presentation of Confucianism .pptxxxxxxx

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1. Confucianism

2. Confucianism began with Kung Fuzi, known in the West as Confucius, during the Zhou Dynasty in ancient China. There has long been a debate on whether Confucianism should be regarded as a religion or a philosophy.

3. Confucianism in the World Today According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica (2010), there were more than six million followers Confucianism. However, the real number might be closer to 300 million, because many East Asians combine Confucian values with other religions like Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism, Christianity, or Islam. ` Followers of Confucianism are called Confucians or Confucianists. In East Asia, it’s common for people to practice Confucian ethics while also following another religion. This is because Confucianism focuses more on ethical living and moral behavior rather than worship.

4. Symbols of Confucianism Two main symbols represent Confucianism: 1. The Scholar (Ru) – symbolizes the importance of education, wisdom, and moral learning. It combines the Chinese characters for a person and for need or desire, meaning “the need of a human being is nourishment, then education.”

5. 5 2. Water – represents life, purity, and harmony. It is one of the five important Chinese elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water) and symbolizes the source of life and flexibility.

6. Historical Background Confucianism developed during the Zhou Dynasty (1046–771 BCE), especially in the later periods when China was facing social chaos, political conflict, and moral decline. The Zhou period was divided into the Western Zhou and Eastern Zhou, which included the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Among the rival states, the Qin Dynasty later emerged victorious, forming the first Chinese empire in the 3rd century BCE. The word “China” even came from the name Ch’in (Qin), which unified the country under one rule and established the foundation of Chinese identity.

7. 7 Core Teachings and Influence Confucianism teaches that the family is the foundation of society, and everyone should perform their role properly — parents must be loving, children must be respectful, rulers must be just, and citizens must be loyal. These relationships build harmony, which then spreads to the whole nation.

8. The Life of Confucious

9. Confucius was born on September 28 on 551 B.C.E. in a small feudal state of Lu (now Shantung province) in Qufu . His personal name was Qiu and his family name was Kong. His first teacher was his mother, and at the age of 15 he set his heart upon learning. He married at the age of 19 and had a son at the age of 20. When he was in his 30s he had already started a brilliant teaching career because of his mastery of the arts of ritual, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and arithmetic.

10. He held several government positions including as arbiter, assistant minister of public works, and minister of justice in the state of Lu.At 67, he returned home to teach (where he gained more disciples) and to preserve his classical traditions by writing and editing. He died in 479 B.C.E at the age of 73 and he left around 3,000 followers who preserved and put his other teachings to writing.

11. SACRED SCRIPTURES: THE CONFUCIAN CLASSICS Confucianism's basic texts: Book of Changes Book of History Book of Poetry Classic of Rites Spring and Autumn Annals

12. Book of Changes Also known as the I-Ching, the Book of Changes is believed to have existed at the time of Confucius and is the oldest of the Classics. It focuses on short predictions following a type of divination called cleromancy wherein six random numbers are picked and arranged under sixty-four hexagrams. A hexagram is any of a set of sixty-four figures made up of six parallel or broken lines.

13. Book of History Also known as the Book of Documents or Shangshu , the Book of History is conventionally attributed to Confucius by early scholars. It is composed of speeches (or prose) of royalty and ministers mainly from the Shang and Zhou dynasties. It also consists of chronological accounts of imperial achievements and rules of government.

14. Book of Poetry The Book of Poetry, also known as the Book of Songs/Odes/Shijing, is a collection of three hundred and five songs compiled around 600 B.C.E. which includes four sections of various themes such as love, courtship, abandonment and dances. It also includes feast songs or state chants. It was supposedly compiled by Confu cius from an ancient repertory of three thousand, and is considered as the oldest existing compilation of Chinese poetry.

15. Classic of Rites Originally the Three Li/Three Rites/San Li, the Classic of Rites is a compilation of ceremonial rituals, administration, and social forms of the Zhou Dynasty. Ceremonials (I-li/Yili), an early manual of protocol for the nobility, describing such occasions as marriages and funerals, sacrifices and even archery compe-titions .

16. Book of Rites (Li-chi/Liji) which is composed of forty-nine sections of ritual and government guidelines, as well as essays on education, the rites, music and philosophy. Institutes of Chou (Chou-li/Zhou Li) which is supposedly an ultimate depiction of government offices in early Zhou times.

17. Analects The Analects, or Lunyu ("conversations" or "sayings"), is also known as the Analects of Confucius. It is a collection of sayings and ideas attributed to the Chinese philosopher Confucius and his contemporaries, traditionally believed to have been written by Confucius' followers. It is believed to have been written during the Warring States period (475 B.C.E.-221 B.C.E.) and finalized during the middle of the Han dynasty

18. Confucian Doctrines / Beliefs

19. Belief in Tian • Tian means “Heaven” — represents moral order and divine will. • Confucius believed harmony between Heaven and Earth is achieved through moral actions and rituals.

