1

Introduction
Confucianism is a system of thoughts that includes a combination of ethics and values
that define a persons character. Some historians claim that this set of values is not a religion
because of its digression from original Asian religions. Others say that Confucianism should be
classified as an official religion because of its widely accepted beliefs in moral values and
religious traditions. Confucianism began with Chinese philosopher and teacher Kung Fu-tzu, or
Confucius. Through Socratic methods of teaching, Confucius spread his ideas through the
scholars he tutored. However, his ideas were not accepted by rulers until long after he died.
Although Confucianism had a slow beginning, it became the main philosophical belief in China
for over 2,000 years. Its profound impact on China has spread Confucianism so widely that it is
now infused with many other religions worldwide. Its ideas and ethics are still practiced by
many today, and have affected major Asian countries including Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, as
well as European countries such as France and Germany. In total today, there are around six
million people whose main religious views are that of Confucianism. The majority of these
believers are concentrated in China, Confucianisms birthplace. Even in the present day, Chinas
Communist government is effected by its early Confucius roots.
Confucianism overall has had a great effect on the culture, ethics, education, and art of
many countries. Many aspects of this ideology can be seen in the artwork, literature, and schools
of a variety of ancient civilizations and continue to affect many regions in modern times.





2

History
Confucianism is commonly known and accepted as an
ideology that focuses on improving ones virtue and shaping
the perfect society. After Confuciuss death, Confucianism
grew exponentially throughout China, eventually crossing its
borders and into Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Confucianism
has profoundly sculpted many Asian countries development
into the civilization it is today.
Confucius lived in a time where political leaders power and
social rules were rapidly disintegrating. Neighboring feudal lords craved for more power and
constantly at war with one another. Surprise attacks and raids on the enemies lands were
common and villagers who resided on the land were the ones who received the heaviest blow. It
was a time of change, it was a time of upheaval. And coincidentally, Confucius was born and
grew up to be a man that strived to establish a utopia through ideals and social order. He was
born towards the end of the Spring and Autumn Period
1
and lived in the beginning ages of the
Warring States Period
2
. During these events, he felt that there was injustice and corruption
among those who were on top in the social hierarchy and so he concluded that something must
be done in order to create stasis within society. The thought of ideals begin to bud into what will
eventually be known as Confucianism.
Who was Confucius?
Little is known about Confuciuss personal life. Most of what we know about Confucius
comes from The Analects of Confucius
3
, memories of his sayings gathered from his disciples and
students. His Chinese name is Kong Fu Zi and is commonly known as Kong Zi by the Chinese.
This is the holy symbol of
Confucianism, Li.
3

He was born in 551 B.C. during the Zhou dynasty in
the Qufu
4
. During the time he was born, the feudal
system was in ruins. Vassals had risen to power and
kings became nothing more than figureheads. His
father was an old, valiant and well-respected military
soldier and mother was his young illegitimate
concubine when Confucius was conceived. His father soon died and his mother was left to fend
for her and for three year-old Confucius. Ata young age, he showed that he had an insatiable
appetite for knowledge, In a hamlet of ten homes, you will certainly find someone as loyal and
faithful as I, but you will not find one man who loves learning as much as I do.
5
Confucius
vivaciously drunk in Chinese classics, particularly the Book of History (Shujing)
6
, the Book of
Changes (Yijing)
7
, and the Book of Poetry (Shijing)
8
. These classics romanticized China during
its golden age in the Zhou Dynasty as the perfect civilization, which deeply influenced
Confuciuss perception of the world around him. Around his late teenage years, his mother
passed away. Confucius grieved bitterly for his mother for three years as it was tradition to do so
when a parent dies. He married at eighteen and his wife was from a family who had become
poor. Confucius had a son and possibly a daughter and it is generally thought that his marriage
ended in a divorce. Though it is not confirmed, one can assume that his marriage was in discord
for such rumors to come about.
Political Career
Starting from the lowest jobs, he steadily rose to become the minister of Crime in his own
hometown. In his twenties, Confucius had held a few minor government positions but left them.
During the period he had mourned for his deceased mother, he dedicated much of his time
4

reading many Chinese classics and other literature. And from them, his way of thinking was
deeply affected. Gathering intelligence over the years, he decided to become a teacher. His
reputation as a teacher grew rapidly, men from all social class flocked towards Confucius and a
group of eager followers were formed, all eager to soak up his words of wisdom. He had a
reputation for being wise and was an expert on traditional Chinese culture. Confucius was
willing to teach to those who wished to learn, regardless of their status. He did not reprimand
those who had no money to pay, I never denied my teaching to anyoneeven if he was too
poor to offer more than a token present for his tuition.
9
As a result, his class came from all
walks of life (excluding female).
Confucius still desired to hold public office because he believed that was the most
successful way to spread his political ideals. He yearned to transform China back to its former
state during its golden age
10
in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. But how was this going to be possible?
Confucius wanted a position that was prominent and had influence. With influence, he would be
able to sculpt China into a utopia through past beliefs and values that existed in the past dynasty.
However, rulers were reluctant to promote him to such a high seat in the political world. His
towering frame of supposed 9 foot (actually around 6 foot), honesty, and integrity was enough
for the rulers to fear him. The rulers narrow-minded
perspective frustrated Confucius and so he left office.
Mencius
11
explains that in an official sacrifice, Confucius
was not given a piece of the sacrificial animal
12
.
Disappointed, he left right away as the rulers of Lu had
violated the sacrificial rites. Instead, he left to go on a trek
with his disciples that will last thirteen years.
This is Mencius.
5

Confuciuss 13-Year Journey
After a supposed unsuccessful marriage and seemingly unsuccessful career, he and his
faithful followers left Lu to travel from state to state for thirteen years. In each state, he searches
for rulers willing to listen, follow his ideas. Hiring him to become their advisor, rulers rejected
his way of thinking and sent him and his followers away. There are finite records found on
Confucius thirteen year journey The Analects and other philosophers writings are some ways
but some sinologists deem them as inconsistent. Many rely on Sima Qian
13
, the father of
historians, on in-depth information concerning Confuciuss thirteen-year trek. However,
Zhuang Zi
14
would be a more dependable source as he lived slightly closer to Confuciuss time
than Sima Qian. According to Zhuang Zi, Confucius has traveled to the state of Wei, Song,
Chen, and Cai. Confuciuss candor may be one of his best qualities, but it may also be one of his
worst. During his journey, his blunt mouth has put him and his followers in danger. Not only that
but rejection and hunger presented a challenge to Confucius and his followers, but they
relentlessly continued on. As the years passed on by, the numbers of his disciples winnowed
down as many had gone to begin careers of their own.
Return Home
Confucius was 55-years old when he began his journey and was 68-years old when it
ended. No officials attempted to follow his ideas or to appoint him to become their advisor. The
time he had invested towards his journey was gone and wasted. However, his teachings did not.
Many of his disciples and students had gone on to achieve minor to major political positions. The
then current leader of Lu, Duke Ai, invites Confucius to advise him on matters concerning the
state of Lu. However, Confucius soon learns that many did not accept his thoughts because his
words were not what they wanted to hear. Believing that his words go in one ear and out the
6

other, he quietly spends the remaining years of his life reading, teaching, and editing the Chinas
history and literature. During the last few years of his life, his son and his beloved disciple, Yan
Hui, passed away. Confucius had always admired his disciples virtue and viewed Yan Hui to be
his equal. However, when the news of his favorite disciples death reached him, he grievously
mourned over his death and wailed, Heaven is destroying me, Heaven is destroying me!
15

Confucius would not live to see that he had become the acme of Chinese philosophy and his
mission succeed. Believing that he never truly fulfilled his aim in life, 72-year old Confucius
drew his last breath in 479 B.C. He was buried in the same place he was born in, Qufu.
Confuciuss closest disciples guarded his tomb and mourned for him for three years as it was
traditional custom to do so when a parent passes away. In an effort to prolong his existence and
to fulfill his lifelong goal, his students and disciples dispersed themselves all over China to
spread his teachings.
Confucianism over the Years
Confucianisms, Ru Jiao, popularity in China has risen and plummeted over the years. Its
influence especially lost its hold in the Chinese throughout the 19
th
century. Its belief has been
reconstructed and edited over the course of history. From favorable preference to hating it
[Confucianism] with a passion, Confucianism has been ever present in many Asian households.
Qin Dynasty:
One of the most famous emperors of China was Qin Shi Huangdi
16
, also known as the
First Emperor. Under his totalitarian ways, China became united under his rule. He saw himself
as the first celestial emperor of China, and believed that the history of China shall begin with him
and his reign. Thusly, he ordered that all books should be burned to erase all records of the past.
He showed no mercy towards Confucius and many other philosophers and burned nearly all
7

records and books that proved their existence. Whoever stood in his way and refused to do his
bidding would suffer dire consequences. Qin Shi Huangdi detested Confucianism more intensely
than others. It is generally thought that he had gathered a mass group of Confucian scholars and
had buried them alive. Along with many other philosophies, Confucianism was heavily
suppressed by the First Emperor. Fortunately, some books were successfully hidden away from
the First Emperors wrath.
Han Dynasty:
Unlike the previous dynasty, the Han Dynasty believed that Confucianism was beneficial
to China. The Emperor Wu of Han established Confucianism and its ethics as the states doctrine
and as Chinas official philosophy. During this time, other philosophies were disregarded and
outlawed. By law, parents and schools taught only the teachings of Confucius and nothing else.
In former dynasties, one was appointed to high government positions through recommendation.
Resultantly, those with high status (usually aristocrats) were appointed. However, the Emperor
Wu of Han introduced civil service examinations based mostly on Confucian knowledge to allow
one to become appointed into government positions. This method introduced talent over status.
Tang Dynasty:
The Tang Dynasty is often viewed as the golden age of China and is one of the most
famous dynasties in Chinese history. During the Tang Dynasty rule, culture flourished.
Confucianism was re-introduced to China and its popularity as Buddhism declines. Knowledge
of Confucian ethics was instilled into the civil service examinations. Buddhist monks and nuns
resided in magnificent and rich monasteries which were exempted from taxes. Many Confucian
scholars were restless as long as Buddhisms influence and presence remained. Subsequently,
under the influence of many Confucian officials, the then-current Tang emperor enforced a
8

