, at ancestral shrines. [86] In 2003, the Confucian intellectual Kang Xiaoguang published a manifesto in which he made four suggestions: Confucian education should enter official education at any level, from elementary to high school; the state should establish Confucianism as the state religion by law; Confucian religion should enter the daily life of ordinary people through standardisation and development of doctrines, rituals, organisations, churches and activity sites; the Confucian religion should be spread through non-governmental organisations. Bell and Wang favour a system in which officials at the local level are democratically elected and higher-level officials are promoted by peers. [110], In The China Model, Bell argues that Confucian political meritocracy providesand has provideda blueprint for China's development. In the New Culture Movement, Lu Xun criticised Confucianism for shaping Chinese people into the condition they had reached by the late Qing dynasty: his criticisms are expressed metaphorically in the work "Diary of a Madman", in which traditional Chinese Confucian society is portrayed as feudalistic, hypocritical, socially cannibalistic, despotic, fostering a "slave mentality" favouring despotism, lack of critical thinking and blind obedience and worship of authority, fuelling a form of "Confucian authoritarianism" which persists into the present day. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Examples of such xiaoren individuals may range from those who continually indulge in sensual and emotional pleasures all day to the politician who is interested merely in power and fame; neither sincerely aims for the long-term benefit of others. The scholar Tu Weiming explains these classics as embodying "five visions" which underlie the development of Confucianism: Confucianism revolves around the pursuit of the unity of the individual self and the God of Heaven (Tin ), or, otherwise said, around the relationship between humanity and Heaven. In the late Tang, Confucianism developed in response to Buddhism and Taoism and was reformulated as Neo-Confucianism. The broad range of subjects touched on by Confucianism lends itself to all three of these interpretations depending on which aspects one focuses on. [104], Confucian political meritocracy is not merely a historical phenomenon. Zh () is the ability to see what is right and fair, or the converse, in the behaviors exhibited by others. Chinese folk religious temples and kinship ancestral shrines may, on peculiar occasions, choose Confucian liturgy (called r or zhngtng, "orthopraxy") led by Confucian ritual masters ( lshng) to worship the gods, instead of Taoist or popular ritual. How a Confucian comeback is helping China manage its ageing population The superior man [Junzi] cannot care about the everything, just as he cannot go to check all himself! He felt that virtue (de), both as a personal quality and as a requirement for leadership, was essential for individual dignity, communal solidarity, and political order. In Zhou theology, Tian had no singular earthly progeny, but bestowed divine favour on virtuous rulers. It is postulated that certain elements of Leibniz's philosophy, such as "simple substance" and "Pre-established harmony", were borrowed from his interactions with Confucianism. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [73] Both the dynasties worshipped the supreme godhead, called Shangdi ( "Highest Deity") or D () by the Shang and Tian ( "Heaven") by the Zhou. The name Confucius, a Latinized combination of the surname Kong with an honorific suffix "Master" ( fuzi ), has also come to be . "Windows into China," John Parker, p. 25. Using stricter definitions of religion, Confucianism has been described as a moral science or philosophy. This system allowed anyone who passed an examination to become a government officer, a position which would bring wealth and honour to the whole family. They hold the power to define the hierarchy of divinities, by bestowing titles upon mountains, rivers and dead people, acknowledging them as powerful and therefore establishing their cults. At first the Chinese people embraced Confucianism more readily than the ruling class did, but Confucianism was revived and popularized by the Han dynasty, from 206 BCE to 220 CE. Confucius (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) [139][140], Confucianism "largely defined the mainstream discourse on gender in China from the Han dynasty onward. Become a member. [120], Another key question is whether Confucian political thought is compatible with liberalism. Baker calls respect for the family the only element common to almost all Chinese believers.[68]. A key Confucian concept is that in order to govern others one must first govern oneself according to the universal order. Correctly performed rituals move society in alignment with earthly and heavenly (astral) forces, establishing the harmony of the three realmsHeaven, Earth and humanity. Grades 5 - 8 Subjects Religion, Social Studies, Ancient Civilizations Image Confucian Philosopher Mencius Bell proposes a model wherein aspiring meritocrats take hyper-selective exams and prove themselves at the local levels of government before reaching the higher levels of government, where they hold more centralized power. [17], [119] Others, like Jiang Qing, defend a model in which superiors decide who gets promoted; this method is in line with more traditionalist strands of Confucian political thought, which place a greater emphasis on strict hierarchies and epistemic paternalismthat is, the idea that older and more experienced people know more. He had faith in the cumulative power of culture. Confucius believed that social disorder often stemmed