Confucianism
World Religions
Chapter 7
Kung Fu-tzu
(Master Kung – 551 – 479 BC)
Is better known as Confucius
From an early attempt to render his name in Latin
He is one of the most influential
people who ever lived
Having a vast influence
on ¼ of all the world’s
population
He is known as China’s first
teacher
The few details about his life make
it surprising
That he has had such
an influence
He seemed to be a failure in his life
and his career
Confucius is
born in eastern
China
And his father dies
very soon after
his birth.
He is raised by his mother
And is an exceptional
student, studying
poetry and history.
He becomes a teacher
And become fascinated
with politics and how
the country is
governed.
At the age of 50
He gains a small post in
the duke of Lu’s
cabinet
But he finds his role is
so inconsequential
that he quits soon
after.
The next thirteen years
He wanders from state
to state trying to put
his political theories
into practice.
He eventually gives up,
and comes back to Lu
to teach.
He dies in Lu
In 479 BC at the age of
70.
How did this man become so influential?
There are several things we can
derive from his life and teaching
Confucius was gifted
with a remarkable
strength of character.
In the generation after his death
His followers put
together a
collection of his
sayings and
teachings. This
collection,
called the
Analects, is
the main body
of his teaching.
His personality and character had a
huge impact on his disciples
And they made sure his
wisdom would not be
lost.
Confucius was a tireless learner
and teacher.
The Master said: How
dare I claim to be a
sage or a benevolent
man? Perhaps it
might be said of me
that I learn without
flagging and teach
without growing
weary.”
(Analects 7.34)
Confucius is also remembered for
the brilliance of his ideas
What was the context in which he thought and
worked?
China during the 6th century BC
Was a civilization that felt its glory days were
passed.
Civil strife was the order of the day:
Rulers oppressed people, states warred against
each other, and society was falling into disarray.
Many people were posing solutions
to China’s ills
There was a group
called the Legalists,
who wanted a return
to strict law and harsh
punishments for
wrong doers.
A teacher named Mo Tzu
preached a universal
love for all people,
including enemies.
His followers were
called the Mohists.
Taoists
Taught that the
individual quest was
most important, and
that the individual’s
quest to be in
harmony with nature
is the path towards
salvation and
happiness.
Confucius takes a different
approach.
His concern is for the
health of society, and
he focuses on human
relationships to help
restructure it.
He believes in love, but love with
justice.
He thinks that inspiring
examples are more
effective in changing
behavior than
punishment.
Confucius looks back on the
wisdom of the ancients
To teach us how to live
ethical lives and how
to repair society.
Confucius sees himself as a
transmitter of the ancient tradition.
“I transmit but do not
innovate; I am truthful
in what I say and
devoted to antiquity.”
(Analects 7.1)
For Confucius, connection to the
past was vital for life today.
He reinvigorated the tradition of worship of
ancestors.
Through regular prayer and
sacrifice,
Ancestor worship
helped maintain
positive
relationships with
the dead. This was
important because
the dead could still
impact the welfare
of the living.
The teachings of Confucius
Were interpreted by his
followers in the
centuries to come.
Some stayed very
faithful to him, and
others innovated his
teachings for their
time and concerns.
For a few centuries,
Confucianism was
mainly confined to
philosophers and
teachers.
Gradually these philosophers began to
influence government officials.
In 136 BC a state school of Confucian scholars
was founded.
Soon all government officials were required
to be trained in Confucian thought.
Since that time, without interruption, until the
beginning of the 20th century
All Chinese formal education contained a thorough
grounding in Confucianism.
The Teachings of Confucius
Confucius was dedicated to learning, and he saw
learning not merely a gathering of information,
but a learning about how to be human.
Only by learning this
Can we grow into
maturity and
greater well being.
So what does he
mean by learning
what it means to
be human?
To do this we must explore the
concept of Tao
Tao literally means “the Way”
In Confucianism, it
generally refers to
the moral order
that permeates the
universe.
If one can know “the Way”
Then it is possible to
come into harmony
with it.
This understanding
is vital for
Confucius.
Confucius devotes much of his
teaching to describing the ideal
person
Chun-Tzu, which
translates
generally as
gentleman.
A chun-tzu is a person with perfect
moral virtue,
And through his or her
virtue, contributes to
the good of society.
“The Master said: The
gentleman seeks
neither a full belly nor
a comfortable home.
He is quick in action
but cautious in
speech. He goes to
men possessed of the
Way to be put right.
Such a man can be
described as eager to
learn.”
