Revised, 8/30/08
Confucius (Kung Fu-Tzu)*
(551-479 BC)
& Confucianism
*Family name = Kung (Kong) Reading from
Personal name = Zhong-ni the Analects
Kung Fu-Tzu (Kong Fu-zi) = “Master Kung” (Text, pp. 1-14)
“Confucius” = Latinization of “Kung Fu-Tzu”
The History of Chinese Philosophy
• The Classical Age (6th century BC-2d century AD)
– Confucianism (Confucius, 551-479 BC)
– Daoism (Lao Tzu, 6th century BC)
– Mohism (Mo Tzu, 468-376 BC)
– The Yin-Yang School (founder unknown)
– The School of Names (Logic) (Hui Shih, c. 380-305 BC)
– Legalism (Han Fei Tzu, d. 23 BC)
• The Medieval Age (2d-10th centuries BC): relations & conflicts
between Confucianism, Daoism, & Buddhism
• The Modern Age (11th century AD-Present)
– Neo-Confucianism (incorporation of Daoist & Buddhist elements in an
overall Confucian perspective) (Chu Hsi, 1130-1200 AD & many others)
– 20th century impact of Western philosophies such as Pragmatism &
Marxism
Topics included in the reading:
• The Chun-Tzu (the Confucian hero) (1-3)
• Virtue (jen, ren) (3-5)
• Propriety (li) (5-7), including filial piety (5-6) &
religious propriety (6-7)
• The Silver Rule (central ethical principle) (7)
• The importance of studying & learning (7-8)
• Words & actions (8-9)
• “Three Things” (9)
• Government (9-11)
• The Dao (11-12)
• Miscellaneous teachings (12-13)
• Descriptions of Confucius (13-14)
(The traditional version
of the Analects is not
topically organized.)
The primary sources of
Confucian philosophy
Confucius claimed to derive his teachings from
“the Ancients,” whose wisdom is embodied in
“The Five Classics” (Wu Jing)
• The I Jing (“Book of Changes”)
• The Shu Jing (“Book of History”)
• The Shih Jing (“Book of Odes” [poetry])
• The Li Ji (“Book of Rites”)
• The Ch’un-ch’iu (“Spring & Autumn Annals”)
The further expression of
Confucian philosophy
“The Four Books”
(Ssu-chu)
• Analects (Lun-Yu)
• The Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong)
• The Great Learning (Ta-hsueh)
• The Book of Meng-Tzu (Mencius, 371-288 BC)
Anthem
The ancient
State of Lu
That’s where Confucius
was born & spent most
of his life.
Confucianism originated in China,
but its influence spread to Korea &
Japan over the centuries.
Chronology of Chinese History
• c. 6000 BC: Prehistory (belief in life after death; bone
divination) - legendary Hsia Dynasty (c. 1994-1500 BC)
• c. 1500-1040 BC: Shang Dynasty (polytheism; spiritism;
ancestor veneration; bone & shell divination)
• 1040-256 BC: Zhou (Chou) Dynasty (feudal era &
classical age; rise of Shang-Ti & “Mandate of Heaven;” ancestor
veneration & divination practices; continued belief in spiritism;
interest in life-prolongation & immortality; 8th-5th centuries BC -
period of disorder; emergence of classical Chinese philosophies:
Confucianism, Daoism, Mohism, Legalism, etc.) - Era of Warring
States (475-221 BC)
• 221-207 BC: Qin (Ch’in) Dynasty (“The Burning of the
Books” in 213 BC) - Legalism enthroned; Confucianism attacked
Chronology, continued
• 206 BC-25 AD: Former • 266-316 AD: Jin (Chin)
Han Dynasty (beginnings of Dynasty
official state Confucianism)
• 25-220 AD: Later Han • 316-589 AD: Era of North-
Dynasty (rise of Chinese South Division - 16 Northern
Empire; imperial state religion; Kingdoms (301-439); 5 Southern
Confucianism established as the Kingdoms (317-589) (rise of Daoist
official philosophy of the Chinese religion; continued spread of Buddhism)
state; the coming of Buddhism)
• 581-618 AD: Sui Dynasty
• 220-280 AD: The Three
Kingdoms - Wei (220-266); • 618-907 AD: Tang Dynasty
Shu (221-263); Wu (222-280) (high point for Buddhism & Daoism;
(decline of Confucianism; rise of 9th century Confucian reaction against
Daoism & Buddhism) Buddhism)
Chronology, continued
• 907-960 AD: Five Northern Dynasties;
Ten Southern Kingdoms 10th-13th centuries
