Confucianism

Confucius Founder: Confucius (K’ung Fu Tzu) Also known as Kongzi Through of during the Warring States period He believed in Tian- an unpredictable power of morality 551-479 B.C.E

Beliefs Most of the beliefs were organized in the eastern part of China Warring States-if everyone fixes their relationships the country will repair itself Your well being is affected by the well being of others Natural disasters happen because of moral behavior and punishment Believe in afterlife, but wasn’t seen as their main focus

5 Basic Principles Ruler to subject (loyalty) Father to son (filial piety) Husband to wife (love and obedience) Older brother to younger brother (brotherliness) Friend to friend (faithfulness)

Worship The Analects- Showed thoughts and conversations with Confucius Prayed and meditated to the Yijing yin and yang Ancestral worship

Turning Points Qin Dynasty Han Dynasty May Fourth Movement Mao Zedong coming to power

Qin Dynasty The dynasty right after the Warring States Period Legalism-reaction to Confucianism Confucianism books were destroyed Scholars were punished for their beliefs

Han Dynasty Starting in 140 BCE China encouraged Confucianism other societies did not approve of this Education was available for boys and some girls This gained state support

Worship Kept genealogical records (new form of ancestor worship) Made ancestral temples part of everyday life Metaphysics-branch of philosophy that deals with understanding abstract ideas Had to deal with Christian missionaries trying to convert them

May Fourth Movement In 1919 China’s colonial possessions were given to Japan in the Treaty of Versailles Including Kongzi’s birthplace This movement included protests that won Shandong back Many leaders argued for the wholesale abandonment of Confucianism

Communism in China Persecuted by Mao Zedong for ancestor worship burned altars and ancestral tablets could no longer bury dead-cremation Ancestor worship still censored today

Modern Confucianism Aka New Confucianism Blammed for China’s inability to compete with the West Praised as the key to China’s unique cultural heritage and strong social order

Changes in Beliefs and Worship Worship at home altars, family temples, and public places of worship Some modern Christians, apply the Confucianism philosophy to their religion Confucianism has now spread from mainland China to the West ex: the United States

Continuities in Belief and Worship Still use genealogical records today Metaphysical traditions continued Still believe in Tian Confucians still emphasize the need of the Five Basic Principles/Relationships that Confucius came up with

Followers Difficult to determine how many followers ranges from 10 to 350 million

Bibliography http://www.patheos.com/Library/Confucianism.html http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/religion/confucianism/ http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/132104/Confucianism http://worldreligions.weebly.com/confucianism.html