Confucianism is the term used to describe the family of traditions that are based on the teachings of

Confucius (c. 551-479 B.C.E.), a Chinese thinker whose given name was Kong Qiu and whose disciples called him
Kongzi ("Master Kong"). Kongzi's ideas became well known only after his death in the 5th century B.C.E. His 4th-
century interpreter Mengzi (better known in the West as Mencius).
Kongzi's teachings are recorded in the text known as the Lunyu ("Analects"). According to Lunyu 7:1,
Kongzi "transmitted, but did not innovate." What Kongzi claimed to transmit was the Tao ("Way"), a concept shared
by all early Chinese thinkers, although perhaps most closely associated with Taoist traditions. For Kongzi, the Tao
was that of the Western Zhou dynasty (1100-771 B.C.E.), which he idealized as an alternative to his own "Spring
and Autumn Period" (770-481 B.C.E.), a time of increasing social disorder. Kongzi saw himself as a guardian of
Western Zhou traditions that could still have value in his own time. He challenged his disciples, most of whom
hoped to gain official positions with various feudal states, to emulate the sages of the past and restore the moral
integrity of society. Most of his ideas, as described in the Lunyu, have to do with Tian ("Heaven," which the ancient
Chinese regarded as a deity rather than as a destination in the afterlife), morality, and politics. These ideas, in turn,
form the basis of what became Confucian thought. However, neither Kongzi nor his ideas were well known during
his lifetime. His disciples and their followers, known as Ru (a term originally used to describe ritual specialists at
early Chinese courts), preserved, expanded, and transmitted his teachings for several hundred years after his death
despite being ignored or persecuted by various regimes, including the short-lived Qin dynasty (221-202 B.C.E.).
The two most significant successors to Kongzi prior to the Han dynasty were Mengzi (c. 372-289 B.C.E.)
and Xunzi (c. 310-220 B.C.E.). Although these thinkers disagreed about many key issues, especially human nature,
they agreed on the primary issue of concern to most Confucians: how to restore and maintain social harmony. Both
Mengzi and Kongzi pinned their hopes for society's renewal on the appearance of a sage-ruler who would combine
political power with moral wisdom, unify the fractured empire, and usher in a new age of harmony and prosperity.
According to Kongzi, "One who rules by morality may be compared to the North Star -- it occupies its place and all
the stars pay homage to it" (Lunyu 2:1). For Mengzi, only a ruler who enjoyed the ming (moral mandate) of Tian
could bring order to a state; if a ruler failed to do so, his subjects were entitled to rebel against him and replace
him. Xunzi saw the ruler-subject relationship in familial terms, with the ruler as the all-powerful father entrusted
with the care of his dependent subjects, who in turn benefited from his wise choices in matters of education policy
and other cultural affairs.

Confucianism, major system of thought in China, developed from the teachings of Confucius and his disciples, and
concerned with the principles of good conduct, practical wisdom, and proper social relationships. Confucianism has
influenced the Chinese attitude toward life, set the patterns of living and standards of social value, and provided the
background for Chinese political theories and institutions. It has spread from China to Korea, Japan, and Vietnam
and has aroused interest among Western scholars.

Although Confucianism became the official ideology of the Chinese state, it has never existed as an established
religion with a church and priesthood. Chinese scholars honored Confucius as a great teacher and sage but did not
worship him as a personal god. Nor did Confucius himself ever claim divinity. Unlike Christian churches, the temples
built to Confucius were not places in which organized community groups gathered to worship, but public edifices
designed for annual ceremonies, especially on the philosopher's birthday. Several attempts to deify Confucius and
to proselyte Confucianism failed because of the essentially secular nature of the philosophy.

The principles of Confucianism are contained in the nine ancient Chinese works handed down by Confucius and his
followers, who lived in an age of great philosophic activity. These writings can be divided into two groups: the Five
Classics and the Four Books.

