Societal Goals Confucius

History 8 China Review 100 Schools of Thought

Societal goals Confucius

Confucius, or Kong Fu Tzu, was a great philosopher who lived during the Axis Age and tried to improve Chinese society based on the traditional cultures on the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties. Although not a religious leader, he still strove for a moral order in China that revolved around virtue and ritual. His main goal was to build a good society in China, and he believed that moral virtue was needed to keep society in order. He believed that a human’s most valued goal should be jen, or humanity itself. Another one of Confucius’s thoughts was that goodness and morality must be taught to people in their childhoods. Rulers as well as subjects have to be taught to be good because if rulers are too harsh, then subjects will stop believing in the law, lose self respect and their sense of shame. Confucius wrote all of his ideas down in the Confucian Classics as a way of establishing a written basis for societal order. Confucius believed that a system like this could only work if each person fulfilled their duties and acted as they should in their class. To make this work, rulers have to be virtuous. Ethical values were key to preserve the functions of government and social classes. This ideal is referred to as junzi, or being a gentleman. Confucius’s plan for living right was a structure based on five relationships: father to son, elder brother to younger brother, husband to wife, emperor to subject, and friend to friend. All of these have to do with respect towards peers or higher authorities, which Confucius believed is the only way to have a successful society. If people follow these five relationships well, then society will work out well as a result. Confucius stressed his rules about virtue and rituals as being the basis of civilization. The importance of rituals is that it defines relationships, shows respect, and links people to their ancestors. Finally, Confucius showed the importance of goodness because, without it, none of these other things could be accomplished. These ideas took over feudalism, which was in power for 2000 years beforehand. Confucius believed that if all people in a society followed these rules, this society would thrive.

Sources:

CF Manual 181-183 http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/religion/confucianism/

Picture from: http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/confucius-84.php

Cam Cook