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Confucianism. Origins. Confucian is the Latinized name of K’ung Ch’iu Date: Around 500 BCE Where: China Followers in North America: 26,000. Religion or Philosophy?. Scholars argue over if Confucianism is actually a religion….
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Origins • Confucian is the Latinized name of K’ungCh’iu • Date: Around 500 BCE • Where: China • Followers in North America: 26,000
Religion or Philosophy? • Scholars argue over if Confucianism is actually a religion…. • It IS a philosophical movement with emphasis on study and scholarship • BUT Confucius offers moral training that is very religious; Confucianism teaches the “way of Heaven” • In Confucianism, Heaven exists in the here and now… • Soooooo? Referred to as belief system.
Who was Confucius? • Born in 551 BCE • Well educated young man who became a teacher and was upset about the lack of morality in the province where he lived. • He taught people to take responsibility for their actions and turned the province around. • He taught until his death at the age of 77, leaving behind followers and others to carry on his teachings.
Who was Confucius? • Confucius spent most of his life trying to become a major political advisor to one of the rules of the many small states in China • He never become the main advisor to a ruler • He eventually gave up serving in office and devoted his time to teaching
Beliefs • Confucius’ advice was wise and precise. • He never claimed to create any of the wisdom he gave to other people- he just passed it on from things he had read through intense study. • He did not look for credit- he let the wisdom stand on its own. • This humility made people follow him because he practiced what he preached.
Virtue • Confucianism emphasized the Tao of Heaven. • A goal of Confucianism is to transform an individual into a living example of virtue as a duty to heaven. • Confucius taught that there is a chance for people to achieve perfection through self-improvement and learning, and reflecting what they learn in how they act.
Family • Confucius placed great importance on the family. • Family life was seen as a training ground for life in society. It is at home in the family that the child learns to deal with problems that he or she will face later in the world. • Microcosm oh how relationships linked people together • The family is responsible for educating the child to be a good member of society.
Politics • Confucius firmly believed that political leaders should be virtuous and role models. • For 2,000 years Confucianism was the official philosophy of China. The only way a person could achieve an important position in the government or in society was by having a good knowledge of Confucianism.
We Live in a Society! • Confucius believed that people, because of their nature, desire to live in the company of other people, that is, in society. • It is only in society that people reach their fullest development. • Therefore, it is important for people to know how to behave in society, that is, in their relations with other people.
The Five Virtues • To achieve the Tao of Heaven one practices the five virtues. • 1. Jen- goodwill, sympathy towards others, politeness, and generosity. • It also involves diligence, and perseverance…
The Five Virtues • 2. Yi- rightness; to respect their duty as guardians of humanity. • 3. Li- the art of right conduct; propriety. • 4. Chih- Wisdom. Express wisdom by demonstrating jen, yi, and li.
The Five Virtues • 5. hsin- faithfulness and trustworthiness. • Hsin represents how a person has become a visible example of goodwill, loyalty and propriety.
It’s all about relationships • Confucius believed that people could live together peacefully by recognizing their roles in relationships • Confucius used a model of Five Great Relationships to suggest how society might work • Each of these involved both hierarchy and reciprocity • One role led, and one followed, but both involved mutual obligations and responsibilities
The Five Relationships • Father/son • Ruler/citizen • Husband/wife • Older sibling/younger sibling • Friend/friend
Ritual • Ritual was the mechanism for facilitating these relationships. • By following proper ritual behaviour, each person would fulfill his or her role in society. • Any individual might be in a variety of roles at the same time, being both a father and a son, both a subject of the ruler and a master in the family.
Sacred Texts • The two main writings of Confucianism are the Five Classics and the Four Books. • The Five Classics were written before Confucian’s time and is instruction in the art of divination or fortune telling. • The main part of the Four Books is The Analects of Confucius, a collection of wise sayings and stories related to Confucius and his disciples. • These were recorded by his students.
Confucius the Gentleman • The “Gentleman” is the ideal figure for Confucius. • The Gentleman understands the workings of relationships. • HE observes proper ritual. • He engages in learning both to develop his personal moral character and to gain knowledge that is udeful in serving others. • He seeks to promote “the Way” (Dao) of living appropriate to a well-ordered society through both personal example and service in government.
Examples of Confucius Teachings • Your handout gives examples of Confucius’ teachings. They can enlighten us to some of the beliefs of Confucianism that over 6,000,000 people around the world turn to today!
