Confucianism,also known as Ruism or Ru classicism,is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China,and is variously described as a tradition,philosophy,religion,theory of government,or way of life. Confucianism developed from teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius (551–479 BCE),during a time that was later referred to as the Hundred Schools of Thought era. Confucius considered himself a transmitter of cultural values inherited from the Xia (c. 2070–1600 BCE),Shang (c. 1600–1046 BCE) and Western Zhou (c. 1046–771 BCE) dynasties. Confucianism was suppressed during the Legalist and autocratic Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE),but survived. During the Han dynasty,Confucian approaches edged out the "proto-Taoist" Huang–Lao as the official ideology,while the emperors mixed both with the realist techniques of Legalism.
Chinese philosophy originates in the Spring and Autumn period and Warring States period,during a period known as the "Hundred Schools of Thought",which was characterized by significant intellectual and cultural developments. Although much of Chinese philosophy begun in the Warring States period,elements of Chinese philosophy have existed for several thousand years. Some can be found in the I Ching,an ancient compendium of divination,which dates back to at least 672 BCE.
Confucius,born Kong Qiu (孔丘),was a Chinese philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages,as well as the first teacher in China to advocate for mass education. Much of the shared cultural heritage of the Sinosphere originates in the philosophy and teachings of Confucius. His philosophical teachings,called Confucianism,emphasized personal and governmental morality,harmonious social relationships,righteousness,kindness,sincerity,and a ruler's responsibilities to lead by virtue.
The Chinese classics or canonical texts are the works of Chinese literature authored prior to the establishment of the imperial Qin dynasty in 221 BC. Prominent examples include the Four Books and Five Classics in the Neo-Confucian tradition,themselves an abridgment of the Thirteen Classics. The Chinese classics used a form of written Chinese consciously imitated by later authors,now known as Classical Chinese. A common Chinese word for "classic" literally means 'warp thread',in reference to the techniques by which works of this period were bound into volumes.
Mencius was a Chinese Confucian philosopher,often described as the Second Sage (亞聖) to reflect his traditional esteem relative to Confucius himself. He was part of Confucius's fourth generation of disciples,inheriting his ideology and developing it further. Living during the Warring States period,he is said to have spent much of his life travelling around the states offering counsel to different rulers. Conversations with these rulers form the basis of the Mencius,which would later be canonised as a Confucian classic.
Zhu Xi,formerly romanized Chu Hsi,was a Chinese calligrapher,historian,philosopher,poet,and politician of the Southern Song dynasty. Zhu was influential in the development of Neo-Confucianism. He contributed greatly to Chinese philosophy and fundamentally reshaped the Chinese worldview. His works include his editing of and commentaries to the Four Books,his writings on the process of the 'investigation of things',and his development of meditation as a method for self-cultivation.
The Analects,also known as the Sayings of Confucius,is an ancient Chinese philosophical text composed of sayings and ideas attributed to Confucius and his contemporaries,traditionally believed to have been compiled by his followers. The consensus among scholars is that large portions of the text were composed during the Warring States period (475–221 BC),and that the work achieved its final form during the mid-Han dynasty. During the early Han,the Analects was merely considered to be a commentary on the Five Classics. However,by the dynasty's end the status of the Analects had grown to being among the central texts of Confucianism.
The Doctrine of the Mean or Zhongyong is one of the Four Books of classical Chinese philosophy and a central doctrine of Confucianism. The text is attributed to Zisi,the only grandson of Confucius. It was originally a chapter in the Classic of Rites.
The Book of Rites,also known as the Liji,is a collection of texts describing the social forms,administration,and ceremonial rites of the Zhou dynasty as they were understood in the Warring States and the early Han periods. The Book of Rites,along with the Rites of Zhou (Zhōulǐ) and the Book of Etiquette and Rites (Yílǐ),which are together known as the "Three Li (Sānlǐ)," constitute the ritual (lǐ) section of the Five Classics which lay at the core of the traditional Confucian canon. As a core text of the Confucian canon,it is also known as the Classic of Rites or Lijing,which some scholars believe was the original title before it was changed by Dai Sheng.
Yamazaki Ansai was a Japanese philosopher and scholar. He began his career as a Buddhist monk,but eventually came to follow the teachings of Neo-Confucian Zhu Xi. He combined Neo-Confucian ideas with Shinto to create Suika Shinto.
Zeng Shen,better known as Zengzi,courtesy name Ziyu,was a Chinese philosopher and disciple of Confucius. He later taught Zisi,the grandson of Confucius,who was in turn the teacher of Mencius,thus beginning a line of transmitters of orthodox Confucian traditions. He is revered as one of the Four Sages of Confucianism.
The Four Books and Five Classics are authoritative and important books associated with Confucianism,written before 300 BC. They are traditionally believed to have been either written,edited or commented by Confucius or one of his disciples. Starting in the Han dynasty,they became the core of the Chinese classics on which students were tested in the Imperial examination system.
The Classic of Filial Piety,also known by its Chinese name as the Xiaojing,is a Confucian classic treatise giving advice on filial piety:that is,how to behave towards a senior such as a father,an elder brother,or a ruler.
ItōJinsai,who also went by the pen name Keisai,was a Japanese Confucian philosopher. He is considered to be one of the most influential Confucian scholars of seventeenth century Japan,and the Tokugawa period (1600–1868) generally,his teachings flourishing especially in Kyoto and the Kansai area through the final years of the Tokugawa shogunate.
Jing zuo refers to the Neo-Confucian meditation practice advocated by Zhu Xi and Wang Yang-ming. Jing zuo can also be described as a form of spiritual self-cultivation that helps a person achieve a more fulfilling life.
The Four Sages,Assessors,or Correlates,are four eminent Chinese philosophers in the Confucian tradition. They are traditionally accorded a kind of sainthood and their spirit tablets are prominently placed in Confucian temples,two upon the east and two upon the west side of the Hall of the Great Completion.
Bu Shang,commonly known by his courtesy name Zixia or as Buzi,was an ancient Chinese philosopher and a prominent disciple of Confucius who was considered one of the most accomplished in cultural learning. He was one of the five disciples who took chief responsibility for the transmission of Confucius' teachings. He played a significant role in the transmission of such classics as the Book of Poetry and the I Ching. He established his own school,and taught Marquess Wen of Wei,ruler of Wei,the most powerful state of the early Warring States period.
Zeng Dian,courtesy name Zixi,also known as Zeng Xi,was one of the earliest disciples of Confucius. He is known for a passage in the Analects in which he expressed his ambition as no more than being content with daily life. He was the father of Zeng Shen,or Master Zeng,one of the most prominent disciples of Confucius.
Self-cultivation or personal cultivation is the development of one's mind or capacities through one's own efforts. Self-cultivation is the cultivation,integration,and coordination of mind and body. Although self-cultivation may be practiced and implemented as a form of cognitive therapy in psychotherapy,it goes beyond healing and self-help to also encompass self-development,self-improvement and self realisation. It is associated with attempts to go beyond and understand normal states of being,enhancing and polishing one's capacities and developing or uncovering innate human potential.
Religion in the Song dynasty (960–1279) was primarily composed of three institutional religions:Confucianism,Taoism,and Buddhism,in addition to Chinese folk religion. The Song period saw the rise of Zhengyi Taoism as a state sponsored religion and a Confucian response to Taoism and Buddhism in the form of Neo-Confucianism. While Neo-Confucianism was initially treated as a heterodox teaching and proscribed,it later became the mainstream elite philosophy and the state orthodoxy in 1241.
