Confucianism
by Paul Marsek
Background
Confucius was born K'ung Fu Tzu in 551 B.C. during the Zhou Dynasty. The more Latin name, Confucius, was given to him by Jesuit missionaries preaching in China. He was born into nobility in the province of Lu. When Confucius was born, his mother was fifteen years old and his father close to seventy. A few years after his birth, his father died leaving Confucius and his mother in a state of poverty. He was primarily self-educated and and became a government official during his middle-aged years. He left his position due to conflicting political views and then began travelling around the country. He was trying to influence rulers in other states with his political and social beliefs. After little success, Confucius travelled back to his home state of Lu and began to teach others who shared his beliefs. Confucius put strong emphasis on the books known as the five classics. He then died in the year 479 B.C. at the age of seventy-two. After his death, his disciples began to assemble his various writings and teachings into The Analects.
Five Key Virtues- Jen
- Jen is best translated as humanness. It means having empathy and kindness. A form of Jen that exists today is the Golden Rule.- Chun tzu
- This means The perfect man. To become the perfect man, you must combine all of the qualities of a saint, scholar, and a gentleman. You must be self-less wanting nothing more than to help others.- Li
- Li is proper conduct regarding your rank and position within society. The goal of Li is social Harmony.- Te
- Te is concerned with the government and what it needs to do to be considered good. It must maintain a healthy economy, have a sufficient army, and gain the confidence of the people through honesty, benevolence, and kindness.- Xiao
-Xiao is filial piety. It has to do with how we are to conduct ourselves in our relationships with other people. There are five key relationships
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Five Key Relationships
- Between Ruler and Subject-
The subject owes his loyalty to the ruler, and the ruler must be just, kind, and benevolent.- Between Father and Son
- The son must be obedient, and in turn the father must be kind.- Between Older and Younger Siblings
- The younger must respect and obey the elder, and the older must be kind and set a good example for the younger to follow.- Between Husband and Wife
- The wife must be completely obedient to the husband, and the husband must be kind and respectful.- Between Friends
- Friends must be friendly and respectful towards one another. If one is older or in a higher social class, then the other must show respect and obedience towards them.
Confucius Says
Confucianism's view on various issues.- The Poor
- Confucius was born poor and believed in a social hierarchy. So in his ideal system there will be poor people. He also believes that the wealthy should feel obligated to share their wealth.- material goods
- Wealth and posessions are not frowned upon, but the wealthy should share their wealth. Gambling is considered bad because successful gambling involves loss on someone elses part.- The Human Condition
- Confucius believed that ignorance leads to darkness and that vice springs from ignorance.- The answer to the Human Condition
- Confucius said that one needed to study the sacred texts and rules of virtue because knowledge itself leads to virtue. He also said that human perfection cannot be attained by religious rituals, but by education and respecting moral values.- Drugs
- Drug use is prohibited because drugs weaken the mind and show a lack of self-control.- Sexuality
- Producing offspring is a way of showing love to one's parents. Husbands and wives made no physical contact with on another outside of the bedroom. Sex, with the exception of procreation, was widely seen as sin.
Sources