CONFUCIANISM

CONFUCIANISM
CHERYL PILONGO-MACANIN
Reporter
• Place of
origin:
China
Founded:
551 BCE by K’ung Fu-tzu

“Master K’ung”
better known as (Confucius)
WHO IS CONFUCIUS?
• Confucius is the latinized name of
K’ung Fu-tzu (Great Master
K’ung)
• His original name was K’ung
Ch’iu,
known as K’ung Chung-ni.
• Born on September 28, 551
BCE
• Born in Lu, Shandong Province.
• He was a Chinese philosopher, a
politician of the Spring and Autumn
period
• known as the first teacher in China
who wanted to make education
broadly available
INFORMATION ON HIS LIFE
• It was believed that Confucius's father divorced his first wife at an advanced age, because she had
borne him only daughters and one disfigured son.
• He then married a fifteen-year-old girl from the Yen clan, who gave birth to Confucius. (Ssu-ma
Ch’ien) refers to the relationship as a "wild union," which very possibly indicates that Confucius was
an illegitimate child, or a child born out of wedlock
• In the Analects, Confucius's book of teachings, he writes that during his youth he was poor and was
forced to acquire many different skills. It is clear that even though the fortunes of his family had
declined, he was no commoner. Confucius unquestionably belonged to the aristocratic (ruling)
class known as the shih. In the time of Confucius most shih served as court officials, scholars, and
teachers
• Confucius's first occupation appears to have been as keeper of the Lu granary. Later he worked as
supervisor of the fields. Both were low positions but consistent with his shih status.
WHAT IS CONFUCIANISM?
• Confucianism is one of the three main religions followed in China. It
became the state religion during the Han Dynasty. The religion
emphasized the codes of conduct and order of obedience. Ancestor
worship is a central aspect of it.
(http://schools.yrdsb.ca/markville.ss/history/religion/sivakumar%20confucious.htm)
• (according to Wikipedia) Confucianism, also known as Ruism, is a system of thought

and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a
philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or
simply a way of life, Confucianism developed from what was later called the Hundred
Schools of Thought from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-
479 BCE).
Confucius considered himself a transmitter

of cultural values inherited from the Xia (c.
2070-1600 BCE) Shang (c. 1600-1046
BCE) and Zhou dynasties (c.1046-256
BCE). Confucianism was suppressed
during the Legalist and autocratic Qin
dynasty (221-206 BCE), but survived.
PRACTICES AND RITUALS
• They believe that participation in ritual serves
uniting people, and strengthening the community.
However, Confucianism does not hold all the
aspects of a religion (such as Christianity or
Islam), nor do they hold regular practices and
rituals. Instead they symbolize four important
times in ones life. These are: birth, reaching
maturity, marriage and death.
1. BIRTH
• The Tai-Shen (spirit of the fetus) protects the
expectant mother, and deals harshly with
anyone/thing that harasses or harms the woman.
She receives a special diet and is given one
month to rest after the delivery of the baby. Her
parents are responsible for everything that is
needed to support the child, on the first, fourth,
and twelfth month anniversary of the child's birth.
2. MATURITY
• Maturity is no longer being celebrated,
except in traditional families. A
ceremony in which a group meal is
served celebrates a young adult who is
coming of age; s/he is served chicken.
3. MARRIAGE
(There are six separate things that happen during
the marriage rituals)
1. Proposal: Both sides of the relationship share
the hour, day, month, and year of their birth. If any
upsetting events happens within the bride-to-be's
family within the next three days, it is believed
that she has rejected the proposal.
2. Engagement: After the couple decides the

date of the wedding, the bride announces the
wedding with invitations and gifts of cookies
shaped like the moon.
3. Dowry: A dowry is a transfer of parental belongings when their
daughter is getting married. Gifts equal in value after given to the
bride and groom.
4. Procession: The groom proceeds to the brides home, and

