Confucianism
A Confucian temple in Wuwei, People’s Re-
public of China.
’Confucianism’ (Chinese: ??; pinyin: Rújiā)
is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system
developed from the teachings of the Chinese
philosopher Confucius (Kǒng Fūzǐ, or K’ung-
fu-tzu, lit. "Master Kung", 551–479 BC). It fo-
cuses on human morality and right action.
And it is a complex system of moral, social,
political, philosophical, and quasi-religious
thought that has had tremendous influence
on the culture and history of East Asia. It
might be considered a state religion of some
East Asian countries, because of government-
al promotion of Confucian values.
Cultures and countries strongly influenced
by Confucianism include China, Japan, Korea,
Taiwan, and Vietnam, as well as various ter-
ritories settled predominantly by Chinese
people, such as Singapore.
The basic
teachings of Confucianism
stress the importance of education for moral
development of the individual so that the
state can be governed by moral virtue rather
than by the use of coercive laws.[1]
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History
Confucius was a sage and social philosopher
of China whose teachings have for many cen-
turies influenced East Asia, including China,
Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The rela-
tionship between Confucianism and Con-
fucius himself, however, is tenuous. His ideas
were not accepted during his lifetime, and he
frequently bemoaned the fact that he re-
mained unemployed by any of the feudal
lords.Confucius did not leave any writings of
his own. Instead, we have only texts with re-
collections, passed down from his disciples
and their students. This factor is further com-
plicated by the "burning of the books and
burial of the scholars".
Confucius was a sage who worried about
the troubled times in which he lived. He went
from place to place trying to spread his polit-
ical ideas and influence to the many kings
contending for suprem