persecution against Buddhism and its followers, demolishing thousands of monasteries, resulting
in many homeless Buddhist monks and nuns.
Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty:
Initially, the Yuan Dynasty paid no heed to Confucianism. In fact, they were indifferent
to the Chinese culture and brought much of the Mongolian culture to China. Things began to
change once Kublai Khan
17
became ruler, a series of reforms was brought into China, including
bringing back many Chinese customs and rituals in court. Music, clothes, and dance that was part
of the Confucian ideology was reintegrated back into the court especially. Khan also came to
respect another particular Confucian ritual - respecting ones ancestors. He then proceeded to
build an ancestral temple dedicated to his ancestors, especially his father and grandfather. Kublai
Khans second son, Jin Chin, was encouraged to have a Chinese education and became
acquainted with Confucian tenets in the process. Despite this, other Mongol rulers disliked
Confucian scholars and prohibited the scholars from high positions in the government.
Qing (Manchu) Dynasty:
The Manchus cling on to the old Chinese traditions and customs for fear and that change
will trigger a revolution. In their effort to prove their faith in Confucianism, the Manchus had
even renamed some of the main halls of the Forbidden City
18
after Confucian ideas. Their fear
and respect for ancient Chinese culture led them to reinstate civil service exams packed with
Confucianism curriculum and reinstated many other Confucian practices and rituals.
Their attempt to proselytize Confucianism did nothing to prevent upheaval. As time
passed, many Manchus and other Chinese paid less attention to Confucianism laws and on how
to achieve a Confucian utopia. According to Chinese law, all the income from land and rice tax
belonged to the Emperor. Scholars, who had passed the imperial examinations, were in charge of
9

keeping track of their provinces revenue. All scholars had been fiercely disciplined to
righteously rule over the province using Confuciuss tenets. Nonetheless, in reality, a number of
scholars and officials engaged in sophistry and corruption, stealing land and money here and
there from the defenseless commoners. Their actions went against one of the main Confucianism
beliefs, breaking one of the five main relationships. In this case, the ruler was to rule their people
with altruism and in return, the subjects are to faithfully follow their ruler. In actuality however,
the scholars and officials stole money and land that rightfully belong to the rulers as stated by
ancient Chinese decree. He Shen, one of the most corrupt officials, is considered a symbol of
corruption during the Qing dynasty.
Chinas Addiction
19
:
Opium was nothing new in China; Arab had introduced the Chinese to this new substance
back in the 13
th
century. In 1729, opium is first banned. An event occurred which occurred the
British to trade opium in exchange for bricks of tea. The trade for opium began around 1678 and
the demand for it was relatively small, mainly used for medical purposes. For the next seventy-
seven years, the demand for the substance
remained around the same. However, opium
also became an addictive drug to many in inland
China. The ban on opium-smoking had not been
effective. It was reported that 1000 chests of
opium were imported to China by 1767. Opium-
smoking went against Confucius morality,
which stated that one did not have the right to when one smokes it severs the link from his body
to his ancestors. Confucianism tenets were clearly not popular amongst many as the majority of
This is a picture of two men smoking opium.
10

China was flocked to opium dens like moths to a flame and neglected their familial duties and as
their roles as subjects. Confucian officials attempted to save China through Confuciuss
teachings but to little avail.
Republic of China
Confucianism was heavily suppressed when Mao Zedong rose to power during the
Cultural Revolution
20
. Many authorities favored Confucianism because it focused mainly on
ethics such as diligence, order, respect, and etc. However,
Mao Ze Dong found it difficult to agree with his ideologies.
During his younger years, he was infatuated with many
heroes in ancient Chinese classic literatures, disinterested
towards strict Confucianism discipline. As a result, young Ze
Dong clashed with authorities at school and at home and was
often reprimanded through physical abuse. In one scenario,
he had to follow a ritual at school where he had to walk up
the teachers desk, and recite a poem facing the class. He
found this precision to be too formal and unnecessary and so
he remained on his seat and said to his teacher, If you can hear me well while I sit down, why
should I stand up to recite? He ran away soon after as he knew the moment when his teacher
attempted to reprimand him through physical abuse (common practice in China). Mao Ze Dong
also broke another basic Confucianism principle with his father. His father had called his
Zedong, lazy and useless in front of a few guests he had invited to his house. Bursting out in
anger, he curses his father and runs away. He eventually returns home but not after negotiating
with his father of what he should or should not do to him. Mao Ze Dong detested Chinas
This is President Mao Ze Dong.
11

cultural tradition as he was against everything that involved old tradition and customs. Thus, the
Red Guards
21
demolished many religious temples and rebelled against their teachers and parents.
After the Chinese Communist Party took over, they spent the next few decades destroying and
burning down many ancient monasteries, temples, works of art. Confuciuss grave was
desecrated, statues of him were smashed, and memorials dedicated to him were demolished.
Zhang and Schwartz had translated a passage from Maos book, On New Democracy. According
to them, Mao had stated that those who: worship Confucius, supported his rules and old
traditional rules and customs, and opposed the newly formed Communist Party rules would be
dispelled. However, he despised the ideas of Confucianism and its culture, not Confucius
himself. Mao had claimed to dislike the Classics
22
, but his speeches implied otherwise,
brimming with teachings and quotes of Confucianism and of other philosophers. As Mao grew
older, he followed Confucius for spiritual guidance. In spite of this, the Cultural Revolution did
not end until Maos death in 1976.











12

Location of Origin
Confucianism was developed in Confuciuss birth placein the state of Lu in China. It
all began when Confucius grew interested to in the ancient rites and music. At the age of 15, he
learned everything he could study and was given the nickname of boxue meaning universal
erudite. He visited state altars and learned many things from the priests working there. Soon
after, Confucius became the first private tutor in China and began teaching all throughout China
what he thought was right. Much like some religions like Christianity or Buddhism,
Confucianism was developed by Confuciuss disciples after he died.
















13

Present Day Numbers
Although Confucianism is
not a verified religion, it is
an ideology practiced in
many places across the
globe. This philosophical
belief is practiced mostly in
mainland China and
Taiwan, in combination
with Buddhism and
Daoism. There are about
5,994,000 followers of
Confucianism in Asia,
making up about 2% of the total population. Although the percentage of adherents in Europe,
Latin America, and Northern America make up less than 0.1% of their populations, each of these
nations have a few thousand believers. Confucianism spread mainly because of its ethical ideas
and morals that appealed to rulers across Asia. Unlike many other religions, it was not spread
through force or conquests. By around 1000 A.D. none of Chinas neighboring countries were
under direct Chinese rule, and their previously existing regimes in other countries had not been
aggressive in the spread of Confucianism. Because Confucianism centered in China, one of the
most influential empires of the ancient world, political, social, and religious development of this
country led to Confucianisms scattering to surrounding countries. Over the course of 2,500
years, Confucian teachings moved from China to countries like Korea, Japan, and Vietnam
N
u
m
b
e
r

o
f

A
d
h
e
r
e
n
t
s

0
1000000
2000000
3000000
4000000
5000000
6000000
7000000
Country
Chart of Confucius adherents across the globe
14

through leaders during the Qin Dynasty, Han Dynasty, and Tang Dynasty, among others.
Chinese historians believe that after the death of Confucius, his disciples traveled from country
to country and shared their wisdom with feudal lords. The period of time that the scholars spread
their knowledge was known as the Hundred Schools. Also, due to an interest in the study of this
ideology by western scholars, Confucianism was further spread across the world.


















15

Location
The country most affected by Confucianism was China, Confucianisms place of origin.
Confucianism in China taught that all the land and people in the country belonged to the
emperor. All citizens with a government position or education had the Confucian texts as the
foundation of their knowledge. During the Han Dynasty, from 206 B.C. to 220 A.D.,
Confucianism was the official religion of China. A school was set up and dictionaries of
Confuciuss formal teachings were created to help educate future government ministers about the
teachings of Confucius. Beginning in A.D. 59, sacrifices, temples, statues, and shrines were
made in honor of Confucius. Confucianism is credited with a large portion of the Chinese
empires success and has contributed in many ways that still linger in China today. Confucianism
helped to create a social emphasis on ethical, social, and political matters which helped China to
excel in massive projects and has helped to outline the ideals of a large number of great leaders.
The Chinese were traditionally Confucian in ethics and public life, but a mix of this ideology and
Daoism and Buddhism completed their faith. They were said to be Daoist in private life and
hygiene, and Buddhist in their beliefs about death (Smith 120).
Another major way Confucianism has affected China is the belief in filial piety. This is
the significance of family and ancestors in a persons life. It is believed by some that the official
religion of the Chinese is their devotion and worship of filial piety. This belief explains the
complex family lines and ancestors of their extended family, and the origin of their surnames.
Filial piety also has to do with the respect that young people must show for their elders and the
type of relationship that, for example, two friends would have. Confucianism helped to make art
a priority in China, as it said that art was not merely something to look at, but also powers that
helped to fulfill the heart. One of the main reasons that Confucianism flourished so much in
16

China was the belief that the emperor possessed the
Mandate to Rule from Heaven. Because of this,
emperors welcomed the religion, since it gave them all
power over ministers and people. Although there were
many positive effects of Confucianism on China, it
also helped to create many cruel dictators who were
obsessed with power and accomplishment. Overall,
Confucianism has created a foundation for Chinese
culture and has helped to develop modern ideas and
traditions.
The practice of Confucian ideas in Japan began when the first emperors of Japan
combined ideas of this ideology to contribute to their belief in Shintoism, the animistic belief of
the cosmic harmony of gods, spirits, people, and the physical world of nature. Confucianism for
Japan described the relationship between Heaven and Earth and detailed the concept of rulers
and the people. Confucianism helped to ensure that rulers were benevolent and maintained the
natural order of the cosmos. Confucianism was modified to fit Japan, though. Originally,
Confucianism allowed for people to have faith in science. However, Confucianism in Japan
allowed only for allegiance to the emperor or ones superior. This idea stemmed from the belief
of the importance of natural order, a Confucius idea further explained by a Chinese philosopher,
Zhu Xi. The Japanese interpretation of Zhu Xis idea was absolute obedience to authority. The
practice of this ideology in Japan was especially important during the Tokugawa Shogunate
because it applied to their samurai code of maintaining tradition and keeping in touch with the
natural world.
A statue of Confucius in Japan
17

The four major principles of Confucianism that effected Japan are fundamental
rationalism, essential humanism, historicism, and ethnocentrism. Fundamental rationalism
stresses the importance of reason and basic codes of conduct. Essential humanism has its focus
on social order as well as the five Confucian relationships. Historicism refers to the importance
of past accomplishments. Ethnocentrism means loyalty to the emperor and contributed to Japans
isolationism. Confucianism was also important to Japan during 1868-1945 A.D. since it helped
to restore imperial government during the Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa period. Confucianism
in Japan helped to promote the image of the emperor as the father of the state which related to
Confucian ideas of filial piety and the relationship among family. Another effect of
Confucianism on Japan is that this country has one of the lowest crime rates in the world due to
the criminal law codes influenced by Confucianism and its ideas of filial piety. A statistic from
1982 shows that Japanese workers only took about 5.1 out of the allowed 12 days of vacation
time because they did not want to put a burden on their colleagues (Smith 121). Confucianism
has helped to contribute to the present day political system and tradition of Japanese culture as
well.
The final major country that was affected by Confucianism was Korea. Korea, like many
other Southeast Asian countries has had prosperous economic growth thanks to the effects it has
had because of Confucianism. Confucianism in Korea triumphed during the Yi Dynasty, when
Confucianism became Koreas official state religion. They took on the ideals of Zhu Xis Neo-
Confucianism. The main purpose of their adoption of Confucianism was to gain a pool of talent
for government service. A public school system was instated to help spread Confucian ideas
throughout the country. The most seasoned scholars were celebrated at the temple of Confucius
in the capital, where the emperor would carry out rituals for them in the autumn. Confucianism
18

has also given Koreans a sense of
morality and the importance of
kinship, like many other countries. In
the present day, there are over 200
shrines and academies in South
Korea dedicated to Confucianism.
This religion has helped to guide the
Koreans for over 2,500 years and fuel
the peoples social, economic, and
political lives. Confucianism has taught South Korea that leaders must be moral, and in recent
years, leaders are able to lose legitimacy if they do not follow this rule.