The Wu Ching (Five Classics), which originated before the time of Confucius, consist of the I Ching (Book of
Changes), Shu Ching (Book of History), Shih Ching (Book of Poetry), Li Chi (Book of Rites), and Ch'un Ch'iu (Spring
and Autumn Annals). The I Ching is a manual of divination probably compiled before the 11th century BC; its
supplementary philosophical portion, contained in a series of appendixes, may have been written later by Confucius
and his disciples. The Shu Ching is a collection of ancient historical documents, and the Shih Ching, an anthology of
ancient poems. The Li Chi deals with the principles of conduct, including those for public and private ceremonies; it
was destroyed in the 3rd century BC, but presumably much of its material was preserved in a later compilation, the
Record of Rites.
The Five Confucian Classics and the Confucian vision
Traditionally, Confucius was thought to be the author or editor of the Five Classics which were the basic
texts of Confucianism. The scholar Yao Xinzhong allows that there are good reasons to believe that Confucian
classics took shape in the hands of Confucius, but that nothing can be taken for granted in the matter of the early
versions of the classics. Yao reports that perhaps most scholars today hold the pragmatic view that Confucius
and his followers, although they did not intend to create a system of classics, contributed to their formation. In
any case, it is undisputed that for most of the last 2,000 years, Confucius was believed to have either written or
edited these texts.
The scholar Tu Wei-ming explains these classics as embodying five visions" which underlie the
development of Confucianism:
I Ching or Classic of Change or Book of Changes, generally held to be the earliest of the classics, shows a
metaphysical vision which combines divinatory art with numerological technique and ethical insight; philosophy
of change sees cosmos as interaction between the two energies yin and yang, universe always shows
organismic unity and dynamism.
Classic of Poetry or Book of Songs is the earliest anthology of Chinese poems and songs. It shows the poetic vision
in the belief that poetry and music convey common human feelings and mutual responsiveness.
Book of Documents or Book of History Compilation of speeches of major figures and records of events in ancient
times embodies the political vision and addresses the kingly way in terms of the ethical foundation for humane
government. The documents show the sagacity, filial piety, and work ethic of Yao, Shun, and Yu. They
 established a political culture which was based on responsibility and trust. Their virtue formed a covenant of
social harmony which did not depend on punishment or coercion.
Book of Rites describes the social forms, administration, and ceremonial rites of the Zhou Dynasty. This social vision
defined society not as an adversarial system based on contractual relations but as a community of trust based
on social responsibility. The four functional occupations are cooperative (farmer, scholar, artisan, merchant).
Spring and Autumn Annals chronicles the period to which it gives its name, Spring and Autumn Period (771-476
BCE) and these events emphasize the significance of collective memory for communal self-identification, for
reanimating the old is the best way to attain the new.

The Shih Shu (Four Books), compilations of the sayings of Confucius and Mencius and of commentaries by
followers on their teachings, are the Lun Y (Analects), a collection of maxims by Confucius that form the basis of
his moral and political philosophy; Ta Hseh (The Great Learning) and Chung Yung (The Doctrine of the Mean),
containing some of Confucius's philosophical utterances arranged systematically with comments and expositions by
his disciples; and the Mencius (Book of Mencius), containing the teachings of one of Confucius's great followers.
The keynote of Confucian ethics is jen, variously translated as "love," "goodness," "humanity," and
"human-heartedness." Jen is a supreme virtue representing human qualities at their best. In human relations,
construed as those between one person and another, jen is manifested in chung, or faithfulness to oneself and
others, and shu, or altruism, best expressed in the Confucian golden rule, "Do not do to others what you do not
want done to yourself." Other important Confucian virtues include righteousness, propriety, integrity, and filial piety.
One who possesses all these virtues becomes a chn-tzu (perfect gentleman). Politically, Confucius advocated a
paternalistic government in which the sovereign is benevolent and honorable and the subjects are respectful and
obedient. The ruler should cultivate moral perfection in order to set a good example to the people. In education
Confucius upheld the theory, remarkable for the feudal period in which he lived, that "in education, there is no class
distinction."

Humanism
Humanism is at the core in Confucianism.[3] A simple way to appreciate Confucian thought is to consider it as being
based on varying levels of honesty, and a simple way to understand Confucian thought is to examine the world by
using the logic of humanity. In practice, the primary foundation and function of Confucianism is as an ethical
philosophy to be practiced by all the members of a society.[15] Confucian ethics is characterized by the promotion
of virtues, encompassed by the Five Constants, or the Wuchang ( ), extrapolated by Confucian scholars during
the Han Dynasty.[16] The five virtues are:[16]
Rn (, Humaneness)
Y (, Righteousness or Justice)
L (, Propriety or Etiquette)
Zh (, Knowledge)
Xn (, Integrity).

These are accompanied by the classical Sz () with four virtues:

Zhng (, Loyalty)
Xio (, Filial piety)
Ji (, Continency)
Y (, Righteousness).

