LESSON TWELVE
CONFUCIANISM
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
• Confucianism - There has always been a debate whether confucianism
should be regarded as a religion or a philosophy.Those who argue that
confucianism is a philosophy assert that when Kung Fuzi founded
confucianism,he never meant to establish a new religion;he merely
wanted interpret and revive the ancient religion of Zhou dynasty.
• As 2010, encyclopedia brown estimates the numbers of followers of
confucianism at more than six million.
• Adherents of confucianism are called confuciusians or confucianists.
• Two symbols which are important to confucianism are the symbols for
scholar and water.
The Scholar, as represented by the Chinese
symbol above ( the ru), is an important symbol
in Confucianism. It contains the symbol of a
person, as well as the character for need or
desire. The foremost need of need of a is
nourishment, then education. When combined,
it means “the need of a human being.”
Water is one of the five important elements in
Chinese philosophy, alongside wood,fire,earth,and
metal. Water is considered as the source of life,
valued for it‘s significance in the natural world and
for sustaining life.The figure below is the Chinese
symbol for water.
•The proliferation of Chinese classical thought happened within the reign of the
Zhou dynasty,the second historical dynasty in China.It was the result of several
factors such as technological and economic advancement,stronger political units,
political and social improvement,and even military development.Advance in the
said realms led to the emergence of competing dynasties who wanted to establish
supremacy over other dynasties,hence the period was marked by social upheaval
and chaos.This led to the search for political and social stability through the birth
of philosophies and religions which attempted to restore social harmony in china.
THE LIFE OF CONFUCIUS
•He was born on September 28 on 551 B C.E. Hence,it is considered a day of
celebration in East Asia -an official holiday in Taiwan(Teachers day), and a day
of cultural celebration in mainland,china, Hong Kong,and Singapore. Confucius
was born in small feudal state of Lu (now Shantung province) in Qufu.
•His personal name was Qui and his family name was Kong. He came from a
noble family ,but by the time was his mother give birth, they had already lost
much of their wealth. His first teacher was his mother ,and at the age of 15 he
set his heart upon learning,this love of learning became one of the highest
virtues in confucian ethics.He married at the age of 19 and had a son at the
age of 20.
• When he was in his 30s he had already started a brilliant teaching career because
of his mastery of the arts of ritual, music,archery,charioteering , calligraphy,and
arithmetic. He held several governments position ls including as arbiter , assistant
minister of public works,and minister of justice on the state of Lu and he soon left Lu.
•For 13 years he wandered from state to state, trying to put his theories to
practice.He died in 479B.B.C.E at the age of 73 and he left around 3,000 followers
who preserved and put his other teachings to writing.
SACRED SCRIPTURES : THE
CONFUCIAN CLASSICS
The Five Classics are group of books which was regarded as
early confucianisms basic text.This includes :
•The Book of Changes
•The Book of History
•The Book of Poetry
•The Classic of Rites Spring
•Autumn Annals
• The Analects is also considered an important source of
confucian teachings since it contains a record of his
conversations with his disciples.
BOOK OF CHANGES
Also know as the I-Ching, the Book of Change is believed to have existed at
the time of Confucius and is the oldest of the Classic. It focuses on short
predictions following a type of divination called cleromancy wherein six
randomnumbers are picked and arranged under sixty-four hexagrams. A
hexagrams is any of a set of sixty-four figures made up of six parallel or
broken lines. Later on, commentaries were added to the predictions, the
longest of which was the Hsi-tz'u or Appended Remarks, which discusses early
cosmological and metaphysical assumptions in an obscure language.
BOOK OF HISTORY
Also know as the Book of Documents or Shangshu, the Book of History is
conventionallyattributed to Confucius by early scholars. It is composed of
speeches (or prose) of royalty and ministers mainly from the Shang ang
Zhoudynasties. It also consists of chronological accounts of imperial
achievements and rules of government.
BOOK OF POETRY
The Book of Poetry, also know as the Book of Songs/Odes/Shijing, is a
collection of three hundred and five songs compiled around 600B.C.E. which
includes four sections of various themes such as love, courtship, abandonment
and dances.It also includes feast songs or state chants. It was supposedly
compiled by Confucius from an ancient repertory of three thousand, and is
considered as the oldest existing compilation of Chinese poetry.
CLASSIC OF RITES
Originally the Three Li /Three Rites/San Li, the Classic of Rites is a compilation of
ceremonial rituals, administration, and social forms of the Zhou Dynasty. It is
considered as a complete body of work which includes the Ceremonial (I-li/Yili),an
early manual of protocol for the nobility,describing such occasion as marriages
and funerals, sacrifices and even archery competition.
