The Zhou Dynasty, an era of clashing Chinese states and weak government provided immense instability for central China. One man realized the inconsistency of this period where Chinese principles began to crumble along arising a time of moral decline and used this to motivate his purpose. Confucius, a philosopher and politician, set out to reestablish the peace of earlier times by reinforcing several virtues in Chinese society. He created several philosophies and beliefs for areas such as politics, education, and societal values. Each virtue helped later develop a system of thought called Confucianism, which brought strength and stability back to the country and has been passed down from generations to generations.
Confucius believed a more stable society would follow if more virtuous people entered civil service. Leaders in government should be wise, lead by a good example, and practice self-discipline, “Confucius philosophy was constructed on the principle of “ren”, or “loving others,” combined with the Golden, or Silver Rule; “What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others” (Hereford, 1). He wanted to demonstrate to people that they should govern themselves in their own personal roles and that the government was only a system that would help bring out the best in society.
Confucius produced a five-virtue principal for Confucianism that a morally superior person should have along with two external virtues. Five being inner integrity, righteousness, loyalty, love of humanity, and altruism. Along with two externals being that one should become educated and acquire a sense of ritual. If individuals obtained these qualities, they would become great leaders that would motivate their subjects to obey the laws by teaching them these same virtues.
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Confucius’s philosophy on education was that he saw it as a way of life, and with that he became one of the first teachers to want to make education widely available. During this time only people of a higher status were able to afford hired tutors and special education. Yet Confucius wanted learning to improve society, so that its people could benefit from educating themselves and forming a certain mentality. Confucius refined the Six Arts based on the teachings of mathematics, music, archery, calligraphy, chariot driving, and ritual. Through these he concluded he could resurrect earlier traditional values, “To Confucius, the main objective of being an educator was to teach people to live with integrity” (“Confucius”, 1). Confucius’s primary goal was to administer training to individuals so they would become admirable citizens and put their value before that of the state, not the other way around.
Confucius ran into a couple of problems in the beginning parts of his journey as a teacher and in his political career. In his earlier teaching career Confucius was mocked a popular teacher of that time for being arrogant and snobbish which was not good for moral. After several years Confucius wanted a governmental position, first serving as an assistant minister of public works and soon a minister of justice.
However, this career was shortly cut off, “His loyalty to the king alienated him from the power holders of the time, the large Ji families, and his moral rectitude did not sit well with the king’s inner circle, who enraptured the king with sensuous delight”(Ames, 1). After realizing the higher ups were not interested in his protocols, he returned home to continue teaching at his school. Whilst trying to travel to spread his ideas to other eastern states Confucius and his disciples also had their lives threatened and had an attempted assassination on the late philosopher’s life.
Confucius had made a great impact on Chinese culture that would stick around for years to come. Although his peaceful approach did not seem to influence everyone’s peaceful motives, “In centuries following his death, many totalitarian regimes in China abused the innate conservatism of Confucius’s teachings using it to justify their assaults on the freedom of individuals”( “Confucianism and Daoism”, 187). Confucianism did help stabilize central China for that period of time, but consequences like others misrepresenting his ideas to benefit their personal advantages would arise unfortunately after his death.
Overall, Confucius’s ideas have influenced China for years and have become a part of Chinese and other east Asian cultures. Confucianism is primarily based on the idea of virtues like love and compassion and how holding these close will help us prosper. For society to place emphasis on morals, virtue, and a good code of conduct. Much like Socrates, Confucius’s work and visions would not be fully appreciated until years after his death. Analects, a book of his teachings, were recorded by his disciples to continue passing down the school of thought. In the end, Confucius ultimately accomplished what he set out to establish in the Chinese culture, and his wise words are still being quoted today.
Works Cited
- Ames, Roger T. “Confucius.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 21 Mar. 2020, www.britannica.com/biography/Confucius.
- “Confucianism and Daoism.” Culture & Values: a Survey of the Humanities, by Lawrence Cunningham et al., Cengage Learning, 2018, pp. 186–187.
- “Confucius.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 4 Mar. 2020, www.biography.com/scholar/confucius.
- Hereford, Z. “Confucius Philosophy.” Confucius Philosophy, www.essentiallifeskills.net/confucius-philosophy.html.
