Confucius & Confucianism

Confucius and Confucianism

Confucianism , Religion and Human Community

Some scholars insist that Confucianism is not a religion . It does not teach about God , heaven , or the afterlife . Rather , it is a philosophy that aims to teach how to live responsibly , ethically , and wisely . And really , Confucianism is not quite a religion in the modern sense of the term , it has shown the elasticity of the world 's great religions justifying oppressors and giving comfort to the oppressed . Several times it was thought to be dead or dying , and on each of those

occasions it has been reborn with renewed vitality , most recently in the past few decades

There is a lot of myth and legend surrounding Confucius . We actually have very little information about his life and times . What is known about Confucius comes mostly from his students . Confucius taught through informal conversation , leaving no written lessons . But he attracted many disciples (followers ) who collected his teachings and wrote them down These teachings , which stress the need to develop character , healthy social relationships , and a sense of responsibility , became the core of the philosophy known as Confucianism (Feng 89-90

The most important text of Confucianism is The Analects . It was not written by Confucius , but contains many sayings collected by his earliest students . On young people , for example "The Master said 'A youth , when at home , should be filial (an obedient child , and abroad respectful to his elders . He should be earnest and truthful . He should overflow in love to all , and cultivate the friendship of the good (Waley 82

Confucius , or Kong Fuzi in Chinese , is believed to have lived from 551 to 479 B .C . He was born into a noble family in northeastern China . After his parents died , the young Confucius became a teacher . During this time , China was in a state of chaos . The Zhou dynasty (ruling family had little control over the vast country . Instead , rival lords competed for power and land , and waged war on each other . The bloodshed prompted many teachers and philosophers to devise ways to bring peace to China They wandered from city to city , hoping to spread their ideas for reform . Confucius was one of these traveling teachers . He tried to offer his ideas to the lords , but none of them were interested . He never succeeded in becoming an official at court or a confidant to important people (Feng 91-93

Disappointed , Confucius returned home to open a school . Through his teachings , he sought to better society by encouraging proper conduct between human beings . The core of Confucianism is the idea of benevolence , or kindness . According to Confucius , one becomes benevolent by following a set of guidelines (rules ) of acceptable behavior . Through the practice of these rituals (repetitive acts , one can learn to become a better person and lead a good life . Confucius believed the world would be harmonious if individuals were kind and respectful in five basic relationships : father and son , husband and wife , elder brother and younger brother , elder...