Confucius temple in South Korea
19

Evolution
The evolution of Confucianism began with the rise of Buddhism, which was quickly
gaining popularity and threatened Confucianisms small amount of followers. Rulers slowly
began to combine elements of Confucianism and Buddhism into one. They valued the qualities
of Buddha and wanted to achieve Buddhas perfection in human forms. However, they also
valued the teachings of Confucianism in that they showed respect to family and social classes.
Buddhism has a strong appeal because of its belief in salvation since many of the Chinese were
poor and overworked. Many of the lower class had little to look forward to other than death and
took on Buddhist beliefs. Even Confucian scholars were influenced by Buddhism and
incorporated the practical view of the world into their values. Daoism was another religion that
effected the growth of Confucian beliefs. Confucianism was affected by Daoism by including its
ideas of forms of meditation. The emperor of China during the Tang dynasty claimed that he was
a direct descendent of the founder of Daoism, Laozi, and favored Daoism to other religions. This
was the cause of this religions effects on Confucianism.
Soon, because of the influence of these two different religions on Confucianism, the
ideals of this religion became blurred. It merged with the viewpoints of Buddhism and Daoism to
form a new set of ideas with new beliefs that had its roots at traditional Confucian teachings and
beliefs. Many tried to keep the original Confucian teachings alive, such as a Confucian official
Han Yu, during the Tang dynasty. He rejected Buddhist and Daoist beliefs, claiming that they
were superstitious practices and took away from the honest culture of Confucianism.
However, the widespread changes to this religion could not be stopped and had already had
major effects on countries like Japan and China.

20

Branches
Though there are not any actual branches of Confucianism, Neo-Confucianism is a new
form of original Confucianism that stemmed from its classic ideas. Confucianism began to settle
into modern beliefs starting in the Tang Dynasty, from 618-907 A.D., when scholars began to
reexamine their traditions. By the time Song Dynasty began in 960 A.D., Buddhism and Daoism
had been deeply rooted in China, and began to influence new ways of Confucius thinking. This
new way of thinking became Neo-Confucianism. Gradually throughout the next few thousand
years, competition of schools of thought led to the transformation of this religion. Neo-
Confucianism took on the belief of Buddhism that said that the universe was ever-changing.
Neo-Confucianism did not take on all aspects of Buddhism, however. It did not take the idea of
yin and yang or the Yi Jing, but from this came the belief of the Supreme Ultimate. The Supreme
Ultimate helped to explain where all things in the Universe came from. The Supreme Ultimate
should not be confused with a god, though. It is a force that produces yin and yang, and not any
one person. Neo-Confucianism is also similar to Buddhism because it took the Yi Jing symbols
to explain the relationship between heaven and earth.
One major reason Neo-Confucianism spread was
through Zhu Xi (1130-1200). Zhu Xi turned the government
from mainly Buddhists and Taoists to having Confucian
beliefs and sought to bring this religion to a popular level by
writing a manual for its ritual and behavior that any citizen
could use. Zhu Xis interpretations of Confucianism had a
more practical approach to life and called for the rigorous
study of the Five Confucian Classics. Zhu Xi also
Zhu Xi, a Confucian scholar
21

developed a branch of Confucianism called the rational wing which focused on the study of Li
and the pattern between human relationships. His interpretations of the Five Confucian Classics
became the new official interpretation that candidates for the Chinese examinations were
required to memorize. His works included commentaries on the Analects, the Mencius, the Great
Learning, and The Doctrine of Mean. Zhu Xi justified his altering of the Confucian teachings
with the fact that he had taken them from these classics and that he was merely strengthening his
ideas by expanding on its belied system. These new interpretations became the basis of Neo-
Confucianism and were known as the Four Books.
A Confucian thinker who tried to counter Zhu Xi was Wang Yang-ming. He had studied
the teachings of Buddhism and Daoism for many years, and his beliefs centered more on the
teachings of Chan Buddhism. His beliefs were that investigation was more important than study
and that investigating determined truth. He also believed that you had to act on the truths that
you find, and it is not enough to know this information. Many of his beliefs were original
Confucian ideas, though he did include characteristics of Buddhism and Daoism. He disagreed
with Buddhism in their belief that you should run away from problems instead of trying to solve
them. Although Wang Yang-ming had many followers, his ideas of Confucianism did not gain
enough popularity to overturn Zhu Xis beliefs. Wang Yang-mings most influenced country was
Japan. Other people who helped to add their ideas and contribute to the formation of this new
form of Confucianism include Chou Tun-i
1
, Chang Tsai
2
, Cheng Hao
3
, and Cheng I
4
.
The basic beliefs of Neo-Confucianism are similar to the original beliefs of
Confucianism. Its central belief is the same of Confucianisms and is to teach oneself to become
a better person. It is also composed the five major beliefs of Confucianism, Jen, Chun Tzu, Li,
Te, and Wen, but these principles are expanded further. Neo-Confucianism emphasized the
22

importance of self-cultivation for a better society as a whole, not just self-fulfillment. The
similarities of classic Confucianism with Neo-Confucianism are that they both attempted to save
culture by creating a system of rules to live by to allow people to live life to their fullest extent.
Newer Confucianism and the old ways of Confucianism both believed in teaching in a classroom
setting and educating in a formal institutional setting. Another similarity between the two is that
they both had one major influence towards the development of their branch of religion. Classic
Confucianism was centered around the original teachings of Confucius while Neo-Confucianism
was developed by a combination of Zhu Xi,
Confucius, and Buddhist and Taoist values.
Later Confucianism also differed from
original Confucianism because it believed in
the balance and harmony of nature with a
person, which was originally a minor concern
of Confucius. From Buddhist and Daoist
beliefs came the Neo-Confucianism theory of
enlightenment through a combination of
meditation and moral action. Another
difference between these two types of Confucianism are that original Confucianism believed that
the ultimate reality was tian, which came in the forms of moral, personal god, an impersonal
source of virtue, or a force of Fate. Neo-Confucianism said that their ultimate reality was taiji,
which said that everyone was meant to become a sage, someone who has conquered all of their
mental desires. They adopted this belief from that of Buddhism. Yet another difference in classic
Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism is that classic Confucianism had Confucius at its head

Scrolls containing the Four Books of Confucianism
23

while Neo-Confucianism developed as a result of several other religions. This allowed Neo-
Confucianism to develop a much more open-minded set of followers compared to the original
disciples of Confucius. Neo-Confucians were also more well-rounded than classic Confucians
and studied the Four Books, written by a various number of Confucian scholars rather than the
Five Confucian Classics that were studied previously.
After its formation during the Tang Dynasty, Neo-Confucianism became important also
during the Song Dynasty, from 960-1279 A.D, and during the Ming Dynasty, from 1368-1644
A.D. Neo-Confucianism advocated development in education and had an enormous effect on the
intellectual life of Chinas scholars. Neo-Confucianism also contributed to advancements in art.
Since its founding, Neo-Confucianism has become the most widely practiced version of this
religion, with few followers of the traditional ways.
All in all, Neo-Confucianism has developed into a freer and more open-minded style of
traditional Confucianism that still affects many countries today including China and Japan. Neo-
Confucianism contains many of the original beliefs of Confucianism with a modern twist that
contains ideas from Buddhism and Daoism and completes them into one religion. Many believe
that no matter what religion a person is, there is a touch of Confucian beliefs and ideals within
their system of ideals which root from the original Confucian teachings. Confucianism has
become one of the most influential ideologies of the modern day and will continue to effect
culture for many years to come.



24

Tenets of the Faith
Confucius believed that in a good society, there must be trust between the ruler and his
people in order for the society to be in order. He tried to emphasize these points by putting them
in his principles and teachings. Through this, people can follow his thoughts and believe that the
tenets of faith work for humanity and peace too. The five tenets of faith include the following:
jen, chun tzu, li, te, and wen.
The first of the five, jen or ren, was a
combination of two Chinese charactershuman being
and two. It means the relationships between individuals
themselves. It does not only mean that, but it also asks
for goodness, kindness, love, and human heartedness in
all relationships. This helps teach people to believe and
love each other as they become friends, family, brothers, sisters, co-workers, or even married
couples. It asks for this to teach everyone to have meaningful relationships toward each other,
not fake ones. In order to maintain a good relationship, there must be kindness, no wrongdoings,
and reliance on each other. Although Confucius said that he never witnessed fully-expressed
relationships, it was a behavior of moral standards in his eyes. Jen must be a careful work of art
in public life so that nothing can harm their relationships. However, in private life, it shows that
people have manners and an understanding of each other. Overall, jen is a tenet of faith between
two people and their human relationships.


