Explore the historical foundation of Confucianism, its basic world view structure, and its path and method of salvation. Information on how the religion impacts cultures.
Although all the historical facts regarding the Chinese philosopher Confucius are held in dispute, it is agreed that he lived c. 551-470 B.C. during a time of political chaos. The factions and political intrigue created by competing warlords and their armies led to an ethos of uncertainty, fear and uncertainty during this time. Confucius saw a sharp difference between the disunity and lack of harmony that existed in this chaotic society as opposed to the harmony and orderliness of nature. His philosophy sought to consciously bridge the gap, viewing nature as the prototype.
Confucius considered himself to be a traditionalist at heart, opposed to innovation or to thinking without learning from the past. Part of creating harmony, for Confucius, involved sitting at the feet of history as a student, rather than arbitrarily thinking thoughts as if out of thin air. From this epistemological base, the philosopher's task was to teach harmony and unity through conformity, rather than emphasizing differences or individuality. Three paths for bringing about conformity were Li, or the ritualization of life; Te, or government by virtue; and Wen, or peace and cooperation.
Through ritual, diversity is brought into conformity in a common work. Government by virue involved adhering to an ethical standard which suppressed, or possibly oppressed, any inkling of disharmony, as well as revering the Emperor and the hierarchial structure of ancestry. The ethic of peace and cooperation involved dying to one's individuality in order to emphasize the harmonious unity of government.
Confucius seemed to seek to impose ethical behavior from the abstract, as opposed to the interior method advocated by Lao-Tsu (the founder of Taoism). According to tradition, Confucius is said to have met Lao-Tsu, and was not received favorably by the latter. It is more likely, however, that Lao-Tsu lived after Confucius and that the Tao te Ching was largely written in reaction to the philosophy of Confucius.
The major text of historic Confuciusism is *The Analects* , which somewhat like the Tao te Ching of Lao-Tsu is a series of short, concise sayings. These writings concentrate upon the development of human character, since duty and moral obligation lay within each person. Thus, the more one develops his own unique sense of character and obligation, the more he will be compelled to live in harmony with society. This inward dimension of Confucius's otherwise external philosophy emphasizes personal righteounsness (yi), a quality of unique character that only humans can possess and develop, which is unaffected by possible results or consequences. For someone to truly be righteous and live in harmony with society, he must act from within this inward quality, and not with ulterior motives. For Confucius, any desire for personal reward or benefit that acts as a motive for otherwise good-seeming acts is not truly a moral act.
Confuciusism promotes an orderly life whereby a culture attempts to conform to an abstract mode of ethics, rooted in tradition. This involves each person finding their own role in society and being responsible and righteous in it, seeking harmony in everything whether large or small, and conforming in every way by living in harmony with cosmic law and the orderliness of the societal structure--which in turn is patterned on the structure of nature.
