Confucianism
The teaching Confucius. Portrait by Wu Daozi, 685-758 CE, Tang Dynasty. Public domain.
Introduction
Many people quote Confucius. There are hundreds of wise sayings credited to him. Confucius didn’t leave any writings behind, however. Historians don’t know what he really said. His followers put his ideas in a book after his death. The book is called The Analects. It means “Selected Sayings.”
Confucius didn’t come up with original ideas. He was spreading ancient Chinese wisdom. For Confucius, the solution for ideal society was in the past.
Confucius lived from 551 to 479 BCE. This was a time of many wars in China. Confucius hoped his teachings would ease these problems. His teachings made a huge impact on Chinese culture.
The Confucian solution
Confucius believed that certain virtues could restore order. He wanted people to be loyal and trustworthy. He created rules to live by. He thought that people should always reflect upon their actions.
At first, everyday folks were interested in Confucius’ ideas. Then, Confucius’ ideas were popular with politicians. Confucianism became the official belief system of the government. Confucianism did not promote harsh laws. It was more about making people want to be good.1
A Confucian ritual ceremony in Autumn in Jeju, South Korea. After the ritual ceremony, they burn ancestral tablets made of paper. By joonghijung, CC BY 2.0.
Confucianism and social order
Fourteenth of The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars, a sculpture depicting a figure from a classic text of Confucian filial piety written by Guo Jujing during the Yuan dynasty (1260–1368 CE). By Dingar, public domain.
Confucius taught that there were “five key relationships.” Four of these were unequal. Fathers were above sons. Husbands were above wives. Older siblings were above younger ones. Rulers were above their subjects. The other relationship was between friends. This relationship was equal.2
Confucius thought that these relationships created harmony. The more powerful person had to care for the lesser person. This would help the lesser person respect the more powerful person.
The family was an example for society. It was important to respect family elders. It was also important to honor ancestors. Women had less power than men. Women were expected to care for the family. They usually did not work outside the home.
Confucius taught compassion between social groups. The most powerful person was the emperor. He was expected to provide for his subjects.
People could still move up in society. Common people could improve themselves and gain important positions through education and proper behavior.
Confucianism was very political. It was meant to keep order in relationships. It focused less on spiritual issues. Confucius said that humans did not understand this life. Therefore, they could not understand what was beyond it. There was little thought about heaven and hell. Confucius and his followers focused on practical matters. The focus was on keeping harmony in the family and the community.
1 Legalism is a Chinese philosophy that also sought to maintain order in society. Legalists taught that in order to achieve stability people must obey a set of strict laws that were enforced by rulers and government officials they also had to obey. The last article in this jigsaw discusses this philosophy in more depth.
2 Confucianism stressed the importance of complementary relationships. Complementary meaning harmonious or each side contributes to the overall balance of the whole. This idea of balance can also be seen in the concept of the yin and yang, where two, sometimes opposing, forces can come together in harmony.
Sources
Bulliet, Richard W. The Earth and Its Peoples : A Global History. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2011.
Strayer, Robert W. Ways of the World: A Brief Global History with Sources; Volume 2: Since the Fifteenth Century. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2019.
Tignor, Robert L. Worlds Together, Worlds Apart: [A History of the World]. 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2011.
Eman M. Elshaikh
The author of this article is Eman M. Elshaikh. She is a writer, researcher, and teacher who has taught K-12 and undergraduates in the United States and in the Middle East. She teaches writing at the University of Chicago, where she also completed her master’s in social sciences and is currently pursuing her PhD. She was previously a World History Fellow at Khan Academy, where she worked closely with the College Board to develop curriculum for AP World History.
Image credits
This work is licensed under CC BY 4.0 except for the following:
Cover: Silk painting (probably Sung Dynasty) showing Chinese philosopher & teacher Confucius lecturing students in the Classics of Filial Piety around 500 BC. © Photo by Howard Sochurek/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images.
The teaching Confucius. Portrait by Wu Daozi, 685-758 CE, Tang Dynasty. Public domain. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucius#/media/File:Confucius_Tang_Dynasty.jpg
A Confucian ritual ceremony in Autumn in Jeju, South Korea. After the ritual ceremony, they burn ancestral tablets made of paper. By joonghijung, CC BY 2.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism#/media/File:Korean_Confucianism-Chugyedaeje-02.jpg
Fourteenth of The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars, a sculpture depicting a figure from a classic text of Confucian filial piety written by Guo Jujing during the Yuan dynasty (1260–1368 CE). By Dingar, public domain. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism#/media/File:%E5%B0%9D%E7%B2%AA%E5%BF%83%E5%BF%A7.JPG
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