• 960-1127 AD: Northern Sung (Song) AD: Rise of Neo-
Confucianism;
Dynasty spread of Chan
(Zen) Buddhism
• 1127-1279 AD: Southern Sung (Song)
Dynasty
• 1264-1368 AD: Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty
(established by Kublai Khan) Anti-Confucian policy
(development of popular religious sects)
• 1368-1644 AD: Ming Dynasty
(Mongols out, Chinese emperors in; Confucianism
reestablished; Roman Catholicism arrives)
Chronology, continued
• 1644-1911 AD: Qing
(Ch’ing) (Manchu) Dynasty -
peak of Confucian (bureaucratic)
authority; increasing influence of
the West
• People’s Republic of
China (Communism)
• 1911-1912 AD: Chinese (1949-present)
Revolution
• Republic of China (1912-
Confucianism in decline
1949 [mainland]; 1945-
present [Taiwan])
Major figures in Confucian philosophy
• Neo-Confucianism
– Tang Dynasty - Han Yu
• Classical Confucianism (767-824 AD)
– Confucius (551-479 BC) – Sung Dynasty - Cheng Hao
– Mencius (372-289 BC) (1032-1085); Cheng Yi
– Xun-zi (Hsun Tzu) (active, 298-238 BC) (1033-1108); Zhu Xi (Chu
Hsi) (1130-1200)
– Ming Dynasty - Wang
• Han Dynasty
Yang-ming (1473-1529)
– Dong Zhong-shu (179-104 BC)
– Ch’ing Dynasty - Tai Chen
– Yang Hsiung (53 BC-18 AD) (1723-1777)
– Wang Chong (27-100 AD) – 20th century: Hsiung Shih-
li (1885-1968); Fung Yu-
lan (1895-1990); & others
Central concepts in Confucian thought
Metaphysics
Ontology & Cosmology
• Dao (“Way”) - the Ultimate; the One; the Absolute;
the underlying Power; the Source (see Text, pp. 11-12)
• Yin/Yang - the dual expression of Dao; neither is
superior to the other (see next slide)
• The Plural World - the universe; Heaven & Earth; an
ever-changing expression & blend of Yin & Yang
(Heaven is Yang in relation to Earth; and Earth is Yin in relation
to Heaven; but each is, in itself, a blend of both Yin & Yang.)
Yin & Yang
female
dark Heaven &
cool sun
moist
passive
negative male
evil bright
hot
dry
active
Earth & positive
moon good
"A basic difference between the
Chinese conception of yin and yang and other
classical philosophical dualisms…is that
whereas most dualisms are forever in conflict,
yin and yang always act in harmony, and both
are considered to be necessary to maintain the
order of the universe." (Bilhartz 262)
Confucian metaphysics, continued
Theology
• Shang-Ti (God), the original ancestor (after the 11th century BC)
• Heaven (Tian, T’ien) - the divine realm (Human beings who have
died live on with Shang-Ti as ancestors (ti) in Heaven.)
• Continuity & interchange between Heaven (the divine realm) and
Earth (the human realm), i.e., between the ancestors & those
living on Earth.
(The ancestors are to be worshipped, and sacrifices are to be
offered to them; they, in turn, will guide and protect us,
Spiritism especially with regard to our futures (divination practices).
(spirits every- When we die, we will join the ancestors in Heaven and
where, good become ancestors ourselves.)
[shen] & evil
[gui]). [No hell(s)? See next slide.]
Before the arrival of Buddhism
• it seems that Chinese religions in China,
did not contain a well-
developed idea of an afterlife.
• The souls of those who had lived • The idea of multiple levels of
in accord with the “Mandate of hell entered Chinese religion
Heaven” (will of Shang-Ti) through Buddhism, which
would become ancestors in arrived in China in the 1st
Heaven; whereas century AD.
• the souls of those who had not • The religious Daoists
followed Heaven’s decree accepted this idea (but
would, after death, continue to modified it in various ways).
live on for a time in a dark • Apparently, the Confucianists
underworld area (called “the continued to show little
Yellow Springs”) & then fade interest in this subject.
away into nothingness.
Is Hell temporary or permanent?
In Buddhism, it is temporary.
