Confucius and confucianism

Before I can go into his philosophical views and ideas, it’s best if I give a slight background of his life.

Confucius (551-479 BC) was a teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher that lived during the Spring and Autumn periods of Chinese history. Confucius lost his father when he was just three years old, resulting in him being raised by a single mother. He got married at age 19 and had his first child shortly after. When he was 23, his mom past away, causing Confucius a great amount of grieve. He gained a massive amount of reputation due to the widespread popularity of his teachings. He eventually became the Minister of Crime. When the regime that he was a part of becoming too powerful, a neighboring state decided to sabotage the government. As a result, Confucius left his country in 497 and did not return to China until he was 68. He spent the last of his days teaching to a group of disciples.

The core of Confucianism is humanistic, a philosophical stance that emphasizes the value of human beings, both individuals and groups, and generally prefers critical thinking over faith. This stance rests on the belief that humans are teachable, improvable, and through personal endeavors, can reach a level of human perfection. The ethics of Confucianism are powered by the Five Constants: Ren (humaneness), Yi (justice), Li (proper rite), Zhi (knowledge), and Xin (faithfulness).

Humaneness denotes the good feeling a human experiences when being altruistic, showing concern with the well-being of others. Humaneness relies heavily on the relationships between two people, while encompassing much more than that. It represents an inner development towards reaching a goal of altruism. This also depends on realizing that one is never alone, and that everyone has these relationships to fall back on.

Justice is the second of the Five Constants. This one focuses strictly on the moral disposition do good things in life. This is different from humaneness because humaneness focuses on building an emotional attachment. Justice focuses on achieving actions of greatness.

Proper rite is the third of the Five Constants. Rite is defined as a religious act. Although on its face, it makes it seem one must be religious to be ethical under the views of Confucianism, however, it’s not the religion but the act itself that is needed for Confucian ethics. To Confucius, religious acts help the person feel at peace with his/her soul and one with his/her mind. This peace and unity of body and mind are there to keep a person ethical.

Knowledge is the fourth of the Five Constants. Zhi is concerned with the ability to grasp and appreciate the value and legitimacy of something. Everything one can observe and learn should constantly be subject to a process of evaluation and reflection. Learning and reflection about what is being absorbed, can lead to the way of righteousness.

Xin, or faithfulness, is the final of the Five Constants. This refers to keeping one’s word and being faithful. Faithfulness requires people to keep their words according to the rules of courtesy with the hope of avoiding conflicts. Faithfulness is important in building personal character and relationships.

These Five Constants, along with a few other moral ideas of Confucius, are keys in building a strong moral character. Having peace of mind, and unity between body and soul, can lead to a life of happiness.

references:
http://asiasociety.org/countries/religions-philosophies/confucianism
http://www.patheos.com/Library/Confucianism.html
http://www.crystalinks.com/confucianism.html
http://www.biography.com/people/confucius-9254926

2 thoughts on “Confucius and confucianism”

  1. I’ve never heard of Confucianism before and I enjoyed reading about it. Values and ethics from thousands of years ago still hold true to this day. The path to happiness is different for everyone but I think his beliefs outline some common ideas that lead humans on the path to happiness. This was an interesting post and I’m excited to see who else you talk about.

  2. The Five Constants definitely sound like good guidelines for living one’s life, although I don’t believe that they will necessarily lead one toward perfection. I don’t think humans are capable of reaching such a goal, and trying to do so will only bring disappointment and frustration. I’m not sure if Confucius was trying to say that people can attain perfection or not, but if he was then I wholeheartedly disagree. Living by the Five Constants could certainly bring happiness, although I don’t think it is guaranteed. Sometimes bad things happen to people who live good lives, and despite all their positive qualities, they have difficulty handling it. These concepts were interesting, and I’d love to learn more about them!

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