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Development of Confucianism

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Confucianism is an ancient philosophy that teaches respect and kindness. It is similar to

the biblical saying, “treat others the same way you would want them to treat you.” Just like it,

this ancient Chinese philosophy teaches, “do not treat others the same way you would want them

not to treat you.” It is similar to the Christian teaching of loving others. It, however, is not a

religion like Christianity. Confucianism is built on kindness, respect for each other, and

appreciating the character values (Study.com, 2020). The foundation of this philosophy is that

society can develop tremendously only when there is positive interaction by people amongst

themselves.

The philosophy of Confucianism was developed by a Chinese master Kong Qiu also

known as Kong Zi (551-479 B.C.E) (Violatti & Violatti, 2020). He was named Confucius by

missionaries who had visited the area. The concept, however, or the fundamental principles of

Confucianism were established long before his birth, in the era of the Zhou dynasty. During this

time, the basic principles of respect and the well-being of others were common. There, however,

was an emphasis on the matters of the spirit and precisely, the righteousness of the spirit and the

authority to govern for the people given the power (Study.com, 2020). These ideas were only

meant for the unity of the people, have stability and prevention of rebellions.

As Confucius taught, he never wrote anything, but rather let his students do the writing.

Confucius taught that social rituals were specific ways through which we associated with others.

In all our relationships, there is a specified role that we ought to play. For us to keep these

relationships healthy, then we need to know what is our role, and the way to live it out.

Confucianism identifies five significant relationships in life. The first is the relationship between

the ruler and the subjects, husband and wife, father and son, elder brother and a younger brother,

and friends. Three of these relationships are based on the family, and the rest apart, the last are
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hierarchical. This means that one person has power over the other or is above the other. Friends,

however, are equal. Confucius named the family as the pillar of society and therefore has the

most important relationship. Knowing your role is very important. The role of the husband, for

instance, is that he is supposed to be kind and listen to the wife, while the wife should obey the

husband since that is her role (Study.com, 2020). Adhering to your responsibility in Chinese is

referred to as Li in Chinese, while kindness to others is known as Ren.

After the death of Confucius, Confucianism was developed by Mencius (372-289 B.C).

Mencius believed in Confucianism but was not a direct student of Confucius. He introduced a

new concept known as Yi ("Confucianism - The Analects as the embodiment of Confucian ideas",

2020). This meant that people did well because they were obliged to do so or because of an

obligation. Confucianism became the presiding political ideology during the Han Dynasty (206-

220 B.C) (Violatti & Violatti, 2020). It, however, was not smoothly accepted by all members of the

society, as some of the members were opposed to the concept. Qin Shi Huang the emperor

during this time, banned Confucianism, due to the criticism he received from them. He ordered

that all histories be burned. Confucianism has, however, continued to influence the Chinese

culture to date and preservation of Chinese culture and values.

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References

Confucianism - The Analects as the embodiment of Confucian ideas. Encyclopedia Britannica. (2020).

Retrieved 12 March 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Confucianism/The-Analects-as-

the-embodiment-of-Confucian-ideas.

Study.com. (2020). Retrieved 12 March 2020, from https://study.com/academy/lesson/confucianism-

definition-beliefs-history.html.

Violatti, C., & Violatti, C. (2020). Confucianism. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12 March 2020,

from https://www.ancient.eu/Confucianism/.