It also includes the Book of Rites (Li-chi/ Liji) which is composed of forty-nine
sections of rituals and government guidelines,as well as essys on education, the
Rites, music and philosophy. Also included is the Institutes of Chou (Chou-li/Zhou
Li) which is supposedly an ultimate depiction of government offices in early Zhou
times. These text were supposedly compiled in the early first century B.C.E. based
on earlier materials.
ANALECTS
The Analects, or Lunyu ("conversations" or "sayings"), is also know as the
Analects of Confucius. It is collection of sayings and ideas attributed to the
Chinese philosopher Confucius and his contemporaries, traditionally believed to
have been written by Confucius followers. It is Believe to have been written
during the Warring States period (475 B.C.E.-221B.C.E) and finalized during the
middle of the Han dynasty.
At first it was considered as merely a commentary on the Five Classics, but later
on acquired tremendous significance that it has been classified as one of the Four
Books long with Great Learning, Doctrine of the Mean, and Book of Mencius.
Among other important Confucian works, it has become an influential canonical
resource in Chinese and East Asia philosophy.
CONFUCIAN
DOCTRINES/ BELIEFS
Perhaps Confucius is more often celebrated for his Golden Rule: "Do not do unto
others what you would not have them do unto you".Found in the Analects,this
saying teaches the ethics of mutuality and reciprocity.
Belief inTian
Rectification of Names
Human Nature as Originally Good or Evil
The Five Constants
Filial Peity as an Important Virtue
WORSHIP AND OBSERVANCES
Four Rites
• COMING OFF AGE RITES -are ceremonies held to signify that a young person has
reached the marriageable age and could join the different activities of his/her clan as
a adult.Two important coming of age rites among the Chinese are capping and hair
pinning ceremonies.
• CAPPING- refers to doing the male teenagers hair in a bun/coil and wearing a cap.
•HAIR PINNING-refers to the gathering of a girls into a knot,and securing it using a
hairpin or a hair clip; often done by 16-year old women after engagement and before
their wedding day.
MOURNING RITES often involve intricate practices,which include the following
steps: First,there should be public announcement of grief through weeping,and
the wearing of white funeral clothes by the family deceased.
• There is also a tradition of exerting effort to recover the deceased, which is
being practice to avoid false death.
MARRIAGE CEREMONIES are an important aspect of Chinese culture since
marriage is considered as a Central feature of society; through
marriage,patience,and love are cultivated to promote the right virtue.
SACRIFICIAL RITUALS are performed regularly by the descendants of the
deceased ancestors.Sacrifice are often given at festivals.
DEVELOPMENT OF CONFUCIANISM
Mozis Mohism
The school of mozi was considered as confucianisms primary early competitor
.Mozi was believed to have been born around or soon after the death of
confucius.His teachings can be found in a work entitled Mozi which,like the
Analects, contains essay and dialogue compiled by his students.his attacks on
Confucianisms can be seen in a more extreme Stand on matters discussed by
Confucius.
Mengzi
Mengzi(Mencius) was more successful than Mozi in passing on his teachings
generations.Mencius lived around 370-290 B.C.E in an area near Lu.Like Kung
Fuzi ,he went to different states to seek high government office but failed.
Xunzi
Xunzi was a Chinese philosopher who lived around 300-237 B. C.E and like
Mengzi,left a profound legacy on Chinese civilization.He became successful as
a politician and teacher,and had an anthology of essays entitled Xunzi.
Neo-Confucianism-refers to the revival of the different features of
confucian philosophy and political customs which began in the middle of the
9th century.
SELECTED ISSUES - Certain issues arise when we try to reconsider the
relevance of confucianism and neo- confucianisms.
Female Subordination - It is often said that a womans life under
confucianisms can be summed up in three periods, also known as the "Three
Obedience". obedience to her father while at home; obedience to her
husband when married;and obedience to her son when widowed.
Authoritarianism
Another challenge that confucian still faces at present.Because Confucianisms
stresses the hierarchy between relationship,this has reinforced, top down values
and hierarchial system by encouraging deference to ones superiors --ruler,
father, teacher,or anyone older.
Environmental Ethics
One more issue that confucianism faces today is that of environmentalism.While
it is true that confucianisms advocates respect for the environment,it's
acceptance of people s dominance of nature poses a threat to the issues .The
Analects mentioned the subordinations of animals to social interest.
THANK YOU!!!