The Great Learning is a compilation of Confucian teachings used to address deeply important social behavior. Confucius used question and answer sessions to dispense his ideas to his followers. The Great Learning is an important part of Chinese history. The text, along with several other Confucius texts, has played a large role in Chinese schools of thought, some which are still used today. (Patterns 268-297)
Confucius was an ancient Chinese teacher and philosopher. He is responsible for many long standing teachings about ethical and moral behavior. Confucius is thought to be born around 551 BCE in China, although there are conflicting ideas regarding his exact birth date and his family. Even though being in politics was his original intention, most of Confucius’ life was spent teaching. The works of Confucius are reportedly interpretations and translations of his teachings written down by others. Master Tsang is a disciple of Confucius and is the commentator for The Great Learning. Confucius’ philosophy is likely a result of turbulent government practices including the Legalistic system of thought. (Johnson, “Discussion East Asian Works”- The Great Learning) (Patterns, 271) (The Great Learning)
The Great Learning is directed to all people with the intention of teaching morality, virtue, responsibility and integrity. Confucius wanted all people to develop themselves into righteous beings. He taught lessons about wealth and greed; “Don’t go for wealth, it results from goodness”. (The Great Learning) He also taught lessons about perfecting knowledge. Confucius believed that if a person could become as close to perfect as possible, that would in turn reflect upon all parts of his life and he would be rewarded. Another f...
... middle of paper ...
...: Imperial Unification and Perfecting the Moral Order” in Patterns of World History, Volume 1. New York, Oxford University Press, 2012
Von Sivers, Peter, et al. “Contrasting Patterns in India and China: in Patterns of World History, Volume 1. New York, Oxford University Press, 2012
“Confucius, Selections form the Analects”, in Sources in Patterns of World History, Volume 1, Gregory, Candace R., et al., eds. New York, Oxford University Press, 2012
“China: Imperial Unification and Perfecting the Moral Order”, in Sources in Patterns of World History, Volume 1, Gregory, Candace R., et al., eds. New York, Oxford University Press, 2012
Johnson, Michael. “Discussion-East Asian Works-The Great Learning”. Northwest Arkansas Community College, 2014.
“The Great Learning”. Confucius and his disciple Master Tang
Taken from http://classics.mit.edu/Confucius/learning.html
Confucius’ impact on Chinese culture has withstood numerous generations and continues to be one of the most prominent philosophies found in Chinese culture. Firmly rooted in years of education, Confucius spent considerable time developing his set of values and principles. In his article entitled “Confucius and the Effortless Life of Virtue”, author Hagop Sarkissian adds to this by saying, “Confucius set his mind on a course of study or cultivation at the age of fifteen, and pursued such studies for a span of fifty-five years, and was thereby able to cultivate a state of being such that he could follow his immediate inclinations in all of life’s predicaments without transgressing social norms” (Sarkissian 1). Confucius’ extensive studies only added to the philosophy represented in the Analects. This includes the pas...
Confucianism is regarded as one of the primary religions that have profoundly influenced Chinese beliefs and ideologies. While Kongzi, or Confucius, is the founder of Confucianism, he is not the only philosopher who has contributed to such a significant impact on China. Similarly, the Analects of Confucius is not the single text that represents Confucianism. In fact, during different time periods throughout the history, there are a number of eminent representatives of Confucian thoughts, such as Mengzi and Xunzi. Because Confucianism aims at eliminating chaos and maintaining order in a harmonious society , they all agree that the guidance and education of virtuous Confucian pioneers are of extreme importance to achieve this goal. Yet, instead of supporting each other, Mengzi and Xunzi have made contradictory arguments on human nature and cultivation of moral elites .
Fairbank, John King, and Edwin O. Reischauer. China: Tradition and Transformation. Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1979. Print.
For those individuals that choose to look into the philosophy of Confucius, Confucianism recognizes that the quest for virtue is ordinary and providential. However, in this quest of moral aptness Confucius tried to offer other people the fervent self love that he had greatly embodied. To actually make oneself as perfect as possible was the central concern of life. Al...
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius (Shubro). The core being humanism, is believing that human beings are “teachable, improvable and perfectible through personal and communal endeavor especially including self-cultivation and self-creation.” ("Confucianism,") Confucianism emphasizes the importance of the family, reverence for elders, rituals, and the value of education. The Chinese people who follow the Confucianism tend to be very traditional and extremely well known in the society or the elite class. They focus more on education and show great respect towards their family and friends and elder persons. The bond among it’s followers tends to be very strong in nature believe on moving forward together.
“The spread of Confucianism across East Asia was accomplished largely through voluntary and consensual means, rather than by conquest o...
