Confucianism


 * The original confucian was Kong Fuzi (aka Confucius) 551-479 BC
 * lived during the Axial age of philosophy
 * Kong Fuzi
 * was a government official and a philosopher
 * was not terribly successful during his lifetime
 * worked for Lu
 * The duke of Lu was a bad leader and he got a gift of horses and women
 * Kong Fuzi was horrified at this
 * he decided to quit, but he waited for the duke to do something less bad so he wouldn't get in trouble
 * he didn't want to embarrass the Duke
 * this shows understanding without conflict and the Confucian belief that you MUST respect your superiors
 * We don't know anything directly written by Kong Fuzi, but his followers later on
 * Confucius supposedly wrote:
 * the 5 classics
 * Changes
 * how do you tell what the gods want... etc.
 * Poetry- another form of education (Mona S.)
 * rituals and ceremonies
 * History
 * Spring and Autumn
 * outlawed because summer = too hot! (Mona S.)
 * Analects (not part of the 5 classics) recorded conversations he 'had' with people.
 * Confucianism thoughts
 * tradition, past, poetry, and being in touch with life were all important to Confucius
 * you need to have a cultured soul to become a superior person
 * serving your role in society, not serving your own desires
 * learning poetry and history instead of math and science to become a more cultured person
 * tradition is the groundwork for society
 * everyone should have the same morals or religion, or similar
 * Confucians looked back at the past when the present is not good
 * to know light you must know darkness, good/evil etc..
 * behavior is the key to society- always behave well (Mona S)
 * Confucian thinkers:
 * Mencius
 * thought human nature was good
 * believed you just had to keep people on the right path
 * people are basically good "warped wood, just hammer it down"
 * the government has to be responsive to the people, the ruler must be virtuous
 * Xunzi
 * thought human nature is bad, needed laws to keep them in order
 * almost legalist government (in fact, one of his students, Han Fei Tzu, was the creator of legalism)
 * he thought people shouldn't be left on their own
 * other confucian beliefs
 * filial piety
 * proper respect for superiors and parents ecspecially the eldest of the family
 * learning and education, cultured soul
 * why would Confucian beliefs be attractive to the people in this era?
 * Confucianism promised goodness and order, and the Chinese were in the midst of the chaotic warring states era.

-Confucianism offered a very different incentive to behave than many western religions/philosophies. Instead of saying anyone who does not do their part in society will get struck by lightning, it says that a person should do their part to ensure society remains stable and functioning.

- a way to know where you and your family belong in the society - tells you the different types of jobs you can have etc. - ex: oldest man of the family will have the authority of their wife and children.
 * JUNZI-** the superior man ( way confusianism was run)
 * HIERARCHY-** important to the society

Confucians believed that education was the way to strengthen the society


 * Women:**

Duties- preform domestic duties(cleaning, household work, cooking, ect.), serve husband, sew/weave, entertain guests

Submissions- yeild to others, respect others, do good and don't mention it, do bad and don't deny it, endure bad treatment from husband (physical/verbal abuse)
 * Other info- yin-women(yeilding), yang-man(firmness), marriage is perfect balence of yin and yang.
 * Confucian qualities

Ban Zhao - Aristocrat, thought women should be educated, but still be in sync and in the control of her husband.