Confucianism

1
Confucianism

• As A Religion
• A Reaction

2
In response to BuddhismConfucians

• Took greater interests in religious sites
• Erected many statues of Confucius
• Established temples
• Developed regular ceremonies which included
  music, dance, and sacrifices during autumn and
  spring.
• Confucianism was put on par with Taoism and
  Buddhism

3
Neo-Confucianism

• Developed greater scholastic emphasis
• Texts were clarified
• Codified elements of Confucian thought
• It attempted to develop an overarching
  philosophical system equal to Buddhism and Taoism.

4
Chu Hsi

• A Neo-Confucian
• Lived from 1130-1200
• A scholar who gave Confucianism its mature shape
  as a complete system of thought and action
• His commentaries on the Four Books enabled them
  to be used as the basis of the civil service
  examinations.

5
Chu Hsi (cont)

• He developed that concept of reality which was in
  line with Taoist thought
• chi which means vital force or material
  force
• li which means law or rational principal
• Li and chI work together to create permutations
  of yin and yang.
• He called li the Great Ultimate (Tai Chi)
  because he saw li everywhere working.

6
Confucian Goal

• To cultivate an individual which cultivates a
  society. Confucius
• established the importance of following
  inherited rites (li) in a conscientious manner so
  that one could fully activate his or her humanity
  (jen) and thereby realize realize the Way (tao)
  of heaven (tien).
• And contended that this would happen as one
  dedicated ones whole life to rigorous study and
  self-cultivation.

7
More Confucius

• He believed that all humans are historical
  social beings whose self realization can only
  occur through participating in a cooperative,
  on-going quest for communal flourishing.
• (the last quotes were from On Common Ground
  World Religions in America)