Confucianism and Daoism are two influential schools of thoughts that have existed in ancient China around the 6th century BCE. The former, led by the politician and philosopher Confucius, proposed that humans live in society according to a set of predefined rules and that they transform society through political action. Whereas the latter, led by the philosopher Lao-Tzu, promoted the idea of inaction; people should go with the flow instead of taking action to control their lives and dominate their surroundings. Although, at first glance Daoism and Confucianism seem to be two opposing philosophies, a more in depth analysis of two of their key ideas –filial piety and education—reveals that they do share some similarities.
Confucianism is a moral and religious system of China. Its origins go back to the Analects, the sayings attributed to Confucius, and to ancient writings, including that of Mencius. Confucius was born a mandarin under the name Kongzi. It was developed around 550 B.C. In its earliest form Confucianism was primarily a system of ethical concepts for the control of society. It saw man as a social creature that is bound to his fellow men by jen, or “humanity.” Jen is expressed through the five relationships—sovereign and subject, parent and child, elder and younger brother, husband and wife, and friend and friend. Of these, the filial relation is most important.
Confucianism is a philosophy and way of life formed in China by Confucius, an early Chinese philosopher. It began as a simple concept with ideals of personal virtue, simple filial piety, and basic gender distinctions and social inequalities. But, over time with the emergence of Neo-Confucianism it began to transform into a way of life that was degrading towards women with certain hostilities towards rivaling religions. In its early period, from around 500 B.C.E to the Common Era, Confucianism changed in that it became the leading belief system and a major part of Chinese tradition. From the transition into the Common Era to the end of the Classical time period, Confucianism was altered because of a loss of popularity following the collapse of the Han dynasty and the corruption in the governing political system. In its ending period, the post-classical era, Confucianism underwent perhaps its biggest adjustments with the emergence of Neo-Confucianism. The ideas and virtues presented in the “rebirth of Confucian philosophies” of intolerance of foreign religions and extreme filial piety...
Legge, James, Trans. Confucius — Confucian Analects, The Great Learning, and the Doctrine of the Mean. New York: Dover Publications, 1971.
Confucius played a major role during the time of the Zhou dynasty. “Confucius was a thinker, a political figure, an educator” (“Confucius”). The Analects of Confucius contain information on how one should interact with others and conduct their daily lives, and how deeply people should participate in society and government. These ideas then spread to his students, and eventually to many regions of Asia. This
Philip J. Ivanhoe. Confucian moral self cultivation. New York : P. Lang, vol. 3, 1993.
Confucius (551–479 B.C.) was a Chinese philosopher and founder of the Confucian school of thought, which greatly influenced political and social life in China. His teachings are known primarily through the Analects of Confucius, a collection of "brief aphoristic fragments", which was compiled many years after his death. Although he didn’t write any books, his students did the writing based on his teachings and millions of people still rely on Confucius's philosophy as a guide to live. Until the twentieth century, Confucianism was the state religion of China. Confucius (Master K'ung Ch'iu), His philosophy emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. These values gained prominence in China over other doctrines, such as Legalism or Daoism. Legalism was a third Chinese philosophy, a Classical Chinese philosophy that emphasizes the need for order above all other human concerns. At the other extreme was the philosophy known as Legalism. Proponents of Legalism did not concern themselves with Confucian values of ethical and mor...
For many centuries, Confucianism has been widely revered by the Chinese for its emphasis on morality. Confucius, who lived from 551 to 479 BCE, is different to most philosophers in that he showed no interest questioning his existence, the possibility of a God, or the reality that he seemed to live in; instead he focused on the human relations side of philosophy as it was his belief that people should “give (themselves) earnestly to the duties due to men … (and) keep aloof from (spiritual beings)” (Confucius 195). By negating the metaphysical side of philosophy, he was able to devote himself to mold his disciples into ideal gentleman who were morally righteous, and were able to benefit society. He believed in the importance of individuals who knew their roles in an well-structured society, that was a feudal system. In his opinion, the ideal gentleman should be obedient to his elders, have humanness and be morally righteous. Through his teachings, he was able to reform an entire country; the Chinese found Confucianism to embody practices of humaneness that they could apply in their daily lives through his religion.
Confucianism has had a major influence on Chinese social, political and economic life for more than 2000 years. Confucius was the most innovative and respected philosopher in Chinese history. His ideas have been the strongest influence on China and its society. Confucius taught the value of practical ethics and social morality in order to obtain his decadent view of society. He presented the idea of perfecting the human personality by incorporating the five virtues of Jen, Li, Hsiao Ti, Chung-Su and I (Smith 1973, p 66) until the ideal of a perfect man and true gentleman is reached. Confucianism changed everything about China including the way the government ran the country and how young people were being educated. This essay will examine Confucianism as a philosophy, rather than a religion, and how it acted as a moral guide to a way of living in Chinese society in order to create cultural unification and social harmony.