There are still many other elements, such as Chng ( , honesty), Sh ( , kindness and forgiveness), Lin ( ,
honesty and cleanness), Ch (, shame, judge and sense of right and wrong), Yng ( , bravery), Wn (, kind and
gentle), Ling ( , good, kindhearted), Gng ( , respectful, reverent), Jin ( , frugal), Rng ( , modestly, self-
effacing). Among all elements, Ren and Yi are fundamental.
Ren
Ren (Chinese: ; pinyin: rn) is one of the basic virtues promoted by Confucius, and is an obligation of
altruism and humaneness for other individuals. Confucius' concept of humaneness is probably best expressed in the
Confucian version of the ethic of reciprocity, or the Golden Rule: "Do not do unto others what you would not have
them do unto you."[17] In another instance, Confucius defined Ren as to "love others."
Confucius never stated whether man was born good or evil,[19] noting that 'By nature men are similar; by
practice men are wide apart' implying that whether good or bad, Confucius must have perceived all men to be
born with intrinsic similarities, but that man is conditioned and influenced by study and practise. Xunzi's opinion is
that men originally just want what they instinctively want despite positive or negative results it may bring, so
cultivation is needed. In Mencius' view, all men are born to share goodness such as compassion and good heart,
although they may become wicked. The Three Character Classic begins with "People at birth are naturally good
(kind-hearted)", which stems from Mencius' idea. All the views eventually lead to recognize the importance of
human education and cultivation.
Rn also has a political dimension. If the ruler lacks rn, Confucianism holds, it will be difficult for his
subjects to behave humanely. Rn is the basis of Confucian political theory: the ruler is exhorted to refrain from
acting inhumanely towards his subjects. An inhumane ruler runs the risk of losing the "Mandate of Heaven", the
right to rule. A ruler lacking such a mandate need not be obeyed. But a ruler who reigns humanely and takes care
of the people is to be obeyed, for the benevolence of his dominion shows that he has been mandated by heaven.
Confucius himself had little to say on the active will of the people, though he believed the ruler should definitely
pay attention to the wants and needs of the people and take good care of them. Mencius, however, did state that
the people's opinion on certain weighty matters should be polled.
Etiquette
 In Confucianism, the term "li" (Chinese: ; pinyin: l), sometimes translated into English as rituals,
customs, rites, etiquette, or morals, refers to any of the secular social functions of daily life, akin to the Western
term for culture. Confucius considered education and music as various elements of li. Li were codified and treated
as a comprehensive system of norms, guiding the propriety or politeness which colors everyday life. Confucius
himself tried to revive the etiquette of earlier dynasties.
It is important to note that, although li is sometimes translated as "ritual" or "rites", it has developed a
specialized meaning in Confucianism, as opposed to its usual religious meanings. In Confucianism, the acts of
everyday life are considered rituals. Rituals are not necessarily regimented or arbitrary practices, but the routines
that people often engage in, knowingly or unknowingly, during the normal course of their lives. Shaping the rituals
in a way that leads to a content and healthy society, and to content and healthy people, is one purpose of
Confucian philosophy.
Loyalty
Loyalty (Chinese: ; pinyin: zhng) is particularly relevant for the social class to which most of Confucius' students
belonged, because the most important way for an ambitious young scholar to become a prominent official was to
enter a ruler's civil service.
Confucius himself did not propose that "might makes right", but rather that a superior should be obeyed
because of his moral rectitude. In addition, loyalty does not mean subservience to authority. This is because
reciprocity is demanded from the superior as well. As Confucius stated "a prince should employ his minister
according to the rules of propriety; ministers should serve their prince with faithfulness (loyalty) Similarly, Mencius
also said that when the prince regards his ministers as his hands and feet, his ministers regard their prince as their
belly and heart; when he regards them as his dogs and horses, they regard him as another man; when he regards
them as the ground or as grass, they regard him as a robber and an enemy. Moreover, Mencius indicated that if
the ruler is incompetent, he should be replaced. If the ruler is evil, then the people have the right to overthrow him.
A good Confucian is also expected to remonstrate with his superiors when necessary.
In later ages, however, emphasis was often placed more on the obligations of the ruled to the ruler, and
less on the ruler's obligations to the ruled. Like filial piety, loyalty was often subverted by the autocratic regimes in
China. Nonetheless, throughout the ages, many Confucians continued to fight against unrighteous superiors and
rulers. Many of these Confucians suffered and sometimes died because of their conviction and action. During the
Ming-Qing era, prominent Confucians such as Wang Yangming promoted individuality and independent thinking as a
counterweight to subservience to authority.[26] The famous thinker Huang Zongxi also strongly criticized the
autocratic nature of the Imperial System and wanted to keep imperial power in check.[27]

