Philosophy
Confucius lived in about 500BC. At that time Chinese religion consisted of several gods and spirits and veered towards mysticism and Taoism. There was no central religious authority and practice could possibly differ extensively among households and in between regions. Confucius appears to have not adhered to Taoism - which believed in a all-natural and divine order of items - rather he placed large significance on ritual; certainly he produced his name and profession was as a master of ritual. It is maybe a reflection of this conservatism that he did not see himself as a creator of suggestions yet merely as a transmitter of suggestions. Several of the concepts which he taught he had taken from his reading of the ancient Book of Songs.
The disorganised nature of the Analects tends to make it complicated to pull out one particular narrative or theme from Confucius' philosophy, certainly he taught that people today should really study and assume deeply for themselves and not rely on 1 doctrine. Having said that one particular of the themes operating across the Analects is the significance of compassion and practicing concern for other folks. Inside this framework the goal of ritual is as a way of reconciling a single's personal desires with that of the household and the neighborhood as a complete. Respect for your parents and your elders is too important in attaining the important purpose of social harmony.
Confucius's teaching as well touched on what could possibly currently be referred to as the philosophy of management. He believed in the value consulting the ideal authorities and on judging an individual by their actions. He too felt that you need to be cautious under no circumstances to disregard a person's words merely for the reason that of their behaviour.
Confucius felt that he was living in a time exactly where the political institutions had broken down. He disagreed with the prevailing legalistic strategy of guidelines and laws as he felt that it basically meant men and women would bend and manipulate the laws just to stay clear of punishment. Rather he championed rule by virtue; the theory getting that if folks are led by virtue then they will come to comply with virtue themselves.
Legacy
In spite of a lack of results in his personal lifetime he tips gradually gained ground and in about one hundred BC Confucianism became the official state ideology. His teachings had been not often rigorously applied however he has nonetheless had an massive influence on Chinese history - maybe a lot more than any other single person. A dramatic demonstration of his influence and his theories about conservatism and ritual meant that Chinese language, dress and basic culture of remained practically unchanged from 1st century BC appropriate up to the 19th century. This astonishing continuity meant that China remained in the end steady and peaceful yet it probably came at a price of improvement and innovation. Yet another instance of his influences and as well the unintended consequences of his suggestions comes with the well-known written examinations for civil positions. These examinations have been developed to encourage meritocracy in government, Even so the examinations had been restricted to set texts and so did not encourage free of charge considering or no cost understanding. The end result was a extremely educated but hugely conservative ruling elite.
The only period in the final two,000 years exactly where Confucianism has not held sway in China was in the course of the Cultural Revolution though it was decried as becoming as well individualistic and also tied to ritual. Nonetheless right after the death of Mao it swiftly returned to favour - Confucius Globe in Qufu remains a main tourist attraction these days.
In the West he is possibly most effective recognized for the 'Confucius He Say' series of jokes, such as 'Confucius He Say: Man who reduce self though shaving, drop face'. It is a tribute of sorts that a man who lived in China two,500 years ago is popular adequate to have his style of speaking parodied these days.
Peter Geer is a companion of Crazy Dragon Books [http://crazydragonbooks.co.uk] which specialises in books relating to all elements of Chinese History and Culture. If you would like extra information and facts or sources on Confucius, his life and his philosophy see the Chinese philosophy books [http://crazydragonbooks.co.uk/philosophy] section of Crazy Dragon Books
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