Confucianism
By: Monica Choudhury, Tarika
Dalmia, Eilish Noone
Important Figures of
Confucianism
Confucius
• Born in 551 BC
• Wrote the Analects,
that became the moral
code of Confucianism
• Founder of
Confucianism
Important Figures of
Confucianism
Mencius
• Most famous
Confucian after
Confuncius himself
• He travelled China for
forty years to offer
advice to rulers for
reform
Important Figures of
Confucianism
Xun Zi
• Wrote the Xunzi, a
collection of essays
promoting
Confucianism
• Also was able to
convert people to
be Confucian
Timeline
1. 551 B.C – 479 B.C 2. 500 B.C.-
Confucius lived. He is Confucianism was born
the founder of during the warring state
confucianism period in Chinese
history
3. 390-305 BC. Mencius 4. 250 BC- Xunzi also
spread word of spread the word of
Confucianism Confucianism throughout
throughout China China
Timeline
5. 100 B.C-1900 A.D 6. 100-300 AD
Confucianism was the Confucianism spread
leading religion in china into Korea
7. 124 BC- 8. 200-599 A.D
Confucianism was Interest in Confucianism
established as offical declined
religion of China
Timeline
9. Mid 600 AD 10. 618-906 AD
Revival of interest of Confucian civil
Confucianism in China examines are enforced
11. Confucianism 12. 1075 Vietnam
spread to Japan from follows China and
China introduces Confucian
civil exams
Timeline
13. 1130-1200 AD Zhu 14. 1368
Xi, regarded the Neoconfucianism
founder of Neo- introduced as state
Confucianism philosophy
15. 1582-1610 AD 16. 1704
Italian Jesuit Matteo Pope Clement XI.
Ricci translated the decided against Jesuit
Confucian Classics suggestion of treating
into Latin, attempting Confucianism as a
to convert Chinese to form of
Christianity by making Christianity, forbade
it appear like practicing Catholic
Confucianism mass in Chinese
language
Timeline
17. 1905 AD
In China, the Empress Dowager
abolished the Confucian civil
examination system
18. 1966-1969 AD
In China , Cultural
Revolution, remaining
Confucian shrines closed
down
Origin of Confucianism
Originated in China
Spread of Confucianism
Confucianism Geography
Area Adherents Population
Percentage
Africa 1,000 0.0%
Asia 5,994,000 0.2%
Europe 2,000 0.0%
Latin America 2,000 0.0%
Northern 26,000 0.0%
America
Oceania 1,000 0.0%
Eurasia 2,000 0.0%
World 6,028,000 0.1%
Beliefs
• The main principle is ren (meaning "benevolence"), “which
signifies excellent character in accord with li (ritual norms),
zhong (loyalty to one's true nature), shu (reciprocity), and xiao
(filial piety).” These make up ones virtue
• Believe that life is a process of transformation with different
developmental stages. Each stage having its own stage
• Believe in various rituals of Li. This demand a certain behavior
in a specific situation
• Examples of Li would be bowing to an elder, taking off shoes
before entering house, being respectful to elders, bringing a
gift to the host, writing thank-you notes
• A violation of Li would be like violating the law
Beliefs cont.
• Birth: Confucianism considered the individual to be linked to
their ancestors. This is why having a boy is very important-
carries on the name. To have no children is considered the
“most unforgivable thing in life”.
• Young Adulthood: Is reached at the age of 15. The child now
starts to dress differently. Begin to participate in social events
more and have more responsibilities in the household.
• Age of Independence: Is reached at age 30. Now expected to
have a family and an established career. A journey of self
searching is now done (age 16-30)
• Age of Mental Maturity: Is reached at age 40. At this point the
individual has matured and required a defined self.
Beliefs cont.
• Age of Spiritual Maturity: Is reached at age 50. The
individual is connected with the “Ultimate”. Should come to
the conclusion that “Real life is only beginning, not ending.”
• Age of acceptance: Is reached at age 60. An individual is
prepared to take a spiritual journey in order to realize ones
self spiritually.
• Age of unification: Is reached after the age of 70. An
individual can then purify his or her
• Funeral service: This is to honor then dead and promote
social morality. The name of the dead will then be added to
the shrine of the family hall
Rituals
• Believe that rituals and sacrifices
are important to pay respect to the
spirits and forces of heaven
• Usually preformed within families
to family members, rivers and
mountains.
• A sacrifice to a family member is
made as expressions of reference
• During a sacrifice you are
expected to bow 3 times and then
give an offering. Usually a goat or
a pig
• Music is important in rituals
• Honoring the ancestors. On April 5th.
• Rituals preformed by emperor:
Promote ancestor worship by burning
-Have roots in the idea of maintaining
paper money and offering food to order within the natural world
respect the lives of the dead. This ritual
-Conducts them over a special Alter
respects ancestors and educates of Heaven. Only the emperor is
younger generations. allowed to perform here.
-These rituals are important in
receiving the Mandate of Heaven
Religious Celebrations
• September is celebrated throughout
China because this is the month
Confucius was born.
