By: Amanda Mellin

 K’ung Fu Tzu  Confucius  Born in 551 BC in the state of Lu  He wandered through many states in China, giving advice to their rulers  There are about 6 million people that are Confucius in the world. 26,000 of them are located in North America; the rest of them are found in China and the rest of Asia.

 born in the state of Lu  His father died when he was 3 and his mother died when he was 13  married a woman in Qiguan, family of the Song State.  Personal and government ethics, truth of social interactions, fairness and honesty are the highlights of his philosophy.

 " The fundamental concern of the Confucian tradition is learning to be human." --Tu Wei-ming.  Sacred Narratives: The idea of learning form the past. Their past stories contain moral component to understand why things happened the way they did.  Ultimate Reality and Divine Beings: human traditions are sufficient for providing people with the moral guidance that they require in order to be virtuous and make the world a better place.  Human Nature and the Purpose of Existence: through the lifetime process of self-cultivation one may become a “perfected person”

 Suffering and the Problem of Evil: Some say that suffering and evil are inevitable in human life and may later promote learning and growth. Empathy for suffering others may provide motivation to grow morally. “A mistake is not a "sin," but an opportunity to learn and do better next time” - Problem-of-Evil.html  Afterlife and Salvation: Live the life that you are given. Also, paying high respect to their ancestors is a big role in Confucianism. Ancestor worship is among the oldest and most enduring Chinese religious practices.  Confucianism considers the individual as a link in the chain of existence from the past to the future.

 Other cultures that have been influenced by Confucianism are Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and Singapore  Confucian ethnics have been believed to take the strongest effect on Chinese society.

 It has made people depend more on their hierarchies, friendships, families, and social disposition.  Made people desire for self improvement  Buddhism declined  Motivated people and gave them the attitude that one must govern themselves in order to govern others.

 Neo- Confucianism was thought to have a major effect in Korea during the Choson Dynasty and in Japan during the Tokugawa period. Confucianism mainly effected eastern Europe.

 Sweden: 0.1% (9,060)  Belgium: 0.1% (10,414)  Burma: 0.8% (385,102)  Thailand: 0.4% (263,622)  Australia: 0.2% (42,525)  Japan: 0.1% (127,079)  South Korea: 10.9% (5,287,478)

 Lun Yu (Analects) of Confucius: a collection of Kongzi's teachings and discussions with disciples. In addition to learning, the Analects emphasize the importance of good governance, filial piety, virtue, and ritual.  Chung Yung (Doctrine of the Mean): The Doctrine of the Mean is attributed to Zisi, Kongzi's grandson, and deals with how to maintain perfect balance and harmony in one's life.  Ta Hsueh (Great Learning): The Great Learning is a guide for moral self-cultivation. Through the investigations of things, one will find self-cultivation.  Meng Tzu (Mencius): Mencius is a collection of conversations Mencius had with Kongzi. Mecius believes that it is the responsibility of the emperor to practice good governance through following the Way.

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