25

Chun tzu is the second ideal of a
faith that means the one that lives under jen. It
means son of a ruler or prince, or someone
who is not petty, self-centered, cruel, or
vengeful. A person will be called a chun tzu if
they are comfortable around other people and are respectful to everyone they meet. It can also be
someone who tries to establish a good relationship with a new companion, like following the
standards of jen. This ideal shows how to be a chun tzu and what being one means. It is a morale
that Confucius made to help people know that being comfortable and respectful to others can
lead to a good society and more faith. That was why he developed the second tenet of faith, chun
tzu.
Li is the third ideal of faith. It means doing things
the way it should be done, or it can also mean ritual. Confucius
made this ideal because he knew that making the right decisions
was hard for everyone, and people might not get too far in the
future if they had to figure it out themselves. He also wanted
everyone to have a simple life. He understood that it would be a
very long procedure to know what to do for a certain material, so he created this to help them
prioritize their matters. His lessons of li can be seen through his teachings in the Rectification of
Names, Doctrine of the Mean, Five Constant Relationships, the Family, and Respect for Age.
The first lesson, the Rectification of Names, was where Confucius said and taught that
everyone should be more than their given name. He argued that a person named a father should
be more than a father. He argued that the person named a father should show what a father is by
26

showing love to his children and others. He also said that a person wearing the word ruler
should show what and who a ruler is because a name was something that defined the person,
and it would be a waste to do nothing with a given name. Overall, in the Rectification of Names,
it meant to build into peoples given names so that they can show who they are and how
deserving their names are.
The second lesson, Doctrine of the Mean, taught how things should be done. Nothing in
excess was its motto because it meant to not overdo what people have in their minds. It taught
simplicity as well as teaching to take the path in the middle when in between two impractical
extremes. Confucius said it was a guide to finishing things on time because it brought
compromise and stopped over-enthusiasm from rising. Respecting this also brings harmony and
balance because it is not overstepping the boundaries, making it perfect like yin and yang.
The third lesson is the Five Constant Relationships. This teaching is like the jen because
it talks about establishing relationships as well. However, Confucius targets this on the ones
everyone needs to concentrate on because these five are the most important in life. The first
relationship shows that a parent must be caring, and a child must be obedient because the old are
gentle and the young are respectful. The second one is the elder sibling and younger sibling. The
eldest one must be tender while the younger one must be modest. This creates a more balanced
atmosphere for both. The third relationship is husband and wife. The husband must be kind-
hearted and reasonable, while the wife must be considerate and obedient so that no breakouts and
divorce can occur. In the fourth relationship, older friends should be kind and younger friends
should be awed by their older friends to inherit an interesting friendship. For the last relationship,
in order for a good society, Confucius believed that the ruler needs to be kind in order for his
subjects to be loyal to him. With this, it creates a cycle where no disagreements and disruptions
27

may come in between the ruler and his subjects, which creates a balance of love and trust. These
relationships are important because Confucius said it would make all humanity spring. He
believed that these were not evil and were the right rules that everyone should abide to because it
led to a fair and stable society for all.
Lastly, Respect for Age tells everyone how to respect the ones that are older and younger
to you. Confucius believed that since the old take care of the young, the young should take care
of the old when they get older as thanks for protecting them from troubles and work. He also
believed that this represents respect; as people grow older, more respect is earned for their age
and service from their youth. He taught that the old should be the ones more attended to
because they have served more than the younger ones and that aging would not be a big deal to
them. This was what aging meant in Confucianism, and how these four teachings made up li and
his way of teaching how things were to be done.
However, li also meant how to do things the right and comfortable way so that it would
make life simple and almost like it was a dance. It encourages doing things the right way so that
life would be uncomplicated and balanced with harmony. It
shows how every step could affect the future and how by
taking the right steps the future can be balanced and alright
to survive.
Te, the fourth ideal of faith, means power in the
political world and excellence. It is to show that rulers need
the cooperation of their subjects because rulers cannot rule
their whole city all on their own without support and loyalty. Confucius has seen how rulers who
have controlled a large population fall like the Eastern Zhou Dynasty
1
. To stop this, he
28

developed te where rulers are good examples to follow which leads to more followers and
supporters to help the ruler rule his land. He said that in order to maintain a good reign in power,
the ruler must be generous, not self-centered, and knows when its time to make a change that
helps everyone with their troubles. He taught that with this philosophy, it will inspire many to
follow and help the ruler to rule for many centuries. He who governs by te is like the north star.
It keeps its place and other stars turn toward it, was what Confucius said about te and what he
hoped a ruler can be to create a better society for all his citizens.
Wenthe last tenet of faith, refers to the poetry, music, and culture of its aesthetic and
spiritual mode. It means the arts of war and peace, and it expresses Confuciuss love for the
arts. He enjoyed it because it could smarten ones mind and spirit by just reading and
understanding it. He believed that the arts could help equalize peoples moods and minds to help
them understand life better by bringing them peace, melody, and knowledge. He also saw that
the arts cultivated many nations and helped bring them together. Knowledge also helped unite
nations; so he believed that the arts, music, and the knowledge of philosophers could bring trust
in each nation and individual. Confucius taught wen to help a great society develop with belief
and trust.
The five tenets of faith were later acknowledged, bringing China wealth and peace. As
Confucius had predicted, life had become more humane and productive with trust, belief, love,
and kindness. The tenets of faith paved the path to a good society for China and many other
nations as well.




29

Rules and Beliefs
Teachings
The teachings of Confucius include six values, Li, Hsiao, Yi, Xin, Jen, and Chung. Li
was propriety, etiquette, and rituals. Hsiao was love within the family, both a parents love for
their children and vice versa. Yi was righteousness. Xin was honesty and trustworthiness. Jen
was benevolence, and humaneness to others. This was the highest virtue in Confucianism. Chung
was loyalty to the state and to each other.
Confucius also taught that when countries are under the Law, people are punished by
officials after they commit an offense. The people will conform to the laws, usually without
understanding them. Confucius then thought of a way to change this. He thought that they should
internalize behaviors so actions are already controlled. Then, people behave the way they want
because they do not want to be shamed. This helps reduce the number of laws in the society.
The Golden Rule of Confucianism was based on ethics, humanity, and love. Confucius
said that fellow-feeling would be one word that could describe the whole duty of a gentleman.
What he means by fellow-feeling is to treat others the way we want to be treated. People have to
put themselves into others shoes and see if what they are doing is right. They have to think about
what would happen if they were the ones being the one affected. This teaching is used on the
modern world nowadays throughout worldwide. Through the Golden Rule, Confucius hoped
for people to be kinder and wiser about their actions, which was a significant aspect of Chinese
beliefs.
Relationships
The Chinese believed that the basic unit of society was the family. The family was
considered an economic, social, and political unit, because each member had a part in it. The
family was responsible for training in morality and was the bridge between an individual and his
30

or her society. Confucius taught that the family was where an individual could reach his full
potential.
Of the five human relationships, three are within the family. They are: father/son, older
brother/younger brother, husband/wife. Confucius viewed the family in a patriarchal point of
view. He did not consider the maternal or sister relationships. The other two relationships are
friend/friend, and ruler/subject. The Father/son relationship is the strongest. The son was
required to respect to the father, even after the fathers death. The son was responsible for
sacrificing to his fathers spirit at the shrine. This is one way to show filial piety. Filial piety is
solely based on the respect and obedience of a child to their parents. It says that a childs duty to
their parents is the basic foundation of virtues. Filial piety acts as the first step to learning the
other virtues including ren and shu. As children grow older, Confucius taught that they would be
wiser and would respect their parents more. Through filial piety, a stable family would be born.












31

Rituals
The Book of Rites stated that the
wise kings of old knew that the rules of
ceremony could not be dispensed with,
while the ruin of states, the destruction of
families and the punishing of individuals
are always preceded by the abandonment
of these rules(Confucianism: World
Religions, 87). This statement refers to
the sacrifice made by the emperor each year before the winter solstice. It symbolizes the heaven
and the sun after the yin portion of winter which is the cold and darkness. The ceremony had
to be carefully performed. On the night of the Winter Solstice, the gates of the Forbidden City
1
were opened. The emperor sat in a sedan chair and was carried by 16 nobles southward. Two
thousand people, including nobles, officials, servants, and ministers, led the way on the road.
Flag-bearers carried banners with the constellations, planets, and mountains depicted on it. It
passed through the southern gate of the Capital City and ended at the four miles square of the
Temple of Heaven
2
.
Once inside, the emperor would visit the memorials of his ancestors and purify himself at
the Hall of Fastings
3
, where he would retire. The next day, at dawn, the emperor went to the altar
that was open to the sky. There, he would perform ancient ceremonies to renew his reigns
Mandate of Heaven
4
. All of this had to be closely followed or else they would face punishment
from the Heavens.
This is a picture of the Forbidden City.
32

Before the Summer Solstice, the emperor performs a similar ritual on the northern end of
the capital. Because yin has reached its fullest power, yang must be honored. The altar was
square, and the main color was yellow. Instead of being burned, the offerings were buried.
The sacrifices of Confucianism were divided into three parts according to size: great,
medium, and small. The Board of Rites, a government department, provided officials who
guided the people through their duties. The emperor can choose others to perform the Small and
Medium Rites. His officials normally performed the rites at the temples on many occasions.
Some Medium Sacrifices were offered to Confucius in temples dedicated to him. Other
ceremonies include sacrifices to Emperor Huang Dis wife, Lei Cu, who was believed to have
discovered silk making.
Then, there were the four Great Sacrifices that only the emperor could perform. The other
two were sacrifices to successional ancestors and the gods of soil and grain. Although these were
performed long before Confuciuss time, it was adapted into the Confucian System. It was a
private ceremony, open to only the invited.
There are three types of sacrifices made to Confucius. The first was at the time of his
death, and his descendants carried out ancestral rites at the family home in Qufu. The second was
when Confucius became the patron saint of the scholar class, and all schools made rituals to him.
The third was when his teachings influenced the state religion, and he was honored as a well-
known sage.
The largest temple was located in Confuciuss house in Qufu. At the time of the Ming
Dynasty, it already occupied 49 acres with hundreds of walls and pavilions. The center of this
complex was the Great Hall of Confucius, or the Dacheng Dian. Statues of Confucius, four loyal
companions, and twelve disciples can be found inside the halls. Ceremonies take place here on
33

Confuciuss birthday every season. During the Han Dynasty, the Scholar-of-officials encouraged
to build temples throughout China. He felt like it was appropriate to honor him as the founder of
the state religion and as a god.
The second temple was built in Beijing and was completed in 1306; it holds tablets
inscribed with the names of Confucius and his followers. This building has been rebuilt many
times. A ceremony traditionally held at this temple occurred on the second and eighth month of
the lunar year
5
. They struck a big bell at three in the morning, and a master of ceremony guided
participants through the rites. Offerings of grain, fruit, oil, wine, jade, and silk were presented
along with a prayer. An orchestra played ancient instruments while a choir sang poetry specially
composed for the occasion. Dancers holding feathery wands performed traditional and elegant
moves. This was a model followed by dozens of other Confucian temples.
Each household was led by the head of the housethe father. The Chinese greatly
respected their ancestors and had their names engraved on tablets kept in shrines. The father was
responsible for making sacrifices and informing about family matters to the shrine. Although he
may be assisted by his eldest son or his wife, only he [the father] was allowed to address the
ancestors directly. Rural villages had a shrine for local families to share, while a larger home
would have an offering hall on the eastern side in the main room. The offering hall would have
four altars, with tablets engraved with the names of ancestors. The head of the house would visit
the hall every day and report family matters or issues. The hall was also used for events, like a
wedding or a child reaching adulthood. Although they varied by time and location, they followed
the general practice of Confucian thoughts. Generally, the higher the status, the more elaborate
the ceremony was. Neo-Confucian Zhu Xi wrote Family Rituals, which greatly simplified the
traditional ceremonies.
34