• The Exact date varies with the
phases of the moon
• The festival begins soon after dawn
with ceremonies at the temple.
• One ritual is pulling the hair from the
back of an ox which is then used in
sacrificial ceremonies. (also
considered good luck; especially for
people taking exams)
• Dances are preformed throughout the
day on a sacred red carpet. The are
preformed by 64 people in 8 by 8
rows and columns
• The biggest celebration takes place
in Qufu, which is the town where
Confucius was born. Here a 15 day
celebration is held
• The Yin-Yang is the main symbol • The Confucius symbol
used in Confucianism. Tao represents the source of life,
hypothesized that everything in and is also called the water
life is made of two forces which symbol. The Confucian symbol
are the yin and the yang. The yin really means the "code of
is the negative power which is in conduct".
black. The yang is the positive • The Symbol means total
which is in white. harmony and righteousness in
• Harmony can only be your own life and in
accomplished when the Ying relationships with other people.
and the Yang are balanced as
shown in the picture from the
previous slide.
• The small circle of the opposite
color is contained in each color,
which signifies their
interdependence.
• The Yin represents the soul, night,
darkness, and the Earth. The
Yang represents the spirit, light,
day, heaven, and creation.
F
u
z
i
m
i
a
o
The Ceremonial Gateway
leads to the temple of
Confucius at Qufu in China.
Temple of
Confucius in
Beijing
• Chinese people built Confucian • Boen Bio is a Confucian temple in
temples in honor of Confucious. Indonesia. It is considered as the
The temples are called Kong Miao largest in South East Asia. The
in Chinese. They have a large scale temple was built in 1883 and was
and high artistic value. first named Boen Thjiang Soe. The
• Qufu is considered one of the most temple if very unique becuase it
holy cities in the world which doesn’t have Kimsin (the statues),
contains the Kong Lin, Kong Miao, but it does have Sinci (spirit tablets).
and Kong Fu. On the top of the highest altar,
• The Confucian temple in there is a red lamp which
Hancheng has shiny tiles, a five symbolizes T'ien (The Almighty
dragons screen wall which adds God).
color to the temple, and also the • The exterior and the interior of the
statue of Confucius. The Confucian temple is full of symbols and
Temple in Nanjing has a part of the meanings, coming from the
Qinhuai River as its pool. In teaching of Confucius which are
Wenchang City, the Confucian listed in The Four Books and The Five
temple does not have Lingxing Classics.
Gate. People enter from the side • To celebrate Confucius' birthday,
entrance to worship Confucius. the people in Kapasan District
holds a ceremony and a puppet-
show for the whole night.
• Confucius didn’t believe in • Transcendence, or surpassing
worrying about life after others, is linked to the
death. All he wanted was for relationship between Man, Tian,
people to live in harmony, and Nature.
peace, and to be a good citizen
in their community • The "universal virtues" are
Wisdom, Benevolence, and
• It is said there is no church or Fortitude.
clergy on the teachings of
God or life after death. • In order for h uman beings to
Confucianism is a philosophy unite with the cosmos and 'ren',
of life, not a religion. the Confucians should extend
• Many Confucians were their moral education.
taught not to believe life after • ‘Ren’ is the power to change
death. Their lives and purpose human beings from their
are be aimed at becoming secondary capability to do bad,
'sages' and to share in 'ren'. to the power to do good.
Sources
• Dominguez, J. Confucianism. May 2006. http://www.religion-
cults.com/Eastern/Confucianism/confuci.htm. 30 September 2009.
• East Java. http://www.petra.ac.id/eastjava/cities/sby/tourobj/temple.htm 30
September 2009
• Lites of Heaven. 2007. http://www.litesofheaven.com/confucianism.html 30
September 2009.
• TravelChinaGuide.1998. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/
intro/architecture/styles/chinese-confucius-temples.htm. 30 September
2009.
Sources
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Transformation.html
• http://www.religionfacts.com/a-z-religion-index/confucianism.htm
Sources
• Levinson, David; Christensen, Karen "Encyclopedia of Modern Asia (2002) pg 157
• Chinese Legal Theories
• ^Homer H. Dubs: 'Nature in the Teaching of Confucius', p. 233
• Lun Yu (Yang Huo) 13/05/2009
• The first was Michele Ruggieri who had returned from China to Italy in 1588, and
carried on translating in Latin Chinese classics, while residing in Salerno
• "Windows into China", John Parker, p.25, ISBN 0890730504
• The Eastern Origins of Western Civilisation, John Hobson, p194-195, ISBN
0521547245
• Centre for Confucian Science (Korea); Introduction to Confucianism
• Streng, Frederick, "Understanding Religious Life," 3rd ed. (1985), p. 2
• Taylor, Rodney L., "The Religious Dimensions of Confucianism" (1990); Tu Weiming
and Mary Evelyn Tucker, eds., "Confucian Spirituality," 2 vols. (2003, 2004); Adler,
Joseph A., "Confucianism as Religion / Religious Tradition / Neither: Still Hazy After
All These Years" (2006)