Confucianism—China
The system of thought known as Confucianism derives its name from the highly esteemed teacher and sage Confucius (551–479 BCE), or Kong Fuzi (Grand Master Kong). Confucianism includes the complete literature, practices, and teachings of the traditions which align themselves with Confucius. It is interesting to note that in the Chinese language there is no equivalent expression for Confucianism. The Chinese refer to specific thinkers or trends; for example, they refer to the Kongmeng shi xue (teachings of Confucius and Mencius) or to the Song- and Ming-dynasty study of principle (Song Ming lixue), which is called "Neo-Confucianism" in English. When bibliographers of the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) codified the books in the imperial library, they classified the works of Confucius and his followers under the heading "Literati."
The basic teachings of Confucianism stress the importance of education for moral development of the individual so that the state can be governed by moral virtue rather than by the use of coercive laws.
Syncretism in Confucianism
It is often said that traditional China was a Confucian society or that Confucianism was the official state religion and philosophy of China before the twentieth century. Such claims are misleading overgeneralizations. First, the syncretic nature of both early and later Confucian thought must be understood.
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