Social Structure:

Buddhism and Confucianism

By: Gregory Muir, Hannah

Ornatowski, James Fraser
 Beliefs of Confucianism
• System of thought based on Confucius who lived from
551to 479 B.C.
• Had a moral code based on ethics
• Emphasized the ideas of order, humanity, and harmony
• Believed that good government would bring happiness to all
people
• Believed in five human relationships:
o 1. Father to son
o 2. Husband to wife
o 3. Older brother to younger brother
o 4. Friend to Friend
o 5. Ruler to subject
 Beliefs of Confucianism
(Continued)
• System of examinations were developed for government
service
o The goal was to make jobs available to all with equal
opportunity without regards to class
o Tests to get jobs were strongly based on the ideas of
Confucianism
o The ability to do well on test required lots of previous
schooling (which favored the rich)
Confucius
 Beliefs of Buddhism
• Founded by Siddhartha Gautama
• objective of Buddhism is to attain Nirvana, which is a state
of total spiritual satisfaction
• The Buddhist teaching revolves around human suffering
and man can solve this problem without the aid of any
external or super natural force
• Buddha means the enlightened or awakened one
• Basic structure of beliefs include the four noble truths:
o 1. The truth that suffering exists
o 2.The truth that there is a cause a that suffering
o 3. The truth that suffering can end
o 4. The truth of the way that leads to the cessation of
suffering
 Beliefs of Buddhism Continued

• The Eightfold Path- the way to the end of suffering, as laid

out by the Buddha
• the right view
• the right intention
• the right speech
• the right action
• the right livelihood
• the right effort
• the right mindfulness
• the right concentration
Spread of Buddhism
 Caste System of Confucianism
• Private schools funneled students for the examinations
students
• Those who’s families who could afford the money for
schooling were favored
• While originally the system was trying to equalize the caste
systems when taking the exams, previous schooling was
required to do well which only the rich could afford
• Proximity to the capital and connection to the imperial court
helped in gaining position to becoming an elite
• Village communities might sponsor the education of a boy
from a commoner family which would enable him to
become an elite
• The examination system sometimes provided someone of
social inability to rise above
Confucianism
 Caste System of Buddhism
• Siddhartha addressed himself to anyone; the rich and
powerful, or the poor and weak
• Disregarded class destinations and helped all of them
equally
• During the time of the Buddha there was a major caste
system consisting of:
o Priest- the top class claiming their authority
o Warriors-upper middle class which the Buddha was born
into
o Traders-lower middle
o Laborers-bottom of the caste system
o Outside the caste system were the sudra who were
considered so impure that they did not even deserve to
be in the caste system
• Buddhism brought all people of all castes together
Caste System of Buddhism
Caste System of Buddhism Continued

• Siddhartha was a strong critic of the caste system

• He did not believe that your place should be based on what
level you were born into, but what you have done in your
life
• He did not like how preists claimed total control
• He accepted all, even the sudra, which at that time was
unheard of
• Present day caste systems are beginning to be less severe
and are diminishing
Differences of Two Religions According
to Caste Systems
• While both religions tried to equalize the availability of
conversion to all, Buddhism was more successful.
• Success in Confucianism was expressed in examinations
and how well you did while in Buddhism it was expressed by
the end of suffering
• Buddhism questioned the authority of the original religious
leaders
 Bibliography
• Saiddhatissa “The Buddha’s Way”
• "Confucianism-World Religions"
• http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/dharmadata/fdd53.htm
• http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/CliffsReviewTopic/Hinduism-
Buddhism-Confucianism-and-Taoism.topicArticleId-26957,articleId-
26930.html
• Stearns, Peter "Experiencing World History"
• Stearns, Peter "World Civilizations: The Global Experience"