Essay on Confucianism - 2000 Words

Confucianism A philosopher named Confucius founded Confucianism in China 2,500 years ago. Confucianism is a system of ethical behavior and social responsibility that became the great traditions of the East.1 It played an important role in the evolution in Chinese culture over the centuries. It has influenced near-by countries and had made a mark in the history of religion. There are today over six million people who call themselves Confucianists. Most Confucianists live in East Asia where Confucianism is thought to be born. For over two thousand years, Confucianism has been the dominant philosophical system of Chinese government, which has still a great hold on their people. Because Chinese culture has spread to the counties of†¦show more content†¦Throughout his governmental career, he was promoted several times. Later he became Grand Secretary of Justice and, at age 56, he became Chief Minister of Lu. Because of Confucius? increasing power, many nearby countries became worried that Lu would over power them. They sent messengers with gifts and dancers to distract the Duke during a sacrifice holiday and the Duke later abounded his duties. When Confucius received word of this, he resigned and left the country. Confucius spent the next five years of his life wandering China with his disciples until he was able to send messenger to the sympathetic king of a nearby country, who sent his own band of soldiers to rescue them 2. At the age of 67, Confucius returned to Lu where he spent the rest of his years teaching until he died at 72. Teachings The teaching of Confucius still has a great effect on the culture of China today. His followers wrote down all of his teachings after his death and have been translated into many different languages so that the entire world may benefit from them. Below are some examples from the Analects, Book 4.  · Roger T. Ames: The Master said, ?The authoritative person (ren) alone has the wherewithal to properly discriminate the good person from the bad.?  · E. Bruce Books: The Master said, It is only the rvn who can like others; who can hate others. Page 2  · Lionel Giles: Only he who has the spirit of goodness within him is ableShow MoreRelatedConfucianism : Taoism, Confucianism, And Confucianism1156 Words   |  5 PagesRaymond Cho EALC 350 October 29, 2014 Professor Birge Which philosophy: Taoism, Confucianism, or Legalism would be best in your opinion for maintaining a peaceful society? Why? Perhaps there is no single philosophy that can create a truly peaceful society. The conundrum of choosing a philosophy to embody a peaceful society is rather complicated, as the ideologies of the philosophies often differ greatly from their real world application. Debates over ideologies can create global scale problemsRead MoreChristianity And Confucianism : Confucianism2203 Words   |  9 PagesChristianity and Confucianism Christianity and Confucianism are important religions today at least according to the Chinese. As a result, the rising influence brought about by Confucianism in China tends to trigger conflicts between the two religions. The Chinese society is greatly influenced by Confucianism, which has a considerable impact on Christianity as a religion in China. The modes of thinking associated with Confucianism are evident in the Chinese Christianity, but Confucianism ideas are deeplyRead MoreConfucianism, Taoism, And Confucianism1277 Words   |  6 Pagesmain philosophies: Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism. These beliefs helped shape Chinese culture as well as Chinese history. Not only did people believe in these ideas, but the three helped to govern the mighty Chinese dynasties. These dynasties all provided an impact to each doctrine; the philosophy that had the greatest impact was legalism because it ended the Warring States Period, provided structure, and strengthened agriculture, and the military of China. Although Confucianism, Taoism and LegalismRead MoreA Short History Of Confucianism And Confucianism1196 Words   |  5 PagesProfessor Dimick 23 November 2014 A Short History of Confucianism Confucianism is a way of life propagated by the Chinese philosopher Confucius in the 6th–5th century BCE, and it has been followed by the Chinese for more than 2000 years. Although Confucianism as changed over time, at its core, it is still places the same emphasis on the substance of learning, the source of values, and the social code of the Chinese. Additionally, the influence of Confucianism has extended to other countries such as KoreaRead MoreDifferences Between Confucianism And Confucianism1084 Words   |  5 Pagesphilosophies were similar, like their beliefs about man and society; their ideas were a little bit different and each had their own focus. The difference in focus between Confucianism and Taoism is that Confucianism was focused on having a structured society. It held as a principle the brotherhood of humanity. The opinion of Confucianism in humans was that for humans to live in harmony with each other there needed to be a type of hierarchy in place. That†™s why he had the five Confucian relationships inRead MoreEssay on Confucianism1052 Words   |  5 PagesConfucianism What is Confucianism? Confucianism was the single most important thing in Chinese life. It affected everything in China; education, government, and attitudes toward behavior in public and private life. Confucianism is not a religion, but it is more a philosophy and a guide to morality and good government. The Laozian and Mohist critiques of the Confucianism are both in an accurate fashion. Most significant value from Lazi is The Tao Te Jing. It is true that, while ConfucianismRead More Confucianism Essay2049 Words   |  9 Pages Confucianism Mencius vs Hsun Tzu nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Is man naturally good or is he evil? This question has not only been pondered by countless philosophers, but also by religious leaders around the world. Most often a single religious faith believes in either one or the other, and often these beliefs tend to create a certain world-view which dictates much of the faith. However, in some cases such as the one I will be discussing, two religious dignitaries do not agree and the repercussionsRead MoreContributions Of Confucianism1034 Words   |  5 PagesConfucius was a great Chinese philosopher, but he was also a teacher, editor, and politician. He was born on September 28, 551 BC, and died in 479 BC. He was most well known as Confucius, but his real name is Kong Qiu. After his death, Confucianism became the official imperial philosophy of China. Later after his death, he was regarded as a sage who deserved greater recognition, and his teachings became more popular. He accomplished many great things in his life, and died a successful man. Read MoreIs Confucianism A Religion?1595 Words   |  7 PagesIs Confucianism A Religion? Without a doubt, Confucius is regarded as one of the greatest sages of China history. Some people even refer to him as a deity. There have even been attempts to make Confucianism into a religion. However, present day people regard Confucius as an ethical teacher rather than a man of religious faith, and they refuse to believe that Confucianism is a religion. However, in order to determine whether Confucianism is a religion, the most important Confucian text, The AnalectsRead MoreMengzi And Confucianism817 Words   |  4 PagesOne of the oldest philosophies in Chinese history is Confucianism. At the time of the warring states, Confucius wandered throughout China seeking a ruler who accepted the Confucian way. Since then, his ideas grew and are still relevant today. Throughout time other philosophers, Mengzi and Xunzi, have interpreted Confucius’ teachings and have long debated whether human nature is good or bad. I argue that human nature is not, as Mengzi believes, inhere ntly good, instead, completely self-interested