Confucius may have initiated a cultural process known in the West as Confucianism, but he and those who followed him considered themselves part of a tradition, later identified by Chinese historians as the rujia, scholarly tradition, that had its origins two millennia previously, when the legendary sages Yao and Shun created a civilized world through moral persuasion. Many of Confucianism's followers also are believers in. Going beyond the Master, they theorised the oneness of production and reabsorption into the cosmic source, and the possibility to understand and therefore reattain it through meditation. [20] In late 2015, many Confucian personalities formally established a national Confucian Church (; ; Kngshnghu) in China to unify the many Confucian congregations and civil society organisations. When actual, the king's personal virtue (de) spreads beneficent influence throughout the kingdom. There is no deity worshipped in Confucianism, though the worship of ancestors and of Confucius himself as a sage master and teacher are practiced. Spotlight on Other Religions The "other religions" category is diverse and comprises all groups not classified elsewhere. Some South Koreans believe Confucianism has not contributed to the modernisation of South Korea. [44] Tin may also be compared to the Brahman of Hindu and Vedic traditions. Yuri Pines. Zh () is the ability to see what is right and fair, or the converse, in the behaviors exhibited by others. The Master said, "How uncultivated you are, Yu! The individual stands simultaneously in several different relationships with different people: as a junior in relation to parents and elders, and as a senior in relation to younger siblings, students, and others. [117], For those who, like Bell, defend a model in which performance at the local levels of government determines future promotion, an important question is how the system judges who "performs best". One of the most famous collections of such stories is "The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars". [12], Confucian liturgy (called r, or sometimes simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: zhngtng, meaning 'orthopraxy') led by Confucian priests or "sages of rites" (; ; lshng) to worship the gods in public and ancestral Chinese temples is preferred on certain occasions, by Confucian religious groups and for civil religious rites, over Taoist or popular ritual.[13]. The works of Confucius were translated into European languages through the agency of Jesuit missionaries stationed in China. In Zhou theology, Tian had no singular earthly progeny, but bestowed divine favour on virtuous rulers. [17], [41], Regarding personal gods (shn, energies who emanate from and reproduce the Tin) enliving nature, in the Analects Confucius says that it is appropriate (; ; y) for people to worship ( jng) them,[45] though through proper rites (; ; l), implying respect of positions and discretion. US Religion Census Maps Changing Churches, Declining Denominations 11th century bce), who was said to have helped consolidate, expand, and refine the feudal ritual system. Li also means religious rites which establish relations between humanity and the gods. [139][140], Confucianism "largely defined the mainstream discourse on gender in China from the Han dynasty onward. entitled "Confucius Must Die For the Nation to Live" ( , gongjaga jug-eoya naraga sanda). Chinese folk religious temples and kinship ancestral shrines may, on peculiar occasions, choose Confucian liturgy (called r or zhngtng, "orthopraxy") led by Confucian ritual masters ( lshng) to worship the gods, instead of Taoist or popular ritual. Overall, Confucians believe that governments should place more emphasis on li and rely much less on penal punishment when they govern. Confuciuss response was to address himself to the issue of learning to be human. Confucianism and Buddhism | Encyclopedia.com For them, Confucianism does not have to be premised on the assumption that meritorious, virtuous political leadership is inherently incompatible with popular sovereignty, political equality and the right to political participation. Second, and most important, is serving the interests of the people (and the common good more broadly). It is postulated that certain elements of Leibniz's philosophy, such as "simple substance" and "Pre-established harmony", were borrowed from his interactions with Confucianism. If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with the truth of things. This theme of mutuality still exists in East Asian cultures even to this day. Legge), Xun Zi chapter (22) "On the Rectification of Names" claims the ancient sage-kings chose names (; mng) that directly corresponded with actualities (; sh), but later generations confused terminology, coined new nomenclature, and thus could no longer distinguish right from wrong. [129], Translations of Confucian texts influenced European thinkers of the period,[130] particularly among the Deists and other philosophical groups of the Enlightenment who were interested by the integration of the system of morality of Confucius into Western civilization. Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism,[1] is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or a way of life. Religious Landscape Study. Grades 5 - 8 Subjects Religion, Social Studies, Ancient Civilizations Image Confucian Philosopher Mencius Confucianismincluding the most pro-authoritarian scholars such as Xunzihas always recognised the Right of revolution against tyranny. He gave an explanation of zhengming to one of his disciples. A global perspective is needed to universalize its concerns. [44] This is shown in the story where Duke Jing of Qi asks Confucius about government, by which he meant proper administration so as to bring social harmony. Omissions? The Master replied, "What is necessary to rectify names." [86] Another modern proponent of the institutionalisation of Confucianism in a state church is Jiang Qing. Following Dewey's account of democracy as a way of life, he points to the participatory features of his local model: citizens still get to have a democratic lifestyle, participate