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 and philosophical ideas credited to him. Confucius left no writings behind, however. Historians don’t know what he actually said. His followers collected his teachings after his death. They put them in a work called The Analects, which means “Selected Sayings.”
Confucius didn’t think he was coming up with original ideas. He was merely repeating ancient Chinese wisdom. History is a big part of Confucian beliefs. For Confucius, the key to an ideal society was in the past.
Confucius lived in China from 551 to 479 BCE. He was troubled by the wars at this time. He developed his ideas to help calm the unrest. His teachings would make a huge impact on Chinese culture.
The Confucian solution
Confucius believed that certain virtues could restore order. He thought people needed to be loyal and trustworthy. He created rules to teach these virtues. He thought people had to constantly reflect upon their behavior.
At first, everyday folks were interested in Confucius’ ideas. Then, Confucian ideas became popular with politicians. Confucianism became the official belief system of the Chinese state. It did not call for harsh laws. It was 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
The Confucian social order was based on “five key relationships.” Four of these relationships were unequal. Fathers were above sons. Husbands were above wives. Older siblings were above younger ones. Rulers were above their subjects. The last relationship was between friends. This was equal.2
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.
These relationships were meant to work in harmony. The side with more power had to act with concern for the other side. This would then help the lesser person obey and respect the superior.
The family acted as an example for society. Respect and honor for elder family members were incredibly important. It was also important to admire ancestors.
In the Confucian family structure, men came first. Women were expected to take care of the family and the home. Most women did not work outside the home.
Confucian ideas stressed compassion in relationships. The most superior person in society was the emperor. He had to provide for his subjects and make sure that there was justice.
People could still move up in society. Common people could improve themselves and gain important positions through education and proper behavior.
Confucianism was a very political belief system. It was focused on keeping order in relationships at many levels. It was less concerned with spiritual issues. Confucius said that humans have yet to understand this life. They therefore can’t really know what is beyond it. Little thought was given to concepts like heaven, hell, and reincarnation. Instead, Confucius and his followers focused on practical, worldly affairs. They looked to maintain harmony in family, government, 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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