Introduction to Confucianism

Introduction to Confucianism Teacher Resource Guide East Asia National Resource Center

By Kat Harrington | Edited By Erin Cline

An Introduction to Confucianism Confucianism

is a humanistic way of living derived from the teachings of Confucius, China’s most revered scholar and philosopher.

Confucianism is predominantly practiced in China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, but its influences can be seen throughout East Asia.

Who is Confucius?

Confucius lived from 551-479 BCE. Having been born into an impoverished aristocratic family, Confucius diligently applied himself to his studies throughout his adolescence and was thereby able to secure entry-level positions in the Late Zhou government by his late teens. By his thirties, Confucius had distinguished himself as a prominent teacher, scholar, and advisor to the influential people of the day.

His views, however, were not in keeping with the lavish court life or political scheming of those seeking power, so he decided to travel in search of a ruler who would heed his advice.

During his travels, Confucius’ teachings gained him a small group of followers, who later compiled his sayings into the Analects.

Did you know?

‘Confucius’ is not really his name. It’s merely the Romanization of K’ung-fu-tzu, which means ‘Master Kong’ in Chinese. His name was actually Kong Qiu- Kong was his surname.

“When you go out, treat everyone as if you were welcoming a great guest. Employ people as though you were conducting a great sacrifice. Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you.”

(Analects 12.2)

Confucius’s Teachings Confucius’s teachings stemmed from his firm belief in the potential of humans to become good people and revolved around the core virtues he believed people must posses to have an ideal society. Three of the most important values in Confucius’s teachings are: humaneness (ren), filial piety (xiao), and ritual (li).

The Ultimate Virtue The virtue of humanity and benevolence, ren, is a fundamental virtue of Confucianism. Confucius believed that all humans can become humane and caring people if they work hard at cultivating themselves.

Confucian Virtues ren xiao yi zhong xin jing li shu

humanity filial piety righteousness loyalty trustworthiness respect propriety reciprocity

Ancestor Veneration

The Confucian virtue xiao, or filial piety, is a deeply felt reverence, respect, and love for one’s parents, grandparents, and ancestors. Once a parent dies, the children honor their memory through various rituals (li) and objects, such as an ancestor tablet and alter (pictured below). Xiao is the root of all other Confucian virtues.

The Exemplary Person Confucius believed that the “exemplary person” would embody the qualities of “saint, scholar, and gentleman.” Therefore, the “exemplary person” should be benevolent, educated, and posses decorum. The term junzi (or “lord’s child”) is used to refer to these individuals. If all people strove to be junzi, society would more harmonious and peaceful.

Governance Confucius advised the rulers of his day to govern by virtue, which they had to first cultivate in themselves. He taught that good leaders did not need to use force because they led by example, inspiring others to fulfill their own roles and duties. In this way, a state could function harmoniously and peacefully.

Meritocracy Confucius believed that men should be able to obtain high-level positions in society through their own merit and scholarship. This concept inspired the imperial examination system, which was a multi-day test that one had to pass in order to become a government official. Examinees were tested on military strategy, law, taxation, agriculture, and The Analects, the series of records of Confucius’s teachings.

The Five Cardinal Relations In order to maintain balance and prosperity in society, many Confucian scholars taught that individuals should duteously fulfill their psychosocial obligations to others. Every individual must protect and guide his/her juniors as well as obey and support his/her superiors in social rank. Only the relationship between friends is that of equals.

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Ruler ßà Subject Husband ßà Wife Father ßà Son Elder brother ßà Younger brother Friend ßà Friend

The only role for women in the five cardinal relations is that of wife, who is meant to obey and support her husband. If she is widowed, her duty is to obey and support her son or oldest male relative.

Imperial Examination Cells, Canton Source: Okinawa Soba’s Flikr Examinees would remain in small cells like these for 24-72 hours, while they completed the exam. Two wooden, moveable boards served as a bed and desk in each cell.

The Four Books and Five Classics The following four books were selected during the Song Dynasty (960- 1279 CE) to cover the basic tenants of Confucianism. They were: 1. Great Learning 2. Doctrine of the Mean 3. The Analects 4. Mencius The following five classical Chinese texts were selected for their close association with Confucius’s teachings.

The fundamental knowledge contained in these five classics was intended to give the student a strong foundation for further scholarship.

1. Classic of Poetry 2. Classic of History 3. Classic of Rites (Rituals and music) 4. Classic of Changes (Divination) 5. Spring and Autumn Annals (Confucius’s history of his home state, Lu) The book, Great Learning, consists of a short text associated with Confucius and nine commentary chapters attributed to his pupil, Zengzi. The themes of Great Learning pertain to self-reflection and cultivation, critical investigation, and the importance of education.

The Doctrine of the Mean was composed by Confucius’s grandson, Zisi, as a guide to following the Way (tao) in order to achieve perfect virtue.

The Analects are the records of Confucius’s teachings and his discussions with his pupils. The Analects were composed by his followers thirty to fifty years after Confucius’s death and are considered to be the most influential texts attributed to Confucianism. It is generally accepted that The Analects were compiled between the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period (ca. 475- 221 BCE) in China.

The book of Mencius contains the discussions of the famous Confucian philosopher by the same name with the leaders of his time (4th Century BCE) as well as with his students and contemporaries.

A page from The Analects

Symbols in Confucianism Confucianism has no exclusive symbols, like the Christian cross or Islamic crescent and star, but the following ideograms have been associated with the philosophy overtime.

Shui- Ideogram for Water In Chinese culture, the water ideogram has come to symbolize the ‘source of life.’

Xi (She)- Happiness and Harmony Often used to mean ‘double happiness,’ this ideogram, when seen in the Confucian context, represents the harmony one must have within oneself and in one’s relationships with others.

Student Activity Have your students pretend to be a Confucian scholar whose job it is to advise today’s world leaders. Either permit your students to pick the leader they wish to advise or assign leaders to students randomly. Each student should write a paper and/or make an oral presentation detailing their Confucian-inspired advice to their leader.

Students should quote at least two of their master’s (i.e. Confucius) maxims where appropriate in their advice.

Recommended Resources Websites 1000 BCE to 300 CE: China| Asia for Educators| Columbia University: http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/tps/1000bce.htm#confudao Extensive units on Confucian philosophy, texts, and traditions. Includes videos and lesson plans.

Patheos Library- Confucianism: http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1560 Quick reference guide on Confucianism.

Internet Sacred Text Archive: Confucianism and Traditional Chinese Beliefs http://www.sacred-texts.com/cfu/index.htm Online archive of translated Confucian texts.

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy- Confucius: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/confucius/ More detailed information about Confucius.

The Ultimate Confucius Resource Page: http://articles.usa-people-search.com/content-the-ultimate-confucius-resource-page.aspx Links to a multitude of online resources related to Confucianism.

Children’s Books Freedman, Russell. Confucius: The Golden Rule. Arthur A. Levine Books: 2002.

Conklin, Wendy and Gisela Lee. Confucius, Chinese Philosopher. Teacher Created Materials.

Translations of The Analects The Analects of Confucius. Trans. Burton Watson. New York: Columbia University Press, 2009.

Confucius Analects. Trans. Edward Slingerland. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 2003.

Books Ivanhoe, Philip J. Confucian Moral Self-Cultivation, Second Edition. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 2000.

This teacher resource guide is made available by the East Asia National Resource Center at Georgetown University for free, academic use only and is not to be reproduced in any way for profit.

The views expressed in this guide are solely that of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Georgetown University.

All images were taken from the public domain.

The Georgetown University East Asia National Resource Center is funded by a Title VI grant from the Department of Education.