Traditions
Even before Confucius, males were preferred over females. This was a cultural attitude
that lasted until the 20
th
century. In one of the Five Classics, the Book of Poetry, two poems are
found expressing how to treat newborns, based on their gender.
In one of the poems, boys were treated nicely, and they were allowed to sleep on a bed,
wear robes, play with a jade scepter, and be the head of the house. Girls, however, were the
opposite. They had to lie on the ground and wear binding clothes. They also had to play with a
loom whorl that had no decorations and were only allowed to have wine and food. They were not
supposed to bother her parents.
As soon as the children could understand, they were taught how to respect elders and
properly behave. They were taught to use their right hand to eat
6
and were taught to greet seniors
properly. If they did not behave properly, they were scolded and severely warned. At age six,
both were taught words. Boys learned how to write, and girls were taught simple womens
chores. They both knew how to recite the Analects. At age nine, boys were reciting other books
from Confuciuss Five Classics. Girls knew how to recite the biographies of famous and
admirable women. At ten, boys went to a school outside of home, but girls remained at home.
They learned how to breed silk worms, weave, sew, and cook. This supposedly taught girls not to
be selfish and extravagant because they would know the hardships in obtaining these luxuries.
Reaching adulthood was an occasion with special ceremonies. The boys ceremony took
place when he was between fifteen and twenty. Exactly three days before, his father invited
another man to be a sponsor of the event. At dawn, on the day of the event, three sets of robes
and caps were laid out, and participants gathered in the hallways. The head of the family entered
first, followed by the witnesses in order of age. The sponsor would place a cap on the boys
35

head, and the boy went into a side room to change into his gown and shoes. This was repeated
two more times with other items of clothing. The sponsor then read the boys full name, and the
father presented him to the elders as an adult.
For a girl, it took place when she was between fourteen and twenty, normally at the time
she became engaged. The mother presided over the ceremony, and a sponsor was also invited.
The sponsor would put a pin in the girls hair, and put a womans cap on her head. Then the girl
would change into adult clothing and receive a new name. The ceremonies were both followed
by parties, where the guest of honor was the sponsor.
Neither child had any say in the
choice of their husband or wife. The parents
made the decisions, and through a
messenger, began negotiations. For the
groom, the decision was important because
the girl was to be a new member of the
household. Likewise, the brides family had
to choose wisely because if the marriage
failed, the bride would be returned. The brides family was expected to give a dowry
7
to the
family of the groom. The ancestors were consulted, and after the messenger negotiated the
dowry, the grooms father visited the shrine. He had the grooms younger brother deliver the
betrothal to the brides family, who entertained him, and the father took the betrothal to his
shrine.
The day before the ceremony, the brides family sent a messenger to deliver the dowry to
the groom. On the day of the wedding, the groom went to the brides house on horseback, with a
This is a picture of a traditional Chinese wedding.
36

goosea traditional present. The brides father made a final visit to the ancestors and then
instructed his daughter of her duties. The bride entered the grooms carriage, dressed in red
8
;
they were honored with a feast. By exchanging cups of wine, they declared themselves a married
couple because no priest was there to pronounce them husband and wife. On the day after the
ceremony, the bride was officially introduced to the grooms parents. If she was the wife of the
eldest son, she would serve food to her in-laws, a duty that would last until they died. On the
third day, she was presented at the shrine of her new family. The day after, the groom would
visit his in-laws, and they would entertain him.
There are many specific actions that must be performed. For example, when the groom
visits the brides house on the fourth day of their marriage, the father must greet him at the
threshold. The groom bows, kneels, and takes the fathers hand. They enter the house, and the
groom is presented to the mother, who is standing inside the left door. The groom bows outside
the door. Both sides give silk as gifts.
The death of a family member meant elaborate and long lasting ceremonies. If the head
of the family died, the mourning lasted three years. During that time, the family wore clothing
according to the length of time passed since death.
If the news of death was received while a person was not at home, they were to wail, then
change clothing, and depart for home. If they were on the road, they were to wail when they felt
grief, and when they sighted the country boundary, the city, the home, and the prefectural
boundary. Upon entering the gate, he would go up to the coffin, bow twice, change his clothes
twice, and take the appropriate seat of mourning. The first duty was to place rice in the mouth of
the deceased. Then, they had to bathe the body, dress it, and lay it in the coffin. A soul seat and a
soul cloth were put next to the coffin. Food and drink were to be placed on the seat and cloth
37

every day for three months. A banner was hung outside announcing the death. Fellow mourners
brought presents, such as incense, tea, candles, wine, fruit, money, and silk. After three months,
the body was buried. At the cemetery, they made more offerings to the god of the earth. Food,
clothes, and other gifts were buried with the deceased. The name of the deceased was then added
to the list of ancestors. During the three-year period of mourning, various sacrifices were made
two for good fortune and one for peace.













38

Famous People
Mencius
Mengzi, or Mencius, was born in 372 BCE in the mid-fourth century, in the State of Zou,
now known as the city of Zouxian, in the Shandong province of China during the Zhou Dynasty.
Mencius lost his father when he was still a child, so he learned mostly from his mother, Meng
Mu. With the help of his mother and further teachings of Confuciuss disciples, Mencius became
a great philosopher and sage. He served as an official and scholar at the Jixia Academy in Qi. He
died in 289 BCE and was buried in Mencius Cemetery with a giant stone tortoise marking his
grave, in Zouxians urban area.
Mencius is considered as the second Confucius. It is said that he learned under
Confuciuss grandson, Zisi, and much like Confucius, Mencius traveled to a myriad of different
states offering advice to rulers about his thoughts about how they should deal with the society.
He proposed that goodness comes from discipline and education and also practiced filial
devotion for three years to his mother when she died.
Most of Menciuss thoughts and teachings are found in the Mengzi, which is one of the
Four Confucian Books. This text is similar to the Analects of Confucius. Mencius taught in detail
the ethical ideals of Confucius which included the ren, li, yi, and zhi. He also used these
teachings to help with the spreading of self-cultivation which was similar to enlightening oneself
to becoming a wise and kind-hearted individual which is the first step to creating and
maintaining a stable country.
Through Menciuss teachings, Confucianism continues to spread worldwide, and people
now know yet another important philosopher and teacher who was once as great as Confucius.

39

General Yue Fei
Yue Fei was a great general during the Song
Dynasty. He was born in 1103 in the northern part
of the Song Dynasty. The country was constantly
being invaded by the Jurchen army. He received a
traditional education at childhood. Yue Fei was
worried about the Song Dynastys eventual
destruction. When the Northern Song Dynasty collapsed, and the Southern Song Dynasty
formed, he renounced his education and joined the army. He quickly moved up in ranks, and was
appointed general commissioner
1
. His army was known as the army of Yues, and it was highly
disciplined and upon hearing the name, enemies were immediately afraid. He was also a poet. He
wrote a heroic poem in Chinese literature, which helps strengthen the patriotism the Chinese
during battles.
His last attempt against the northern invaders was a grand victory, but when he tried to
reclaim the lost territory, he was opposed by Minister Qin Hui. Emperor Gaozong ordered Yue
Fei to return, after accepting Qin Huis peace offering. Yue Fei was executed in Fengbo Pavilion
of Dali Temple after Qin Hui set him up. Many were saddened by his death.
Although Yue Fei did not entirely grasp the concepts of Confucianism, he deeply
respected it. He was self-educated so he was very appreciative of Confucian teachings and ideals.
He relied on some Confucian ideals and teachings in his learning and used it in his knowledge as
a general.


40

Main Religious Documents
Although Confucius did not physically take part in writing the actual books and
documents related to Confucianism, the books are all based on his words and teachings that his
disciples learned through him. The main works that deal with Confucianism include the
following: the Five Classics and the Four Books.
The Five Classics, which include the Book of Poetry, Book of History, Book of Rites,
Book of Changes, and Spring and Autumn Annals, is a series of stories and teachings that acts as
a guide to life for millions of people, much like the Analects. Not only do the Five Classics act as
guides to life, they are also used to look at the Chinese history as models for behavior and
honesty. Many Chinese people studied the Five Classics in order to become scholars or officials
during the Han Dynasty
1
.
The Book of Poetry, known as Shijing in Chinese, holds over 300 of the oldest forms of
Chinese poetry. It was put together during the Shang
2
and beginning and middle of the Zhou
Dynasty
3
. These poems were also sometimes called songs because the Chinese sang poetry at the
time. It contains three different types of songs, airs, odes, and hymns. More than half of
the poems in the book cover topics including love, work, and war; the rest are related to the
court.
The Book of History is called the Shujing or Shangshu in Chinese; it is sometimes called
the Book of Documents or Documents of the Elder because it contains many important speeches
and reports that relate to the government and politicians. This book is known as the oldest text
that gives information describing Chinese mythology and history. It contains five parts to it
including the Tangshu (Book of Tang), Yushu (Book of Yu), Xiashu (Book of the Xia Dynasty),
Shangshu (Book of the Shang Dynasty), and the Zhoushu (Book of the Zhou Dynasty). This
41

book was one of the books that was destroyed by Qin Shi Huangdi
4
in 213 B.C.E. because he
was persuaded to believe that Confucians were not on the same side as he was. Even though the
Book of History was destroyed, many scholars had memorized the entire context and restored it
during the Han Dynasty.
The Book of Rites, or Liji, is contains three separate texts: the Zhou Li, Yi Li, and the Liji.
The Zhou Li was written during the Warring States period
5
, when it was known as the Zhouguan.
It was not until the Western Han Dynasty that it was later known as the Zhou Li. This first book
explains how the government was like during the Zhou Dynasty. It contains six parts for the six
ministries
6
which include the following: Celestial Offices
7
, Terrestrial Offices
8
, Spring Offices,
Summer Offices, Autumn Offices, and Winter Offices.
The Yi Li, which was names during the Jin Period
9
, is the Ceremonial where it contains
information on proper etiquette during events like weddings, banquets, funerals, sacrifices, and
archery contests
10
.
The Liji was the longest book out of the three books. It was put together by the Confucian
scholar, Dai De
11
, and his nephew, Dai Sheng
12
. It describes the government regulations, and
gives instructions on how to be independent through cooking, managing a household, driving a
carriage, naming a baby, and many more.
The Book of Changes is known as the Yijing or the Zhouyi. This book helped Confucian
followers foresee the future events that will happen and learn the reason behind the human
existence and the natural happenings in life. In the Book of Changes, there are 64 hexagrams that
are formed by putting two trigrams together which represent symbols like Heaven, Water, Earth,
Wind, Fire, and etc.
42

