I.  What is Confucianism?

 Who was Confucius?  He was a philosopher and teacher, who lived (551 - 479 BCE) during the Warring States period of the
Zhou dynasty (1027-256 BCE).  His family name was Kung.  He was called Master Kung (Kung Fuzi).
 
 

 The main ideas of Confucianism:
A.  Men are by nature good, but goodness has to be cultivated.

B.  Cultivation is done through education and by moral example.
       1.  Education is based on the 5 Classics.
             a.  Book of History

              b.  Book of Songs

             c.  Book of Rites

             d.  Book of Documents

             e.  Spring and Autumn Annals

2.  Moral examples are found in the 5 Relationships.

        a.  righteousness between ruler and subject

        b. distinction between husband and wife

        c. respect between older and younger

        d. affection between parent and child

        e. sincerity between friend and friend

C.  The goal of Confucian government is social order.
 
 
 
 

D.  The Chinese Confucian government operated on four principles:
1.  mandate of heaven:

2.  dynastic cycle:  (look at handout)
       list of  Chinese dynasties
  a.  Shang
  b.  Zhou
  c.  Qin
  d.  Han
  e.  Sui
  f.  Tang
  g.  Sung
  h.  Yuan
  i.  Ming
  j.  Qing

3.  The Chinese civil service system was a meritocracy.
Entrance into civil service was based on examinations testing knowledge of  the 5 Classics.

There were five levels of examinations.
  county level:  “budding talent”
  provincial level:  “promoted scholar”
  national level:  “entered scholar”
  Imperial Academy:  “Hanlin Yuan” (forest of pencils), limited to 6
                           men

4.  Imperial Advisors and civil servants sent memorials to emperor reporting on their own performance as moral role models
and reminding the emperor of his responsibilities.