Confucianism

Confucianism (Chin., ju-chia, k'ung chiao). The teachings of the Chinese sage K'ung-tzu (552–479 bce) or ‘master K'ung’, known in the West through the Latinized form of his name ‘Confucius’. Confucius' teachings have been profoundly influential through east Asia and he has been regarded by countless generations as the great moral teacher of the region. His intellectual legacy has formed the mainstream of Chinese philosophy for most of the past 2,000 years. Little is known for sure about his life, although his teachings are preserved in the Analects (Lun-yü) in the form of conversations with his disciples. Above all he emphasized the virtue of jen, meaning humanity or benevolence, and sought to inculcate this in a new class of gentlemen-scholars (ju) who would serve and improve society. Such men, also known as shih, would form a class of educated gentry at the top of the social hierarchy. The primary emphasis of Confucian teachings is thus on the ethics of social relationships, particularly between parents and children, but extending beyond the family to relationships between superiors and inferiors at all levels. His vision was of an orderly hierarchical society animated by the virtues of altruism, humanism, and personal integrity, and while not denying the existence of a transcendent reality he had little to say about the hearafter or the supernatural. In this respect Buddhism, with its belief in karma and rebirth, filled a gap and provided explanations of matters in which Confucianism showed little interest. The two, along with Taoism, have coexisted down the centuries in an often uneasy relationship involving periods of ascendancy and decline. Confucianism was not always in power, although it enjoyed a renaissance beginning in the 10th century in the form of Neo-Confucianism. This developed in response to the challenge of Buddhist metaphysics and incorporated certain Buddhist ideas in an attempt to explain philosophical and cosmological problems such as the origins of evil. Confucianism has left an indelible imprint on Chinese civilization which has survived even the Cultural Revolution (1966–76) and repeated Communist attempts to modernize China by rooting out ‘superstition’. The Confucian work ethic and emphasis on family loyalty continue to underpin the daily life and economic prosperity of Chinese ethnic communities throughout the world.