Confucianism has no clear answer to this
question (because the Confucianists refuse
to speculate on these matters).
What is the Daoist view?
(To be continued?)
Confucian metaphysics, continued
Anthropology
(Human Nature & the Human Predicament)
• Human nature:
– naturally & inherently • The human predicament:
good - need for – suffering as a result of failure to
cultivation via education follow the “Way of the
– naturally social & Ancestors”
political - development – Disharmony & conflict between
& perfection of human Heaven & Earth, between the
nature within the social ancestors & us; and between
& political realm humans here on earth
– Solution of problem of
suffering: reestablish harmony
Confucius’s primary goal:
order, harmony, peace, & happiness
in this life here on earth
(He had only a secondary interest in
“transcendental” salvation.)
Axiology
(Theory of Value)
• Philosophy of art (aesthetics) - the moral &
political purposes of art (especially music)
• Moral philosophy (ethics) - the center of
Confucian philosophy (see next slide)
• Social & political philosophy (theory of
government) - the need for morally &
intellectually virtuous rulers & civil
servants
Central themes in Confucian
ethical theory:
• The Chun-Tzu - the
ideal of the Superior
(self-actualized, • The Chun-Tzu is an
virtuous, perfected) exemplification of ideal
Person (Text, pp. 1-3) virtue, of Yi, of Ren, of Li,
and of Hsiao – see following
slides….
Yi - righteousness, just and
appropriate conduct
• According to Confucianists, there is an • Ren (jen) - virtue*
objective, absolute, and unconditional moral
obligation on all of us to work for universal – Positive formulation:
human well-being, the common good, the
general welfare (which will include one's own cultivation of feeling
true good): (respect, empathy,
– Objective = not subjective; not relative; the
obligation is independent of culturally and compassion, love) for all
individually variable states of opinion,
preference, feeling, or response. humanity (Text, pp. 3-5)
– Absolute = it extends throughout the whole – Negative formulation: the
sphere of moral obligation and cannot be
suspended or overruled by any more basic Silver Rule (Text, p. 7, vv. 85
or ultimate moral principle with a wider
range of applicability. & 86)
– Unconditional = this obligation does not
depend on the fulfillment or non-
fulfillment of any particular set of facts or
circumstances which may or may not
happen to occur - facts, for example, about *Sometimes translated as
our desires, aspirations, or goals in acting
one way rather than another. “humanity”
See Hackett, Oriental Philosophy, pp. 29-31.
Confucian ethics, continued
Li - Propriety (proper conduct)
• The Rectification of Names
• The Five Constant
(Zheng-ming) (proper use of Relationships:
language) (Text, vv. 8, 9, – parent-child
10, 11, 109-113, 129, 160) – husband-wife
– elder sibling-younger
• The Doctrine of the Mean sibling
(Zhongyong) (Text, vv. 132, – elder friend-younger
155, 156) friend
– ruler-subject
Confucian ethics / Li, continued
Filial Piety (Xiao, Hsiao)
(devotion to & reverence for parents & family)
• The institution of the family is the
foundation of a well-ordered & civilized
society (grounded mainly on respect of
children for parents)
• Respect for age (experience & wisdom)
(Text, pp. 5-6)
Confucian ethics / Li, continued
Religious Propriety
proper practice of traditional rites
(worship of God, ancestors, Heaven,
Earth, spirits; funeral services &
sacrifices in honor of parents)
Text, vv. 64, 70, 72, 79-84
Confucian ethics (& aesthetics?), continued
Wen
(learning & the arts)
• The importance of
culture in the creation & • Studying & learning (Text,
maintenance of a well- pp. 7-8)
ordered society
• The arts - especially music
(Text, vv. 99)
(Confucius composed a “Book
of Music” [Yueh Jing], which
is sometimes referred to as a
“sixth classic.”)
Confucian axiology, continued
Confucius’s Political Philosophy
• Te - the union of power & virtue
• The characteristics of a good ruler (or civil
servant):
– moral goodness (virtue & propriety)
– rationality
– moderation
– benevolence
(Text, pp. 9-11)
Does Confucius have
a theory of knowledge
(an epistemology)?
How would he answer the following questions?
1. What is knowledge?
2. What are the sources of knowledge?
3. What are the extent & limits of knowledge?
4. What are the differences between knowledge & opinion?
5. What makes a belief (or proposition) true as opposed to false?
The End
(for now)