Many Confucians also realized that loyalty and filial piety have the potential of coming into conflict with one
another. This can be true especially in times of social chaos, such as during the period of the Ming-Qing transition.
[28]
Filial piety
"Filial piety" (Chinese: ; pinyin: xio) is considered one of the great virtues and must be shown towards
both the living and the dead (including even remote ancestors). The term "filial" (meaning "of a child")
characterizes the respect that a child should show to his parents.
The main source of our knowledge of the importance of filial piety is the Classic of Filial Piety, a work
attributed to Confucius and his followers. The Analects, the main source of the Confucianism of Confucius, actually
has little to say on the matter of filial piety. While the Classic of Filial Piety emphasizes the need of the child to pay
reverence to his/her parents, the child should also not blindly follow his/her parents wishes. As chapter 15 of the
text reads:
"Zheng Zi said, 'if its about being kind and loving, being respectful, bringing peace to the minds of
parents, and spreading ones namethose instructions have already been heard. May I ask: if the son obeys the
orders of the father, can that be called xiao?'
The Teacher said, 'What kind of talk is that? What kind of talk is that?'
'Formerly when a Son of Heaven has seven subordinates who will dispute him, even though he has no
virtue he will not lose All Under Heaven (the Empire-translator). When a Duke has five subordinates who will dispute
him, even though he has no virtue he will not lose his state. When a Minister has three subordinates who will
dispute him, even though he has no virtue he will not lose his clan. With a friend who will dispute him, an Officer will
not lose his good name. With a son who will dispute him, a father will not fall into unrighteousness. So when there is
unrighteousness, then the son must not refrain from disputing his father and the subordinate must not refrain from
disputing his lord. So when there is unrighteousness one must dispute it. How can obeying the fathers orders be
considered xiao?' [29]
Therefore, the child has a duty to dispute his/her parents if needed. The same is true with a subordinate,
who should dispute his/her lord or superior if necessary.
The idea of filial piety also influenced the Chinese legal system: a criminal could be punished more harshly
if the culprit had committed the crime against a parent, while fathers often exercised enormous power over their
children.

Relationships
Social harmonythe great goal of Confucianismtherefore results in part from every individual knowing
his or her place in the social order, and playing his or her part well. When Duke Jing of Qi asked about government,
by which he meant proper administration so as to bring social harmony, Confucius replied:
There is government, when the prince is prince, and the minister is minister; when the father is father, and
the son is son. (Analects XII, 11, trans. Legge)
Relationships are central to Confucianism. Particular duties arise from one's particular situation in relation
to others. The individual stands simultaneously in several different relationships with different people: as a junior in
relation to parents and elders, and as a senior in relation to younger siblings, students, and others. While juniors are
considered in Confucianism to owe their seniors reverence, seniors also have duties of benevolence and concern
toward juniors. The same is true with the husband and wife relationship where the husband needs to show
benevolence towards his wife and the wife needs to respect the husband in return. This theme of mutuality still
exists in East Asian cultures even to this day.

The Five Bonds

Ruler to Ruled
Father to Son
Husband to Wife
Elder Brother to Younger Brother
Friend to Friend
Specific duties were prescribed to each of the participants in these sets of relationships. Such duties were
also extended to the dead, where the living stood as sons to their deceased family. This led to the veneration of
ancestors. The only relationship where respect for elders wasn't stressed was the Friend to Friend relationship,
where mutual equal respect is emphasized instead. In all other relationships, high reverence was usually held for
elders. Though some Confucian texts do suggest a more equal relationship between husband and wife (more on this
below).
The gentleman
The term jnz (Chinese: ; literally "lord's child") is crucial to classical Confucianism. Confucianism exhorts all
people to strive for the ideal of a "gentleman". In modern times the masculine translation in English is also
traditional and is still frequently used. Elitism was bound up with the concept, and gentlemen were expected to act
as moral guides to the rest of society.

They were to:

cultivate themselves morally;
show filial piety and loyalty where these are due;
cultivate humanity, or benevolence.