4.5 Two Major Belief Systems Take Root part 1

Two Major Belief Systems Take Root

The late Zhou times was feudal wars

Economic and social change

disrupted old ways of life

Two belief systems, Confucianism

and Daoism, emerged as a result

Both wanted to restore social order

and maintain harmony with nature

They shaped Chinese civilization for

more than 2,500 years

Confucius Spreads His Wisdom

The philosopher-teacher Confucius

was born in 551 B.C.E.

The name Confucius is the Western

form of the name Kong Fuzi, or

Master Kong

Confucius he belonged to a noble but

poor family

A brilliant scholar, he hoped to

become an adviser to a local ruler

Teaching

He wandered from court to court

talking to rulers about how to govern

Unable to find a permanent

government position for years he

turned to teaching

As his reputation for wisdom grew,

he attracted many students

The Analects

Confucius never wrote down his

ideas and teachings

After his death, his students collected

his sayings into a book named the

Analects

The sayings offered advice for living a

good and honorable life

The Analects

Confucius took little interest in

spiritual matters

He developed a philosophy that was

concerned with worldly goals, those

that ensuring social order and good

government

He studied ancient texts to learn the

rules of conduct that had guided the

ancestors

Five Relationships Shape Behavior

Confucius taught that harmony

resulted when people accepted their

place in society

He stressed five key relationships: 1. ruler to subject

2.parent to child

3. husband to wife

4. elder brother to younger brother

5. friend to friend

Five Relationships Shape Behavior

Older people were superior to younger ones and men were superior to women (traditional for China)

Confucius believed that, except for friendship, none of these relationships were equal

Everyone had duties and responsibilities, depending on his or her position

Superiors should care for their inferiors and set a good example

Inferiors owed loyalty and obedience to their superiors

Correct behavior would bring order and stability

Filial piety, or respect for parents, above all other duties, even loyalty to the state

Honesty, hard work, and concern for others were other values

“Do not do to others,” he declared, “what you do not wish yourself.”

Government

It is a ruler’s responsibility to provide good government and the people would be respectful and loyal subjects

Confucius believed that people were naturally good

The best ruler was a virtuous man who led by example

Confucius put great emphasis on education for men

He urged rulers to take the advice of wise, educated men

In time, education would become the road to advancement in Chinese society

Confucianism Has Great Influence

After Confucius died his ideas

influenced many aspects of Chinese

life

Confucianism never became a

religion but over many centuries,

Chinese rulers would base their

governments on Confucian ideas

Only scholars educated in Confucian

thought could become government

officials

The emphasis on filial piety supported traditions like reverence for ancestors and the importance of family

Also reinforced the social hierarchy of inferior and superior while stressing the mutual duties of each

Introduced a long-lasting Chinese belief that the universe reflected a delicate balance between two forces, yin and yang

Yin was linked to Earth, darkness, and female forces, while yang stood for heaven, light, and male forces

To the Chinese, these forces were not in opposition and the well-being of the universe depended on harmony between yin and yang

People could play a role in maintaining this harmony

Confucianism Spreads

Dedicated students of his teachings kept his ideas alive

Confucianism became the official state philosophy for some kings

Hundreds of millions of people in Korea, Japan, and Vietnam accepted Confucian beliefs

Nearly one third of the world’s population came under the influence of these ideas