CONFUCIANISM
By: Sharmily, Jasmine, Laura, Thurca, Esha, Anisha
PLACE OF ORIGIN / TIME FRAME
◘ Confucianism originated in China and is based on ethics and philosophy which
developed by the teachings of Confucius (born in 551 B.C.)
◘ He grew up to be an intelligent man and a social philosopher.
◘ Many controversies took place in states throughout China, and Confucius
foresaw that he had to save China from total corruption
◘ He was appointed magistrate and later Minister of Justice for Lu, China. Under
his leadership, the state became righteous and justified.
◘ He continued to study and teach Confucianism until he died in 479 B.C.
Even till today, Confucianism is still a complex system of moral, social, and
philosophical stimulation and has great influence on the culture and history of
East Asia.
FOUNDER
◘ Founder of Confucianism, Confucius
◘ Born a half-millennium before Christ
◘ Born in Chiu King
◘ Youngest of 11 children (551 B.C.)
◘ Contemporary of the Buddha (although they never met)
◘ Lived immediately before Socrates and Plato
◘ Nothing known about his ancestors except the fact that his surroundings were
humble
◘ Father died soon after his birth leaving his upbringing to his mother
◘ During his childhood, he participated in many activities (fishing, hunting) but
at the age of 15 he decided to move in the learning direction
RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE
The Significance
It’s the active pursuit of Tao that involves choosing actions that are a sacred duty
to follow the Way of Heaven. Followers achieve this by practising the Five Virtues.
Five Virtues
Jen: goodwill, sympathy, politeness, and generosity.
Yi: rightness and the respect of duty
Li: having the right to practise propriety in all that they do (inner attitude in their
outer expression)
Chih: wisdom (demonstrating jen, yi, and li)
Hsin: faithfulness and it trustworthiness. It portrays how wise a person has
become by doing good deeds
Virtue
Confucius believed that transforming the individual into a living example of virtue
has a strict duty to Heaven. This transformation was the key towards perfection.
To reach perfection, Confucius taught people about the Way of Heaven
encouraging a process of self-improvement and love for yourself, neighbour, and
the environment.
KEY BELIEFS
Most of the key beliefs revolve around the happiness of everyone. None of his
beliefs are selfish or cruel. The Golden Rule is a perfect demonstration how he
wants every single individual to lead their life.
Golden Rule: " Do not do to others what you would not want to have done to
you."
◘ behave in a manner that does not compromise one's worth and others
◘ recommended that one should remember to always be empathic in their
feelings, responsibilities and judgment.
Confucius taught people to live according to the virtue of kindness, uprightness,
wisdom and faithfulness. He also taught unity, morality and respect for authority.
RITUALS
Birth and Conception: Tai-shen is the spirit of the fetus who is believed to
protect the mother during the childbirth. The placenta is disposed in a special
manner and the mother is given one month to rest. The child is provided by the
mother’s family for the first, fourth, and twelfth months.
Marriage: The marriage is composed of six stages. First is family proposal, then
engagement, third is the dowry, fourth is procession to both families’ houses,
wedding ceremony, and last is breakfast that’s served in turn by both families.
Reaching Maturity: It is a very small ritual where the girl is served chicken in a
gathering of the family.
Death: The neighbours are notified of the death by the loud cries of the family
members. The body is washed and positioned in the coffin with objects that are
special to the deceased. The family members wear coarse material and then carry
a willow branch (representing the soul of the deceased) following the coffin. When
they return home they place the willow branch is the shrine signifying that the spirit
of the deceased is in the house. The seventh, ninth, and forty-ninth days after the
burial is known as the death anniversaries.
SYMBOLS
◘ Confucian symbols are difficult to read
◘ Confucius always feared that if he made a symbol to represent faith, his
followers would honor the image more than his teachings
◘ Thus, the “Five Virtues” used by Chinese symbols, were to bring his
followers closer to Confucian teachings.
Symbols and their meanings:
Total tranquility & dignity in your own life and in relations with your neighbour
Water Symbol - represents the “source of life”
The “Jen” means “social virtue”
The “Li” means correct behavior, good manners, worship and politeness
ADHERENCES & INFLUENCE IN 21st CENTURY
◘Till this day, there are 6 million followers around the world that follow
Confucianism, and the majority of the followers are from China or the rest of Eastern
Asia
◘ Confucius is of the most famous figures in Chinese history
◘ Beijing’s is trying to bring back the values of Confucianism. This is an effort to
suppress the growing disagreements and motivate loyalty
◘ Confucianism has effected everyday business and social contact
◘ For example, it has effected business through the traits of perseverance, respect
for tradition, and persistence, as well as respect for hierarchy
◘ Referring back to business, in today’s society an example of a situation would be
during conducting business. An important part is for all members of your team to
give the same level of respect as the person on the other side of the table
◘ From this we can draw the conclusion that cooperation is necessary in order to
survive; the same goes for reciprocity which guarantees that one will give support to
you in times of need.
INTERESTING FACTS
◘ The Chin Dynasty buried many scholars alive in their program to avoid
learning and Confucianism
◘ Scholars had difficulty determining whether Confucianism was a philosophy or
a philosophy and a religion
◘ Confucianism is so practical that people dismissed it as being a list of
suggestions on how to live a balanced life
◘ For Confucians, heaven exists in the present, the here and now
◘ When Confucius died he had 72 disciples and 3000 followers
◘“The Five Virtues” are necessary for an individual to achieve sense of peace
and balance
*Interesting Quote:
- “Our greatest glory is not in never failing but in rising every time we fall.”
- “When we see men of a contrary character we should turn inwards and
examine ourselves.”
THE END