| Confucius, born in the state of Lu in 551 BCE, was determined at a very young age to become a scholar. At this time, warfare for supremacy among the various states in China had begun, and Chinese social structure was deteriorating. Confucius sought a ruler who could bring back justice and harmony into society as it had once existed in the earlier Zhou dynasty. However, Confucius' desire for such an individual was never realized. Confucius taught from his early twenties until his death at the age of 72 in 479 |  |
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BCE. After his death, Confucius' disciples produced the Analects, a collection of his sayings which is the only record we possess of his teachings.
Confucianism, unlike other philosophies of ancient China, focuses
primarily on the human world, and the attainment of peace. Confucian thought is based on 3 principles: ren,
junzi, and li[1]. At the center of Confucian
philosophy is ren, or human-heartedness. Morality and empathy
are the emphasis of ren, acting as the basis of all human interaction. The full realization of ren is achieved
by junzi, the Confucian ideal of the perfect gentleman. The concept of junzi is of one who has become a superior person
through education, self-cultivation, right-thinking, and right-acting. The basic concept of junzi is justice. Lastly,
Confucius emphasized etiquette, defined as li, which embodies aspects of life such as scrupulous everyday manners
and all formalities of social interaction. These principles culminate in the 5 Constant Relationships, which define a person's
proper conduct in society[2]: parent and child, husband and wife,
elder sibling and younger sibling, elder friend and younger friend, ruler and subject. Each person in Confucian society thus has a certain
responsibility and accountability for his/her own actions as they are defined by these 5 Constant Relationships. |
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