brings her back to his place, with much happiness and excitement.
5. Marriage: The couple recites their vows that will bond them
together for a lifetime, toast each other with wine, and then take
center stage at a banquet consisting of friends, and the families of
both bride and groom.
6. Morning After: The bride serves breakfast to the grooms parents,
and then the parents do the same.
4. DEATH
• After the death of a loved one, the family cry aloud to inform
the neighbors of the tragic news. The family begin to mourn
by making clothes made of course material, and wearing
them. The corpse is placed in a coffin, and many family and
friends bring money to help with the cost of the funeral.
Food and objects important to the deceased are placed into
the coffin with him/her. A priest or minister of any religion
performs the burial ritual. The guests follow the coffin
carrying a large willow tree branch. This is meant to
symbolize the soul of the person who has died. Later on,
the branch is carried back to the family altar where is used
to "install" the spirit of the deceased. A public worship
(called a Liturgy) is performed on the seventh, ninth, and
forty-ninth days after the burial, along with the first and third
year anniversary of the death.
SIX MAIN GROUPS OF
BELIEFS
1. Yi – Righteousness, justice
2. Xin - Honesty and Trustworthiness
3. Chung - Loyalty to the state, etc.
4. Li - includes ritual, propriety, etiquette, etc.
5. Hsiao - love within the family, love of parents for their
children, and love of children for their parents
6. Jen - benevolence, humaneness towards one another (the most important
Confucianism virtue)
FIVE CARDINAL RELATION
(I) Father and Son
(II) A Ruler and a Citizen
(III) Husband and Wife
(IV) Older Brother and Younger Brother
(V)Between two friends
Each one of these relationships must contain mutual respect to keep the
relationship working. Each one of us must perform our role to the best of our
relationship, and one must honor and remember the members who have died.
Ancestors are not to be seen as gods but remembering them is considered as
an important act Hsin.
• The family is the center and comes before the
individual. The father is the undisputed head of
the family. With regard to filial piety (“xiao”),
sons, especially the oldest son, have specific
obligations toward the family and are expected to
respect and care for parents (McLaughlin &
Braun, 1998). In pre-modern China, the act of
suicide was not necessary deviant behavior if it
was associated with duty or loyalty to the family.
Cultural Beliefs Practices: Role of
Confucianism
Confucianism, the teachings of Confucius during 500 BC, has played an important role in
forming Chinese character, behavior and way of living. (Eliot 2001; Guo 1995). Its primary
purpose is to achieve harmony, the most important social value. Confucianism strongly
emphasizes:
• Mercy
• Social order
• Fulfillment of Responsibilities
This is achieved by everyone having well defined roles and acting towards others in a proper
way.
Confucianism in Education
• A character builder
• to learn to be human
• Inculcate humanity through normative behaviors to
learners
• Students should constantly practice what they have
learned through self-cultivation and social interaction •
Teacher is sensitive to the individual needs of students.
CENTRAL ETHICAL PRINCIPAL
“Ren” is the central ethical principle, and is equivalent to the
concepts love, mercy, and humanity. It is best explicated by
Confucius in the following statement: “Do not do to others
what you do not want done to yourself ”. This ethical principle
is further strengthened by the Buddhist tradition that merit is
accumulated by doing merciful acts, which leads to a better
next life through reincarnation.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF
CONFUCIANISM
Confucianism is often characterized as a system of social and ethical philosophy
rather than religion. In fact, Confucianism built on an ancient religious foundation to
establish the social values, institutions, and transcendent ideals of traditional Chinese
society. It was what sociologist Robert Bellah called a “civic religion”, the sense of
religious identity and common moral understanding at the foundation of a society’s
central institutions. It is also what a Chinese sociologist called a “diffused religion”, its
institutions were not a separate church, but those of society, family, school, and state;
its priests were not separate liturgical specialists, but parents, teachers, and officials.
Confucianism was part of the Chinese social fabric and way of life; to Confucians,
everyday life was the arena of religion.
The outer and inner aspects of Confucianism—its conforming and
reforming sides—were in tension throughout Chinese history.
Moreover the tensions between social and political realities and the
high-minded moral ideals of the Confucians were an ongoing source
of concern for the leaders of this tradition. The dangers of moral
sterility and hypocrisy were always present. Confucianism, they knew
well, served both as a conservative state orthodoxy and a stimulus
for reform. Great Confucians , like religious leaders everywhere,
sought periodically to revive and renew the moral, intellectual, and
spiritual vigor of the tradition. Until the 1890s, serious-minded
Chinese saw Confucianism, despite its failures to realize its ideal
society, as the source of hope for China and the core of what it
meant to be Chinese.
The worldly concern of Confucianism rests upon the
belief that human beings are fundamentally good, and
teachable, improvable, and perfectible through personal
and communal endeavor, especially self-cultivation and
self-creation. Confucian thought focuses on the
cultivation of virtue in a morally organized world.
Confucianism holds one in contempt, either passively or
actively, for failure to uphold the cardinal moral values
of rén and yi.
Confucius Quotes
It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is
how the whole scheme of things works. All good
things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are
very easy to get.
When it is obvious that
the goals cannot be
reached, don’t adjust the
goals, adjust the action
steps.
It does not matter
how slowly you go as
long as you do not
stop.
Our greatest glory is
not in never falling,
but in rising every
time we fall.
He who learns but does
not think, is lost! He who
thinks but does not learn
is in great danger.

CONFUCIANISM

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

CONFUCIANISM

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

CONFUCIANISM

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

CONFUCIANISM

551 BCE by K’ung Fu-tzu

• (according to Wikipedia) Confucianism, also known as Ruism, is a system of thought

Confucius considered himself a transmitter

2. Engagement: After the couple decides the

4. Procession: The groom proceeds to the brides home, and

You might also like