Chapter IV, Confucianism, Impact on China, Summary and Analysis

Confucius is a clear example of the impact of creed on future generations. Over a hundred years B. C., his texts were made mandatory disciplines for Chinese government officials. Confucianism became ipso facto the state religion of China. Although there have been notable lapses in the influence of Confucius on the Chinese political systems, there is still today a strong influence on the collective Chinese psyche. Unique among the world's religions, Confucianism allows for the inclusion of other religious beliefs and practices. In Confucianism, the family ultimately emerges as the real religion of the Chinese people. There are over one hundred different names for all the members of a Chinese extended family. Such an emphasis on family is stressed in China that the family name comes first followed by the given...