20. Rectification of Names • People must act according to their proper roles in society. • Promotes social order and harmony through responsibility and respect.

21. Human Nature • Confucius was neutral, but his followers had two views: • Mencius: Humans are naturally good; need education and discipline. • Xunzi: Humans are naturally evil; goodness must be taught.

22. The Five Constants (Five Virtues) Ren – Benevolence or kindness Yi – Righteousness or justice Li – Propriety or proper conduct Zhi – Wisdom or moral understanding Xin – Fidelity or trustworthiness • Serve as guides to moral and social behavior.

23. Filial Piety • Respect, obedience, and care for parents and elders. • Basis of family harmony and ancestor worship. • Foundation of social order and Chinese cultural values.

24. Worship and Observances

25. The "Book of Rites" records Chinese rituals, including "Family Rites" or "Four Rites," which mark growth and maturity: coming-of-age, marriage, mourning, and sacrificial rituals.

26. Four Rites Coming of age rites - signify a young person's readiness for marriage and adult clan activities. Important Chinese ceremonies include capping and hair pinning. Capping - refers to styling a male teenager's hair in a bun/coil, then placing a cap on it. This ritual, occurring between ages 15-20, marks the reception of a formal hat, gown, name, wine libation, and ancestral introduction .

27. Hair Pinning - refers to the gathering of a girl's hair into a knot, and securing it using a hairpin or a hairclip; often done by 16-year old women after engagement and before their wedding day. Mourning Rites - involve public grief, white funeral clothes, and offerings of symbolic goods. These rites include setting up a spirit table, paying ritual experts, playing music, chanting scriptures, and sealing the corpse in a coffin.

28. Marriage Ceremonies - is central to Chinese culture, emphasizing virtues like patience and love. Traditionally, parents arrange marriages based on wealth and social status, favoring monogamy. Rituals involve gifts, etiquette, the wedding ceremony, and the bride's family meeting the groom's family. Sacrificial Rituals - are common at festivals to honor ancestors. The Qingming Festival involves visiting graves to clean and repair them, offering food, fruit, wine, incense, or candles. Ancestors are buried with belongings for the spirit world.

29. Development of Confucianism Mozi's Mohism Mozi, a contemporary and primary rival of Confucius, developed a philosophy detailed in his work "Mozi," which challenged Confucianism. He advocated that rulers should cede power to superiors and championed a utilitarian approach focused on enriching the nation and growing its populace. Mozi prioritized basic human needs over artistic expression and emotions, deemed warfare futile, and believed in universal love as the path to societal peace and harmony.

30. Mengzi Mengzi (Mencius), more successful than Mozi, believed human nature is inherently good and can be cultivated through education. He advocated extending love beyond family and saw government as an ethical application of righteousness. A ruler's legitimacy comes from being moral and serving the people's well-being, aligning with the concept of the "Mandate of Heaven".

31. Xunzi Xunzi, a Chinese philosopher, believed human nature is inherently evil but can be improved through education, emphasizing the teacher's role. He valued rituals, hierarchy, and strict rule, contributing to Legalism, which advocated strict laws for social harmony. Xunzi also articulated the doctrine of zhengming , where societal roles dictate behavior.

32. Neo-Confucianism

33. Neo-Confucianism refers to the revival of Confucian philosophy that began in the 9th century and flourished during the Song dynasty under the philosopher Zhu Xi. It combined Confucian ethics with Daoist cosmology and Buddhist spirituality, forming a unified vision of moral self-cultivation aimed at becoming a sage. This movement influenced not only philosophy but also art, politics, medicine, and education, and later spread to Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, becoming the official philosophy of China.

34. The painting “The Vinegar Tasters” symbolizes the harmony among Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, representing the idea that “the three teachings are one.” Neo-Confucianism emphasized the principle of “Li” (propriety or natural order) and was based on the Four Books: Analects, Book of Mencius, Great Learning, and Doctrine of the Mean.

35. However, issues such as social hierarchy, authoritarianism, and especially female subordination remain controversial. Under the “Three Obediences ,” women were expected to submit to their fathers, husbands, and sons. Confucian patriarchy promoted male dominance, preference for sons, and restrictions on women’s independence, leading to practices like dowries, secondary wives, and even female infanticide.

36. In essence, while Neo-Confucianism enriched Chinese thought and governance, it also reinforced rigid hierarchies and gender inequality.

37. thank you