Kung, the Master, who is known in the West as ConfuciusAs introduced by the Chou dynasty in the 11th century BCE, he is the one Supreme God believed to control the destinies of all mankind.The first major interpreter of Confucianism, he lived approximately 100 years after the death of Confucius and emphasized the natural goodness of human beings, believing that the right environment would make it possible for all people to live virtuously.Title given to the founder of Taoism, it means “Old Master” or “Old Boy” or “Old Baby.”The second major interpreter of Confucius, he (1) emphasized more than Confucius had the role of li (rites, ceremonies) in organizing and educating people, and (2) denied the basic goodness of people, saying that people are inclined towards evil.

Who is considered the founder of Taoism?

Which philosophy or belief system did some Chinese rulers use to justify their absolute power over their subjects?ConfucianismImperialismDaoismbureaucratismlegalism

important person in chinese history

SH1910 05 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 1 of 3 The East Asian Belief Systems and Religions While East Asia's most predominant religion is Buddhism, there are two belief systems and an ancient religion worth of note to be studied. Two of them came from China, while the other came from Japan. CONFUCIANISM Origins of Confucianism Confucianism is a philosophy created or at least spread by an ancient Chinese scholar – Kung Fu Tze or simply Confucius. It began merely as a desire to find the most righteous path for leaders to take. As he studied, the philosophy he developed came to apply to more than just the leader and cover practically all aspects of Chinese society. The Basic Confucianist Beliefs Confucianism's original purpose is to reinforce state leaders' responsibility, especially with the "mandate of heaven," which is a widely held belief in the Chinese government during that time. The mandate of heaven is the concept that the gods choose the emperor to rule all over China. That being said, Confucius desired for leaders to understand more of their responsibility towards their subjects. He began attracting followers, and they were the ones who compiled his teachings and thoughts into the main book of Confucianist view, the Analects. While their teachings cover a vast majority of topics, the common theme within the Analects and the rest of Confucianist works was respect towards people and the value of education. Education for Confucian philosophy is an essential factor for people to become a better person. Studying the past allows people to learn from people's mistakes then and make them a better person. As for relationships, Confucius narrowed it down into five (5) essential relationships. 5 BASIC RELATIONSHIPS 1. Father-Son/Parent-Child • This relationship focuses on the aspect that the child has an obligation to his parent, and the parent is also responsible for raising his child to become a better person. • This is one of the main aspects of why familial relationships and inheritance are seen with high regard in Chinese society. Therefore, sons are sometimes favored over daughters to continue the 'family name.' 2. Elder Brother-Younger Brother • As Elder Sibling-Younger Sibling, this aspect focuses on an older sibling's responsibilities to his younger sibling/s. This emphasizes the kind of example the older brother must show to his younger siblings worthy of his father's inheritance. • This is another reason why there was once a predominant belief that the oldest son must be married first than any other of his siblings in Chinese families. 3. Husband-Wife • This relationship focuses on the duties of couples to each other. While the husband's primary purpose is to provide for the family's needs, the wife must also take care of the home and the family to ensure the continuation of the family's lineage. • Inadvertently, this kind of belief reinforced the idea that women were lower than men in ancient times. 4. Elder Friend-Younger Friend • Like the elder sibling-younger sibling relationship, this primarily focuses more on what kind of lessons can be imparted to the younger friend by the older friend. 5. Ruler-Subject • Perhaps one of the most focal points of Confucianist beliefs, this relationship focuses on the idea that the emperor has a role in fulfilling, ensuring his subjects' lives are acceptable. If not, he loses the mandate of heaven. • It also presupposes that for the ruler to accomplish that, the subjects must be willing to fulfill its government's goal. THE CONFUCIAN VIRTUES SH1910 05 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 2 of 3 1. Ren (Benevolence or humaneness) It means generally doing things that benefit other people. A person practicing ren has compassion for others. 2. Li (Propriety) It means acting appropriately in a given situation. This includes acting in situations such as religious rites, speaking, behaving, dressing, etc. 3. Shu (Reciprocity) Essentially, this is the Golden Rule: Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you. It means doing good deeds, which would gain you respect, so people who treat you do not treat you negatively. 4. Xiao (Filial Piety) It is to show love, respect, and devotion to one's family and the community's elders. This does not just include ones, direct relatives. There is also a form of filial piety between the ruler and subject. 5. Wen (Culture) This points to appreciating one's culture and even acquiring the skills to enhance that culture further. THE SACRED TEXTS While these texts are not in most ways religious, certain portions do touch on religious rites. These texts' primary purpose is to guide those practicing Confucianism on how they should make themselves better. A. The Five Classics 1. Book of History/Documents A collection of the deeds of emperors and contains the idea of the Mandate of Heaven. They are mostly used to help guide rulers to become better emperors. 2. Book of Poetry A collection of 305 poems of the Zhou period, whose topics include love and war, are grouped into folk songs, festal songs sun at court ceremonies, hymns, and eulogies sung at sacrifices to heroes ancestral spirits of the royal house. 3. Book of Changes It is a divination book that refers to a system that shows the universe's patterns by using the hexagrams that supposedly predict the future. This book introduced the concept of yin and yang. 4. Book of Rites It is a book containing detailed rules for performing rites and court ceremonies. 5. Spring and Autumn Annals A collection of historical records about Lu's state, the state where Confucius was born and died. B. The Four Books 1. Analects A collection of the sayings, speeches, and discussions of Confucius and his followers. It is a collection of Confucius's writings as Confucius did not write down his teachings. 2. Great Learning It discusses how it is to be a noble person and deals with three central Confucian concerns: education, morality, and politics. It focuses on developing one's virtue through learning. This is a chapter in the Book of the Rites. 3. Doctrine of the Mean This book demonstrates the relation of the Way of Heaven, which teaches harmony and essentially a life of moderation or equilibrium (believed to have significantly influenced or have been greatly influenced by Daoism). 4. Mencius A collection of the teachings of Mencius, mostly of his conversations with kings during his time. It is written similarly to the Analects. Mencius is considered the second great Confucian thinker after Confucius. THE CONCEPT OF JUNZI Like Taoism's teachings, the Confucian belief added that a person needs to be in harmony with heaven's way. But, unlike Taoism, Confucian belief suggests that education is the primary way to achieve harmony with heaven's way. Such an ideal human is called a junzi, translated as a superior, excellent, or noble person. SH1910 0 5 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 3 of 3 Challenges to Confucianism 1. Modernity • There is a problem in Confucian belief clashing with more modern beliefs such as communism, pragmatism, and modern technology. • Pragmatism also suggests that Confucian belief of relationships is somewhat similar to that of enslavement. By dictating , one needs to revere their ancestors, pragmatists question when their ancestors are evil and oppressive . 2. Legacy Building • While the original intent is to respect their dead loved ones, ancestral veneration has evolved in Chinese culture to become a legacy -building tradition, focusing too much on making a name for themselves. Unsuccessful members are considered at times trash and are shunned from the family. • The last names of Chinese families are desired to be passed ; hence there is a 'favoritism ' towards male children as they can continue the family name — others involve d in arranged marriages as part of business deals. 3. Inequality to Women • There is also a question on how China is primarily a patriarchal community – meaning there is a premium on men. Traditionally, China reserved its educational and political system for men. Women are only expected to take care of their husband 's home. References: Mabaquiao, N. (2017) The Padayon Series: Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems. Quezon City: Phoenix Publishing House Inc. Manaloto, C. & Rapadas, M. (2016). Pilgrimage to sacred spaces: an introduction to world religions. Quezon City: Phoenix Publishing House Inc.

