How Did Xun Zi And Mencius Contribute To The Death Of Confucianism

Religion, in all its shades and forms, can arguably be seen as a way of life. The values of a religion can dictate or influence the values of its followers. With this in mind, it is not so troubling to imagine that what once was philosophy could morph into a system of faith as it did with Confucianism. Although it stems from the mental workings of one ancient man, Confucianism continues to impact China, having held authority over twenty percent of the world's populace for over the past two thousand years (Smith 147). Like most things, religions begin with an originator but it must be noted that though his name and ideals are inseparable from Confuciaism and Chinese culture, Confucius did not bring about the religion in the same light as

Following the master's passing, first and second generation disciples kept Confucianism alive (Wertz 3). Two prominent disciples, Xun Zi and Mencius struggled against existing modes of thought in order to capture the attention of China's rulers, wishing to be able to administer their philosophy through government (Wertz 3). Xun Zi and Menicius had opposing beliefs as Xun Zi, through the use of the confucian pattern of thought, came to the conclusion of people's nature being evil while Menicius believed that the nature of man was kind (Wertz 3). This new idea that Confucianism could be interpretated in conflicting ways was lost at the onset of the Qin dynasty that was ruled by a government similar to that of totalitarianism and which saw the event of the Burning of the Books and discrimination of scholars (Wertz 3). Confucianism survived and the Han dynasty that followed was more welcoming to the ideology, turning it into the back bone of the educational sytem and the examinations for those interested in a government position (Wertz 3). It was also during the Han dynasty that Confucianism was first recognized as a religion with temples and sacrifices towards Confucius being made ("Confucianism" ReligiousFacts.org 2). Confucianism still grappled against other prevalent religions like Buddhism and Taoism but no real threat against

A particular section in the text describes Confucius's equation for world peace as a systematic process that that results from cause and effect. Here he states that if one has virtuous heart then it shall reflect to make his character appealing and that this in turn will make his family peaceful and if all families were at peace, the state will be more managable and if the state is organized, then soon enough, the world will be as well (Smith 174). This segment from the Analects showcases a repetitive style, utilizing the phrases "If there be..." and "...there will be" in every single line (Smith 174). This draws more attention to the words that do not repeat as well as give the overall text a poetic tone (Smith 174). In essence, the text reveals the value of methodical and rational thought in Confucianism as it acknowledges that a well-ordered process will bring harmony to the world rather than suggesting a romanticized plan to do so (Smith 174). A person as an individual is also being prized in this text because in the development towards world peace, it is one man that initiates the process through having good virtue (Smith