The last book of the Five Classics is the Spring and Autumn Annals, which is also called
the Chun Qiu. This is a short chronicle regarding the events from 722 B.C.E. and 481 B.C.E. that
had occurred in the state of Lu, which is also Confuciuss hometown. The state officials
assembled this into a seasonal record of events during the rule of twelve dukes. People have
assumed that Confucius was related to the writing and revising of this text for the events came up
close to his death.
The Four Books, assembled by Zhu Xi
13
, contains the Analects, the Great Learning, the
Doctrine of the Mean, and the Meng Zi.
The Analects is known as one of the most
widely read texts in the entire world. It was put
together by Confuciuss second generation disciples,
but it contains the words and teachings of Confucius
himself. The Analects contains 497 verses where a
problem is given, and Confucius, also known as Great
Master Kong, would provide a wise answer to solve
that problem. For example, Duke Ai
14
asked: What
should I do to win the hearts of the people? Confucius
replied: Raise the straight and set them above the
crooked, and you will win the hearts of the people. If
you raise the crooked and set them above the straight,
the people will deny you their support. In this passage, Duke Ai asks Confucius how to win the
peoples support; Confucius answers by telling him to promote the people who are honest and
trustworthy rather than the people who are selfish and corrupt. If the Duke were to promote the
This is one of the versions of The
Analects.
43

selfish and corrupt people, then people who have lower ranks will not want to follow a leader
who makes wrong decisions. Today, the Analects is used as guide to life for millions of people
because all of the verses deal with the everyday situations that happen in life.
The Great Learning is known as the Daxue in
Chinese, and it is a guide that teaches how to become a true
Confucian follower. The theme that this guide teaches is
self-cultivation. Many boys and men, including the king and
his officials, use this guide to carry out their life through the
Confucian way of thinking. The Great Leaning emphasizes
on Confuciuss idea that in order for people to take care of
others, they must first learn how to take care of themselves.
The idea behind self-cultivation is that everyone has to take
part in it in order to create harmony within the state and the
society. That way, there will be peace on earth. There is a process about this self-cultivation.
First, everybody must be willing to learn about the world and through that will they gain the
perfect knowledge of what is around them. After gaining perfect knowledge, one will be able to
reach sincerity. Through sincerity, the individual will be able to purify their heart from all the
bad things they have done. After this is done, the individual will have gone through self-
cultivation. Through this, everyone in the family will unite as one, and with this, the entire
society can be governed in a good way. With all things done, there will be peace on earth.
The Doctrine of the Mean, or Zhongyong meaning middle for zhong and normality for
yong, talks about the ideas of moderation, balance, and harmony. A series of essays and stories
were compiled to make this book, some describing the personality and jobs of a true Confucian
This is one of the versions of
The Great Learning.
44

gentleman and others of quotes. In tradition, many people suggest that Confuciuss grandson,
Zisi, was the author of the Doctrine of the Mean, but some scholars, including Cui Shu
15
, were
doubting this because they think that part of the text was put together during the Former Han
Dynasty when Zisi lived during the Zhou Dynasty. The Mean from the Doctrine of the Mean is
the main idea of Confucianism. The three virtues of this way are wisdom, kindheartedness, and
courage, and these three virtues are what make the society stable. Sincerity is also a very
important part in the Zhongyong. Sincerity is what makes a human whole and well-rounded;
without it, the human race will not have existed. Through sincerity, individuals learn to do wise
things, like thinking about things carefully and acting faithfully.
The Mengzi, or Master Meng, is an assortment of
stories that Confuciuss disciple and philosopher,
Meng Ke
16
, also known as Mencius, compiled into a
book. In the book, he also discusses with high-
ranking officials and rulers. The book is seven
chapters long and is split into two parts. Mencius
taught four principle including kindheartedness (ren),
appropriate behavior (yi), etiquette (li), and wisdom
(zhi). For kindheartedness, Mencius teaches to love and care for others and to keep away from
harming anyone, whether they are a human being or animal. For appropriate behavior, Mencius
talks about respecting oneself and isolating oneself from dishonor. In etiquette, Mencius teaches
similar things from Book of Rites. It refers to the ceremonial events and teaches how to properly
carry out the ceremony, whether it is for a funeral or a sacrifice for ancestors. For wisdom,
This is a picture of Mencius.
45

Mencius teaches about the proper ways of the heart and mind. It guides the individual in order
for the person to know what is right and wrong and choosing to do the right thing.





















46

Interviews with 4 Adherents
Interviewee #1: Ms. Yuqi Wei- Mandarin Teacher
Q#1: How does this ideology affect your daily life?
A: I think that Confucianism has been a very traditional philosophy. It teaches every
aspect of life and how to be respectful and show justice. It is a Chinese ideology and a
philosophical system, so we were brought up with these ideas. It affects every aspect of my life
about how I deal with my family, my parents, and how I am doing my work.
Q#2: What makes Confucianism different from other ideologies or religions?
A: To me that Confucianism is not a religion, it is just an ethical and philosophical
system that teaches doctrines, teaches how people are supposed to behave and live their life.
Q#3: What do you like most about this ideology?
A: I think that this ideology focuses mostly on families and focuses on how people deal
with each other and how people respect other people and how to be justice and how to fulfill
your self-dementing ethics.
Q#4: What about this ideology do you have problems agreeing with?
A: I think that now the society has changed a lot, but in the past, I think that one part that
I dont agree with is about the rules that they place on women. For example, in the past, this
doctrine or this practice usually requires women to be obedient to their husband if they get
married. Before they get married, the women had to be obedient to their parents. And even if,
after they got married, if her husband died, the woman is supposed to be kind of obedient to their
son or their children. So, I think this part of the doctrine or ideology is really not what I like.
Nowadays is kind of more open, and women have more independence and they probably dont
follow this anymore.
47

Q#5: Does this ideology teach a belief in reincarnation?
A: No.
Q#6: How does this ideology resemble any other religion?
A: I think that the part that this ideology resembles other religions is that they teach
people to be respectful to do good things to people. I think this is what they have in common.
Q#6: Are there any religions or ideologies you are talking about, or is it referring to religions in
general?
A: In general, they all teach people mostly; you know, especially like Christianity,
Catholicism, and Buddhism, they all teach people to be kind, to do good deeds.
Q#7: Do you have any dietary restrictions or requirements?
A: No.
Q#8: Does this ideology promote preaching or conversion of others to your faith?
A: I dont think so.
Q#9: What is your most memorable saying by Confucius?
A: There are lots of sayings by Confucius. I think my favorite one is that when three
people are together, you always learn something from one of them. I think this is the one that I
kind of follow and remember because when you are together with other people, you can always
get something from the other person.
Q#10: Would you like to add anything about Confucianism?
A: No, not really.
Interviewee #2: Mrs. Alice Su- Math Teacher
Q#1: How does this ideology affect your daily life?
48

A: This ideology affects my life to be humble. Confucius keeps saying about when a
person is about 15-25 years old, their main focus is studying. When they are 30-years-old, the
person has already established a profession in the society. When they are 40-50, the person is
already in the stage when their profession is established. As my profession as a teacher, I try to
treat all my students the same. People can judge you by the way you act, but I should not be
affected.
Q#2: What do you like most about this ideology?
A: It talks about an ideal society about a great country that would be able to serve the
serve.
Q#3: What part of this ideology might you have problems with?
A: I have no problems with this ideology. I dont just study about Confucianism; I also
study about Laozi and Zhuangzi too.
Q#4: Does this ideology teach a belief in reincarnation?
A: No, I dont think so.
Q#5: Do you believe in another religion?
A: I dont really have a religion because I go to both churches and temples.
Q#6: How does this ideology resemble any other religion?
A: I think all ideologies in general resemble each other where each of them do good
things.
Q#7: What makes Confucianism different from other ideologies?
A: In Confucianism, the idea is that we all start from ourselves. Then, you extend to
family which then goes to the society, country, and worldwide. Confucius has the ideal country
49

where the young ones [childen] are taken care of. For other ideologies Daoism, Laozi is
concentrating on one individual.
Q#8: Do you have any dietary restrictions or requirements?
A: No.
Q#9: Does this ideology promote preaching or conversion of others to your faith?
A: No.
Q#10: What is your most memorable saying or teaching by Confucius?
A: The very first saying I can remember is that there is no segregation in education.
Interviewee #3: Andy Do- Eligibility Worker for the Government
Q#1: How does this ideology affect your daily life?
A: Well, this ideology provides a main frame of how to live in this society, to provide the
roles of each member of the family, of husband, of wife, and children to parents for the moral
and characteristics to live in life.
Q#2: Describe one of your major holidays. What is its purpose, and how is it celebrated?
A: One of the major holidays for this ideology is what we call the teacher honor day. On
this teacher day, we show respect to our teacher; we try to show how much appreciation that we
were given ideas, thoughts, and training, as well as knowledge that we become well-equipped in
life. The purpose for this holiday is for the students to show their appreciation toward their
teachers who provide them with all the knowledge in life. Around the 20
th
of November of each
year, the students would gather around the school campuses, sometimes go to the teachers
home, and buy gifts and flowers and say all kinds of messages about the teacher. This can
happen to any teacher, not just certain teachers.
Q#3: What about this ideology do you appreciate most?
50