in political affairs, and be educated as "democratic men". Confucianism. For example, South Korean writer Kim Kyong-il wrote an essay[when?] Confucian thinkers in the West, inspired by religious pluralism and liberal democratic ideas, have explored the possibility of a third epoch of Confucian humanism. [141], Joseph A. Adler points out that "Neo-Confucian writings do not necessarily reflect either the prevailing social practices or the scholars' own attitudes and practices in regard to actual women. [citation needed], In South Korea, there has long been criticism. [156], Ever since Europeans first encountered Confucianism, the issue of how Confucianism should be classified has been subject to debate. The literature opposes those who prefer evaluation by peers to evaluation by superiors, with some thinkers including quasi-democratic selection mechanisms along the way. Author of. Flashcards - Confucianism Flashcards | Study.com [124] These thinkers accuse the meritocrats of overestimating the flaws of democracy, mistaking temporary flaws for permanent and inherent features, and underestimating the challenges that the construction of a true political meritocracy poses in practiceincluding those faced by contemporary China and Singapore. Confucianism was not successfully spread by Confucius. Robert Eno argues that the term has been "burdened with the ambiguities and irrelevant traditional associations". [122], Joseph Chan defends the compatibility of Confucianism with both liberalism and democracy. Confucianism is concerned with finding "middle ways" between yin and yang at every new configuration of the world. [126] Baogang He and Mark Warren add that "meritocracy" should be understood as a concept describing a regime's character rather than its type, which is determined by distribution of political poweron their view, democratic institutions can be built which are meritocratic insofar as they favour competence.[127]. Though closer to a philosophy than a true religion, Confucianism was a way of life for ancient Chinese people, and it continues to influence Chinese culture today. [120], Another key question is whether Confucian political thought is compatible with liberalism. 6.1 million followers There are approximately 6.1 million followers of Confucianism worldwide. [152][153], Further analysis suggests, however, that women's place in Confucian society may be more complex. On spirituality, Confucius said to Chi Lu, one of his students: "You are not yet able to serve men, how can you serve spirits? "[161] Attributes such as ancestor worship, ritual, and sacrifice were advocated by Confucius as necessary for social harmony; these attributes may be traced to the traditional Chinese folk religion. As Confucius stated "a prince should employ his minister according to the rules of propriety; ministers should serve their prince with faithfulness (loyalty)."[59]. (New York: Columbia University Press, 1963), 159. The aim of this study is to analyze the influence of Confucianism on health behaviors, health outcomes and medical decisions. [130], The French philosopher Voltaire, Leibniz's intellectual rival, was also influenced by Confucius, seeing the concept of Confucian rationalism as an alternative to Christian dogma. Confucianism, the way of life propagated by Confucius in the 6th5th century bce and followed by the Chinese people for more than two millennia. Confucianism - Transformation since the 19th century "Explaining the Success of the Four Little Dragons: A Survey." [141], For years, many modern scholars have regarded Confucianism as a sexist, patriarchal ideology that was historically damaging to Chinese women. Similarly, Mencius also said that "when the prince regards his ministers as his hands and feet, his ministers regard their prince as their belly and heart; when he regards them as his dogs and horses, they regard him as another man; when he regards them as the ground or as grass, they regard him as a robber and an enemy. Competition is often used as a means to advance the status of the clan. [108] As Bell puts it, he defends "democracy at the bottom, experimentation in the middle, and meritocracy at the top. Over the following centuries the system grew until finally almost anyone who wished to become an official had to prove his worth by passing a set of written government examinations. Its implementation enabled the Western Zhou dynasty to survive in relative peace and prosperity for more than five centuries. [121] In fact, both Daniel Bell and Tongdong Bai hold that Confucian political meritocracy can tackle challenges that liberalism wants to tackle, but cannot by itself. Meanwhile, the meritocratic house preserves competence, statesmanship, and Confucian virtues. William Theodore De Bary, Waiting for the Dawn: A Plan for the Prince (New York: Columbia University Press, 1993), 91110. The duke Jing, of Qi, asked Confucius about government. Referred to variously as the Confucian hypothesis and as a debated component of the more all-encompassing Asian Development Model, there exists among political scientists and economists a theory that Confucianism plays a large latent role in the ostensibly non-Confucian cultures of modern-day East Asia, in the form of the rigorous work ethic it endowed those cultures with. Rn is close to man and never leaves him. [30] Individuals may realise their humanity and become one with Heaven through the contemplation of such order. Hicks, George. Confucianism - National Geographic Society [6] According to American philosopher Herbert Fingarette's conceptualisation of Confucianism as a philosophical system which regards "the secular as sacred",[7] Confucianism transcends the dichotomy between religion and humanism, considering the ordinary activities of human lifeand especially human relationshipsas a manifestation of the sacred,[8] because they are the expression of humanity's moral nature (xng ), which has a transcendent anchorage in Heaven (Tin ). The term Confucianism is derived from Confucius, the conventional name for Master Kong, the most revered sage of this religious tradition. 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