from failure to perceive, understand, and deal with reality. [76] With the Zhou dynasty, which overthrew the Shang, the name for the supreme godhead became Tian ( "Heaven"). See full answer below. Li is variously translated as "rite" or "reason", "ratio" in the pure sense of Vedic ta ("right", "order") when referring to the cosmic law, but when referring to its realisation in the context of human social behaviour it has also been translated as "customs", "measures" and "rules", among other terms. [88] Kang modeled his ideal "Confucian Church" after European national Christian churches, as a hierarchic and centralised institution, closely bound to the state, with local church branches, devoted to the worship and the spread of the teachings of Confucius. He proposed revitalizing the meaning of the past by advocating a ritualized life. In the 16th and the 17th centuries, the earliest European arrivals in China, the Christian Jesuits, considered Confucianism to be an ethical system, not a religion, and one that was compatible with Christianity. [149][150][151] Many traditional commentators and modern scholars have debated over the precise meaning of the passage, and whether Confucius referred to all women or just certain groups of women. Confucius himself did not propose that "might makes right", but rather that a superior should be obeyed because of his moral rectitude. One of the most famous collections of such stories is "The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars". [29] The scholar Promise Hsu, in the wake of Robert B. Louden, explained 17:19 ("What does Tian ever say? . Zhou kings declared that their victory over the Shang was because they were virtuous and loved their people, while the Shang were tyrants and thus were deprived of power by Tian.[3]. An estimated 5 to 6 million people follow Confucianism worldwide. Rather, Confucius considered himself a transmitter who consciously tried to reanimate the old in order to attain the new. The use of the term "Confucianism" has been avoided by some modern scholars, who favor "Ruism" and "Ruists" instead. The works of Confucius were translated into European languages through the agency of Jesuit missionaries stationed in China. "[141] The gender roles prescribed in the Three Obediences and Four Virtues became a cornerstone of the family, and thus, societal stability. At the national level, Bai proposes two chambers: one of meritocrats (selected by examination, by examination and promotion, from leaders in certain professional fields, etc. [13] "Confucian businessmen" ( rshngrn, also "refined businessman") is a recently rediscovered concept defining people of the economic-entrepreneurial elite who recognise their social responsibility and therefore apply Confucian culture to their business. Cloud State University, that is "paused" while the university conducts a review. [9] While Tin has some characteristics that overlap the category of godhead, it is primarily an impersonal absolute principle and not considered a true deity by most scholars[10] and practitioners, like the Do () or the Brahman,[further explanation needed] and gods worshiped by Confucians do not originate from orthodox Confucianism. [132] He praised Confucian ethics and politics, portraying the sociopolitical hierarchy of China as a model for Europe.[132]. [78] Cultures in other parts of the world have also conceived these stars or constellations as symbols of the origin of things, the supreme godhead, divinity and royal power. Confucianism was initiated by the disciples of Confucius, developed by Mencius (c. 372-289 BCE) and inherited by later generations, undergoing constant transformations and restructuring since its establishment, but preserving the principles of humaneness and righteousness at its core. Sometimes "exemplary person." [30] This transformation of the self may be extended to the family and society to create a harmonious fiduciary community. In modern times, waves of opposition and vilification showed that Confucianism, instead of taking credit for the glories of Chinese civilisation, now had to take blame for its failures. [46], Answering to a disciple who asked whether it is better to sacrifice to the god of the stove or to the god of the family (a popular saying), in 3.13 Confucius says that in order to appropriately pray gods one should first know and respect Heaven. [according to whom?]. Defenders of Confucian political meritocracy all champion a system in which rulers are selected on the basis of intellect, social skills, and virtue. Sometimes viewed as a philosophy and sometimes as a religion, Confucianism may be understood as an all-encompassing way of thinking and living that entails ancestor reverence and a profound human-centred religiousness. China's latest attempt to rally the world against Western values Among all things of creation, humans themselves are "central" because they have the ability to cultivate and centre natural forces.[58]. Confucius and Confucianism were opposed or criticised from the start, including Laozi's philosophy and Mozi's critique, and Legalists such as Han Fei ridiculed the idea that virtue would lead people to be orderly. Muslims make up about 1.8 percent of China's population, accounting for around twenty-two million people . A Confucian revival began during the Tang dynasty (618907CE). The worldly concern of Confucianism rests upon the belief that human beings are fundamentally good, and teachable, improvable, and perfectible through personal and communal endeavor, especially self-cultivation and self-creation. Between 742 and 1200, the population of north China grew by 58 percent, while it doubled or tripled in the south.
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