A: Well, this ideology, like I said earlier, provides a main structure for how to become a
person, how to live your life in a society. It tells you what is right from wrong to live your life
with. Basically, its a good framework for every member of the society. It teaches me to whats
right from wrong, you cannot be selfish and not to hurt others if you dont want to be treated
badly. You do not want to treat people badly. For example, things like that would be in
consideration of this ideology. It teaches you more like a general guideline to teach each member
of the society to live right.
Q#4: What part of this ideology might you have problems/ believing/ agreeing with?
A: Well, like any other religion, there is always some area or some point in that certain
practice in the ideology where I encounter or question in that needs to be improved. This
ideology is the same thing; part of this ideology tells me that women can be a cause to the social
problem. This is something that we always in doubt about, but after this point, we can see that
women contribute to societies, women can do good things in society. Weve seen a lot successful
women in the world today who are great world leaders and political, successful people. The point
that was taught that women could be a cause to society is obviously something that I would not
one hundred percent go for. This is something that needs to be reconsidered and justified.
Sometimes, Im thinking about this, and it kind of bothers me that we somehow look down at
women for this kind of ideology and this is not right.
Q#5: Does this ideology teach a belief in reincarnation?
A: Well, this ideology doesnt really believe in the reincarnation, or into the next life.
Unlike Buddhism, it does not believe in the reincarnation of the human life. Basically, what this
ideology focuses on is the current life, current issues and problems and how to solve it. It doesnt
51

talk about if you do something good; it will go to the next life. If you do a good deed, it is
basically what is happening right now in your current life.
Q#6: Do you believe in more than one God?
A: Well, actually, I do believe in more than one God because to me, God is not like a
human being; he is not an individual. He is not like us humans where we have one or two we can
count.
Q#7: How does this ideology resemble any other religion?
A: I do not believe this ideology resembles any other religion. It just mainly provides the
framework for how to live your life in a correct way as a member of the society. You are not
doing bad things, not breaking the law, not killing or hurting people. It is just basic common
sense of life. It is not like other religions where it talks about the future or past. It just talks about
doing something good in your current life.
Q#8: Do you have any dietary restrictions, or requirements dealing with this ideology?
A: This ideology does not have any dietary restrictions. It doesnt tell you to not eat any
animals or vegetables.
Q#9: Does your religion promote the preaching or conversion of others to your faith?
A: This ideology is taught and spread throughout societies. It does allow you to talk about
things in life and to share and learn from each other. It promotes active communication between
members of the society.
Interviewee #4: Kathy Luu- Self-Employee
Q#1: How does this ideology affect your daily life?
A: This teaching was so influential because he was the only well-known philosopher at
the time, and people listened to him and followed his guidance. With that, people implemented
52

that into their household. However, when other philosophers arose, his philosophy was notits
still strong, but yet as relevant as before. With his teaching, I do believe that in my parenting
skills, I do follow some of his strong points of teachings, such as listen to your elders, basically
respect, and pay respect to your ancestors. That, I fully agree with.
Q#2: What do you like most about this ideology?
A: Its not what I like about it; its more like I was brought up with it. Its something that
was embedded in me from childhood. So, its not that whether I like it or not, its more like here
this is your belief and this is how it was presented to me. I grew up around my family members
who have the same belief as well, so its very influential to my upbringing. As I get older, I think
my upbringing is very influential to my parenting skills as well. I think it is independently
making your own judgment. Im not abided by a certain law or order whereas other religions,
you have to abide by certain law of orders. In my personal thoughts, I make my own judgment,
the actions that I make, its my own personal values, and that reflects who I am and not what
others tell me to be. I think with that taught makes me who I am.
Q#3: What part of this ideology might you have problems agreeing with?
A: I dont agree about the wife being the servant, but I do understand that in old schools,
women were taught to serve their husbands, and nowadays, I dont believe in that; I believe in
fair share of everything. There is no woman or man job, I do not agree with that. I think thats
the onlyand also ranking. Of course, we respect our elders, but there are certain, as far as
ranking, where you have to respect him because he is such and such. I dont believe that, I go
by face value, not just because youre older, stubborn as a needle. I dont tolerate that.
Q#4: Does this ideology teach a belief in reincarnation?
53

A: Yes because Buddhism teaches us that reincarnation exists, and so, with
Confucianism, I strongly believe that we will be reincarnated. If you do good things, you will
pass on into another life.
Q#5: Do you believe in another religion?
A: I respect all religions.
Q#6: How does this ideology resemble any other religion?
A: They all have similarities with each other, especially respecting your God and
religion. Some religions do believe in the afterlife, I believe.
Q#7: What makes Confucianism different from other ideologies or religions?
A: I think with every religion, there is a snippet of Confucian teaching in it. From my
understanding, with every religion, there is a bit of Confucian influence in it.
Q#8: Do you have any dietary restrictions or requirements?
A: As a practicing Buddhist, you eat vegetarian, or you sacrifice the 15
th
and the 21
st
of
the lunar month. That was just two days of sacrifice in a month. I believe that Buddhism and
Confucianism coincide.
Q#9: Does this ideology promote preaching or conversion of others to your faith?
A: No, it doesnt because I dont think that I would ever want to convert anyone or
convince anyone to convert to what I believe in. I think that it is valuable to share with other
people, but as far as converting other people, I dont think that is something I would do. I
wouldnt want anyone else to employ that on me either, but I have utter respect for other
religions and great understanding. When I was growing up, my parents teach me to be respectful
of other religions. Its nice that we dont have to not be only strictly abided by our own religion,
54

but to be able to expose yourself and view what other people view. For me, I have a greater
understanding of not only my religion but of myself and my values; that in itself is a religion.
Q#10: What is your most memorable saying or teaching by Confucius?
A: I think its the ancestors. Its the teaching of valuing your ancestors because they are
basically your thread, your fiber, so I think that with his teaching of that, it completes the person.
We understand and study our roots than you have your own living history. Also, where you
remember the anniversary of their death, you celebrate that. I think that its very valuable
because nowadays, if someone passes, then it is only a vague memory for the rest of the
generation that follow. By worshiping your ancestors, it lets the later generations know the
history of where they came from.
Q#11: Would you like to add anything?
A: To me, Confuciuss teachings also reflect some of the Buddhist teachings from my
understanding. I find that his teachings and Buddhist teachings are such a strong, powerful
message.









55

Literary Works with Allusions of Confucianism
In the biography of Mao Zedong, titled Mao Zedong: Founder of the Peoples Republic
of China, Mao Zedong is someone who despised Confucius beginning to when he was eight-
years-old. He was a rebel who acted disrespectful to both his teacher and parents. As a result,
he was greatly beaten as punishment. Maos way of thinking contradicted the teachings of
Confucius. Confucius taught that the child must always be submissive to their parents and to
other authorities. Mao did the opposite by talking back to his teacher when she told him to stand
up and recite a ritual. Another scene happened when his father invited guests over and
embarrassed
1
Mao in front of everyone. As a result, Mao broke the simplest rule taught by
Confucius of disrespecting his father by cursing at him. He ran away after and negotiated with
his parents. Through this, Mao realized that when he rebelled, his father ended up listening to
him, compared to when he was very timid and obedient, he would end up getting beaten up.
This thought was basically the opposite of Confuciuss teachings where authority was supposed
to be obeyed.
The book, The Culture of Power: The Lin Biao Incident
in the Cultural Revolution, is about the mystery behind Lin
Biaos, President Maos chosen successor, plane crash and his
plan to overthrow and assassinate the president. In this book,
Confucianism is talked about in Chapter 6 about families in
Chinese politics. The book says that family problems could
have been the reason to Lins death and plans for assassination.
This is where Confucianism comes into the picture where it
teaches that family is a very important aspect of life. It
This is the book, The Culture
of Power.
56

explains how the family makes up the basic structure of the state and society. This chapter called
Families in Chinese Politics also refers to the different relationships of respect taught through
Confucianism including father/son and ruler/subject. In China, the relationship between family
members determines what will happen with the state. So, if the family is in a stable condition,
then the state will also be stable. Confucius taught that women in general had to be obedient to
their husbands when they married or to their parents if they were single. In the chapter, the wives
of leading revolutionaries, like Mao Zedong, had to spend their lives obeying and taking care of
their husbands who had more than one wife to serve them.
















57

Examples of Art and Music
Several examples of art and music
were based on Confucianism. Confucius
admired the cores of art and music, and he
was interested in how it made the mind
smarter and the nations more connected. It
was also because of one of his tenets of faith,
wen, which meant the arts of war and peace.
Three examples of art were Confuciuss
calligraphy of his thoughts and writing,
viewing stones, and whiteware ceramics or pottery related to Confuciuss teachings and
scholarly practices. They represented the lessons of Confucius and of his beliefs in a good
country and government and were valuable pieces of art that represented the master of
prosperity, humanity, and peace in the society.
The Calligraphies of Confucianism
were artworks that had Confuciuss writings
and thoughts of his beliefs for the good of
the community and government. They
included many of his famous quotes that
were inspiring to many people and had
pictures of Confucius or of items as a symbol
for his writing. Some of the calligraphies
would also include his teachings like the
tenets of faith, his morals, beliefs, and his philosophies that talked about what was right for a
58

good society. It helped spread along Confuciuss ideas and brought together many people and the
nations as well.
Another form of art that was based on
Confucianism is viewing stones, also known as scholar
rocks. They came from the Han Dynasty
1
and have been
used ever since as decorations, art, meditation, spiritual
symbolization, and gifts from the Chinese and monks. It
symbolized nature as well. In Confucianism, the rocks
were symbols of what Confucian scholars should be. It
acts as a reminder of what they should be like and
symbolizes a quality that they should possess: an uncompromising person. This meant that the
scholar should be a person who knows what is right for all yet be a figure that stands strong with
his standards and be hard to persuade. These stones were also very unique and interested many
scholars because of its pretty or sometimes unpleasant color and uncommon shape. Nevertheless,
it had a Confucian meaning in its own core.
Whiteware ceramics and pottery also represented
Confucianism. The whiteware ceramics and pottery were either
vases or bowls that showed a symbolization of Confucianism and
its teachings to others. It was a piece of art that tried to represent
living a simple and humble life. It also relates to religious and
scholarly practices. These are still used today as part of the
Confucian tradition.
59

There were several examples of Confucian music as well. Music was something that
Confucius thought perfected personal cultivation. Music was also a powerful piece of art that
harmonized and balanced societies and lives, which was why Confucius admired. He presented it
through his teachings in several books and taught how it can smarten people and make harmony
like how he saw it through his eyes. Several examples of this harmonious music include The
Ceremony of the Silk Offering, the Chinese Zither, and a ceremonial set of huge bronze bells.
The Ceremony of the Silk Offering was a type of shrine music that was played for
Confucianism. It was a ritual that honored Confucius and honored the silk that provided
refinements for all. Although silk is in its name of the song, the music was not just about silk. It
also taught how to perform the ritual of the music. It was mostly about doing a ritual for silk with
their whole heart. In this performance, dancers danced to the beat and many different instruments
were used. Drums were also used, creating a unique sound that played throughout the shrine for
everyone to hear. The music sounded holy with words sometimes spoken and sung like a chorus.
Another example of music was the
Chinese Zither
2
. Confucius used the
Guqin, a member of the zither family, to
help him teach his students. Not only did
he say his teachings, he played it through
lyrics and songs with the harmonious
sounds the Guqin made. He hoped that
this would unify the students with his teachings and that they feel harmony and balance in each
other as he taught them what balance was. Now, the zither is commonly used to pass down his
musical teachings and to link people together into a bond. Most of the instruments that were used
This is a Chinese Zither.
60

during his time are found in the Tomb of Marquis Yi
3
. This zither was also included in the Tomb
of Marquis Yi's collection as well.
The third example of music related to
Confucianism is the huge bronze bells
4
used in
ceremonies. These were included in Confucian
music because they were the initial parts of the
music and tradition. They were the ones that linked
ceremonies or people's ritual doings with their
sound and that was what brought it to be in
Confucian music. Confucianism and one of its tenets of faith, li, are teaching about priority and
ritual. The huge bronze bells brought that to everyone as well.
These were the three examples of art and music that were related to Confucianism. These
examples were included to be in Confucianism because it made a type of bond through every
single individual with its connections. Overall, Confucius had these implied into Confucianism
because it made life more simple, knowledgeable, connected, and balanced from the harmony
and melody produced that helped even out every individual's soul. They would also bring a
better society as well.