Under Song emperors, the idea of scholar-officials reached its height. The Song relied on civil service exams and made them available to far more candidates, creating a meritocracy.A new school of thought known as neo-Confucianism influenced the exams. This new teaching blended the teachings of Confucius with elements of Buddhism and Daoism (two traditional religions in China).A Confucian scholar, Zhu Xi (JU SHEE), commented on classic Chinese writings. In 1190, his work was published as the Four Books, which became the basis of study for all civil service exams.Confucius taught that people must act properly in five important relationships: ruler and subject, father and son, older sibling and younger sibling, husband and wife, and friend and friend. Except for friends, one person in each relationship is above the other. Those above should be kind to those below, while those below should respect and obey those above. In particular, subjects must be loyal to their rulers. Song emperors and scholars believed that officials who had studied Confucius would be rational, moral, and able to maintain order.Under the Song, people from lower classes gained the ability to become scholar-officials since they could attend the new state-supported schools and continue on to the university. If they passed a local test, they became eligible to take the imperial exam in the capital. On those exams, they wrote essays and poems in a certain style and answered questions about political and social problems based on Confucian ideas.The exams were organized to prevent cheating. Candidates were locked in a small room for several days. A second person copied each paper so that the examiners would not know whose work they were reading.Only a small proportion of candidates passed the difficult exams. Those who failed could take the tests again in the future. Those who passed had to wait a few years before their first appointment. When it came, it was for a job far from their hometown, so that they could not give unfair advantages to their family and friends. At the end of three years, officials could move up in rank.Despite the challenges, people were happy to receive such respected positions. As government officials, they also enjoyed certain privileges, such as being excused from taxes and military service.