(Analects 1.14)
Jen, Shu, Li, Wen, Te
Confucius stresses
many virtues, but
several terms can
give us special insight
into what was
important.
Jen
Jen roughly translates
as benevolence, and
is the supreme virtue
in Confucian thought.
“The gentleman never forsakes
benevolence, not even for as long as it
takes to eat a meal.” (Analects 4.5)
This benevolence is shaped by striving
to do one’s best at all times
And by the concept of shu,
which means reciprocity.
Shu is close to the golden rule:
“Tzu-kung asked: Is there a
single word which can be
a guide to conduct
throughout one’s life?
The Master said: It is
perhaps the word shu.
Do not impose on others
what you yourself do not
desire.” (Analects 15.24)
Yet Confucius does not go as far as
Christianity in its “love your enemy.”
“Someone said: What do you think of
repaying hatred with virtue?
Confucius said: In that case what are you
going to repay virtue with? Rather, repay
hatred with uprightness and repay virtue with
virtue.” (Analects 14.36)
Confucius’ emphasis on relationship
parallels his concern for proper
behavior.
The moral person will
demonstrate their virtue
with proper behavior.
The term Li
Has two meanings: “rite” or
“scared ritual”
And
“propriety” or “behaving
properly given the
situation at hand.”
Confucius, in his
study of the
traditions of the
ancients,
Offers a complete guide to
Li, a guide to ritual and
behavior.
A significant aspect of Li is that it does
not only refer to sacred or important
rituals
But to the mundane aspects of life - all work can be done
with reverence and attention to detail.
Proper behavior is also determined by
one’s place or situation:
What is the right
thing to do with
one’s father?
Ruler? Friend?
Daughter?
Learning to be human also requires
acquiring a set of important cultural
skills:
This is known as Wen – the cultural arts.
Confucius deeply loved poetry and
music
And was supposed to be
expert at other arts:
archery, charioteering,
calligraphy, mathematics.
Learning the traditional arts is a way of
growing as a human being:
And as one grows in the
arts, one contributes to
society.
Confucius believes that human beings
learn best from the power of positive
example:
This is called Te.
Te means virtue shown through the
power of example.
Confucius deemed this as a
much more effective
means of leadership than
punishment and law.
The Five Constant Relationships
Confucius is concerned with
harmony between human
relationships.
The self, the family, the
nation, and all humanity
are linked in a web of
relationships.
“Love between father and son,
duty between ruler and
subject, distinction between
husband and wife, precedence
of old over the young, and faith
between friends.”
Self
Confucius does not understand the self as an isolated
individual – as in the West – but the self discovers its
identity in the context of relationships.
Who I am is
Son, daughter, mothers, father, subject, ruler, wife, husband,
friend, etc.
The individual is not static,
But is in a constant process of self-cultivation, engaging in the
work of relationships to deepen our sense of who we are.
Family is central to Confucius,
And especially duty to the
elders in our family.
This is something that Western people
Can learn much from,
especially in the modern
context where age is
seen as a burden and not
a source of wisdom.
Confucius taught that in every context,
respect for the parent and elder is more
important than being right or disproving them.
However, duty can have its problems:
Should a wife be dutiful to an
abusive husband?
Should children be kind to a cruel
father?
The Nation
Confucius thought that
those who govern
would be much more
effective if they
followed his notion of
Te.
One leader asked him: Why not just kill
those who do not follow the Tao?
Confucius answered: In administering your
government, what need is there for you to
kill? Just desire the good yourself and the
common people will be good. The virtue of
the chun-tzu is like the wind; the virtue of the
small man is like grass. Let the wind blow over
the grass and it is sure to bend. (Analects
12.19)
Confucius says little regarding divinity or
afterlife,
But just because he is largely
silent about them does not
mean he did not think of them.
“Heaven is the author of the virtue
that is in me.” (Analects 7.23)
Confucius’ harmony of relationships seemed
to also extend to the Heaven:
While Heaven provided the moral
order, Heaven is also impacted
by and partially dependent on
human society. The working of
the human world impacts
Heaven.
Confucianism is unique in world
religions in this regard.
Legacy
Communist governments in China and Korea have outlawed the
practice of all religions, and the influence of western culture poses a
challenge to traditional ways of life.
However, the depth of impact of Confucius
on these cultures,
Especially the importance of family, will not diminish completely.
The teachings of Confucius
Also have much to offer the West,
with its seeming lack of
traditional life and loss of
direction in many of the social
challenges it faces.
Confucius dug deeply
into the tradition of the
ancients
And his wisdom is still a gift
to humans today.