61

Conclusion
Confucianism played a very significant role in building the basic foundation of Chinas
society; it is still widely followed today. It has greatly impacted people and their actions whether
it is through their teaching skills or dealing with their children. With about six million people
following Confucianism, it is one of the most followed ideologies today.
The teachings of Confucius are infused in a myriad of religions so that it is followed
throughout many peoples daily lives. Some examples include parents wanting their children to
get good grades or following what they are supposed to do. All of these tiny details add up to
develop Confucianism, and through these teachings, Confucianism became a world famous
ideology that is greatly used worldwide.
Confucius spread his ideas as he traveled around China in order to show people what
their society was like. He did not tell them that the society they lived in was corrupt and falling
apart, but instead, he just wanted to improve it to make it better. He felt that with his ideas and
teachings, he could change the society into a more respectful and compassionate place that
people would not feel out of place or uncomfortable in.
In his lifetime, Confucius made it his mission to perfect Chinas society through his
ideologies and philosophies. His main objective was targeting ones wellness and teaching
people how to improve their society by perfecting or enhancing their inner-goodness.
However, on his deathbed, he died believing that he had failed and accomplished nothing after
his time-consuming efforts. Confucianisms presence today as we know it proves otherwise. It
has been ever more present in China as older generations struggle to preserve Chinas history
and its traditions. Confuciuss goal may have surpassed his lifetime, and it may not have
developed into what he saw in his mind, but his ideas lived on and he will never be forgotten.

62

Endnotes
History
1: (770-476 BCE); the second period of the Zhou dynasty; in early years, civilization was in
harmony and kings were righteous and subjects loyal. However, towards the end of the period,
the imperial power diminishes and war between feudal lords begins while their kings power
declines; order and balance is in discord.
2: (475-221 BCE); the third and last period of the Zhou dynasty; fighting between feudal lords
ensues while the kings become mere figureheads.
3: A collection of Confuciuss sayings, gathered by his disciples and students.
4: It is located in the state of Lu in the Shandong province.
5: Analects 5:28 p. 23
6: It is considered the oldest book in Chinese history. It was sometimes called the Book of
Documents.
7: It helped Confucian followers have a glimpse at what could possibly happen in the future.
8: It is also known as the Book of Songs because the poems were commonly sung as songs.
9: Analects 7:7, p. 29
10: Initial years of the Spring and Autumn Period
11: A fourth-generation disciple of Confucianism, he later becomes the second most influential
philosopher after Confucius himself.
12: The Authentic Confucius In sacrificial rites, those
13:Known as the father of Chinese historians, he dedicated his life to complete the 2,000 year
history record of China his father started. (145-90 BCE)
14: one of the most influential Taoist philosophers (370-301 BCE)
15: Analects 11:9, p. 50
16: Qin Shi Huangdi is widely known as the emperor who enslaved thousands of many to
construct his Terra Cotta army for his massive tomb.
17: A Mongolian ruler who became the first ruler of the Yuan Dynasty; grandson of Genghis
Khan
18: An imperial palace that was home to the royal consort, Empress/Emperor, and many other
royals staffs from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty.
19: Opium became the number one addiction in China, effectively derailing Chinas economy
and its advancements during the Ming Dynasty.
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20: Led by Mao Ze Dong, the Cultural Revolution was a political movement from 1966 to 1976
that attempted to wipe out the Four Olds: old ideas, old habits, old customs, and old culture.
21: Consisting mainly kids to young adults, the Red Guards were ardent worshippers of Mao Ze
Dong during the Cultural Revolution. They ardently adulated Mao as the one and only prophet
who promised radical changes for a better future. The cult was responsible of wiping out much
of Chinas cultural and historic pieces, instilling fear through violence towards those speculated
as counter-revolution.
Evolution
1. Chou Tun-i (1017-1073 A.D.) Also known as Zhou Dunyi, was a Neo-Confucian
philosopher and cosmologist from China during the Song Dynasty. He helped to explain the
relationship between how human forces are driven by universal forces. His best known
contribution to Confucianism is the Explanation of the Diagram of Supreme Polarity which is
similar to the belief in yin and yang and balance in the natural world.

2. Chang Tsai (1020-1077 A.D.) Also known as Zhang Zai, was another Neo-Confucian
philosopher and cosmologist during the Song Dynasty who was influenced by the Classics of
Changes and helped to distinguish between original nature and physical nature.

3. Cheng Hao (1032-1085 A.D.) A student of Chou Tun-i and nephew of Chang Tsai, and was
a Neo-Confucian philosopher and cosmologist during the Song Dynasty. His philosophy taught
about tangible and intangible things, movement, social roles and relations, and chance.

4. Cheng I (1033-1107 A.D.) Also a student of Chou Tun-i and little brother of Cheng Hao.
He is also known as Cheng Yi. He was a Neo-Confucian philosopher and cosmologist during
the Song Dynasty. He became expositor-in-waiting in Luoyang, China, and gave many lectures
on Confucianism.

Tenets of Faith
1. Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770 - 221B.C) - The Seven Warring States Period at the end of its
ruling period ended the dynasty because of nasty disputes and unsolved conflicts against each
state. Also, the states did not trust each other, causing them all to finish the dynasty together.
Rules and Beliefs

1. Forbidden City- this is where the emperor and his family lived

2. Temple of Heaven- the four mile square grounds where the emperors ancestors memorial
tablets were kept

3. Hall of Fastings- this is the hall where the emperor purified himself before his duties the next
day

4. Mandate of Heaven- a kings right to rule claimed to have been granted to ancient Chinese
rulers by the gods
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5. Lunar Year- the calendar of the Chinese was based on the cycles of the phases of the moon.

6. Right hand- the Chinese believed that left-handedness was evil, so they forced the use of the
right hand.

7. dowry- gift a brides family gives a groom

8. red- a traditional color, usually meaning prosperity

Main Religious Works

1. Han Dynasty- (206 BCE-220CE) This was the first long-lasting imperial dynasty of China,
which was founded by Liu Bang (Emperor Gaozu)

2. Shang Dynasty- (17th-11th century BCE) The Shang Dynasty was often called the Yin
Dynasty.

3. Zhou Dynasty- (11th cent.-221 BCE) This dynasty was said to have been the longest reigning
dynasty of the entire world. It was founded by Zhou Wen Wang and Zhou Wu Wang, who were
also known as Kings Wen-Wu

4. Qin Shi Huangdi- He reigned over China from 259 BC - 210 BC during the Qin Dynasty. He
destroyed the Book of History because he thought the Confucian followers were against him.

5. Warring States period- (5th cent.-221 BCE) It is called the Zhanguo and it occurs during the
end of the Zhou Dynasty. It was called Warring States because warfare enlarged the power of
the states.

6. Six ministries- The six ministries included the following offices: Celestial offices, Terrestrial
offices, Spring offices, Summer offices, Autumn offices, and Winter offices.

7. Celestial Offices- The Celestial offices, or tianguan, were also known as the regulating offices.
They represented heaven. It was headed by the prime minister along with 63 other officials
who cared for the royal palace and the administration. They were also at the heart of the central
government.

8. Terrestrial Offices- The Terrestrial offices, or diguan, was given the title of educational
offices. It represented the earth, and was regulated by the overseer of public affairs along with
78 officials. They were in charge of the local administration, royal domain around the capital,
and the citizens living in the area.

9. Jin Period- (1115-1234) It was the second largest dynasty of northern China. It was founded
by Wanyan Aguda (Emperor Taizu of the Jin)

10. Archery contests- Archery was a very common sport among the aristocracy in China.
65


11. Dai De- His given name was Dai Yanjun, and he was also called Dai Senior. He is a
Confucian scholar during the Han Dynasty.

12. Dai Sheng- His given name was Dai Cijun, and he was known as Dai Senior. He is a
Confucian scholar during the Han Dynasty. His uncle is Dai De. He compiled a series of
collections which were transferred to the Book of Rites.

13. Zhu Xi- He was Confucian scholar during the Song Dynasty. He was the most influential
rational Neo-Confucian follower in China.

14. Duke Ai- He was the ruler of the state of Lu, which was also Confuciuss hometown.

15. Cui Shu- He was a scholar during the Qing Dynasty who doubted that The Doctrine of the
Mean was written by Confuciuss grandson.

16. Meng Ke- Meng Kes western name was Mencius, and he was the most important Confucian
philosopher who also became a teacher like Confucius. His teachings are found in the book,
Mencius.

Famous People

1. General Commissioner- the highest position in the army.

Art and Music
1. Han Dynasty (206 B.C. E - 220 A.D.) - This dynasty was the most prosperous of all dynasties.
Its leader was a humble man named Liu Bang who revolted against the Qin Dynasty and turned
it into a new dynasty free from the Qin's power. The new Han Dynasty still followed the Qin's
way of ruling separated areas instead of one area as a whole, yet they followed a Confucius and
his ideology for it brought great knowledge into his dynasty and turned it into a good society
after approaching it. The emperors of the Han Dynasty were all powerful along with the most
powerful one, Emperor Wu of Han, who gave the dynasty more territory to live on.
2. Chinese Zither - a string instrument that is part of the string family and has many different
types created. It originated in many other states including China. This instrument is harp-like
except it is flat and has many strings stretched onto a flat, thin, and hollow body of wood. It is
played by plucking the strings not in the air but on an individual's lap. It creates harmonious
sounds which brings together peace and harmony and people as well.
3. Tomb of Marquis Yi - a huge earth pit where the tomb of the Emperor of the marquises state
Zeng lays. It was from the period of the Warring States during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty where
the emperor lay and discovered by soldiers. This pit had three luxurious rooms in it and one hall
and included and instrumental collection of his own that had instruments for public ceremonials
and instruments that were for smaller ceremonials with strings.
4. Huge Bronze Bells - adult chest-sized bronze bells decorated for use of ceremonies and rituals
for ancestors. They were created during the Shanxi Province in northern China and were among
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the oldest instrument in the world. They are played by striking the bell with mallets that creates
different sounds which creates music. The music produced gives life to links and daily practiced
rituals and connects art and music in ancient China. Another set of bronze bells were also a
special ceremonial instrumental set from the tomb of Marquis Yi which was too precious to
touch, yet used later with many different tunes and sounds made from it.




















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