...Confucianism Elaine Gaynor REL/133 02/01/2015 Dr. David Fraser Confucianism Confucianism is the way of life, a religion which was given by Confucius in the 6–5th century BCE. This was later followed up by Chinese people now for more than two millennia. It showcases as well as preaches the importance of educational and moral development in different individuals. This initially began in China but later spread through the south east, and East Asia, later gaining popularity in Japan, Korea and Vietnam also. There are five different relationships which are espoused by Confucius, which if governed by Li (a guide) then there will be harmony, as set up by Confucius. Five Great Relationships The relationships set up, were believed to be assisting individuals live in harmony. The level of any relationship can be different factors such as friendship, kindness , including the social factors such as age and socioeconomic factors. The five great relationships are described a follows: 1. Father-son relationship: love and nurturing from the father and care in old age from his son. 2. Elder brother-younger brother: an elder brother must be caring and similarly, younger must be respectful as well. 3. Husband-wife: Husband assures kindness and security towards his wife...
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...Confucianism Paper Jeremiah W. Johnson REL/133 April 25, 2016 Abstract Confucianism is a belief system developed by Confucius and Chinese tradition. It encompasses the importance of educational and moral development in individuals. The perfect human being must have the qualities of saint, scholar, and gentleman. To accomplish this, one must adhere to the guidelines of the ‘Five Great Relationships and the Five Virtues.” Confucianism Paper Confucianism developed during the Spring and Autumn Period from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius (551–479 BCE), who considered himself a retransmitted of Zhou values. Its metaphysical and cosmological elements developed in the Han Dynasty following the replacement of its contemporary, the more Taoistic Huang-Lao, as the official ideology. More privately, Chinese emperors would still make use of the historical Realpolitik of the Chinese, termed Legalism. The disintegration of the Han in the second century CE opened the way for the soteriological doctrines of Buddhism and Taoism to dominate intellectual life at that time. 5 Great Relationships According to Confucius, each person had a specific place in society and certain duties to fulfill. Confucius hoped that if people knew what was expected of them they would behave correctly. Therefore, he set up five principal relationships in which most people are involved. These relationships were (1) ruler and subject; (2) father and son; (3) elder brother and younger brother;...
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...Confucianism Religion /133 1/13/16 Confucianism What is Confucianism? "Confucius," the common name of Confucianism's founder, is a Latinized form of the Chinese K'ung-fu-tzu, "Master K'ung." The terms "Confucianism" and "Confucian" are not meaningful terms in Chinese. They are Western terms, coined in Europe as recently as the 18th century. As we dive deeper into this paper on Confucianism we will learn about the Five Great Relationships and the role of Confucianism in Chinese culture and society today. Five great Relationships According to Confucius, each person had a specific place in society and certain duties to fulfill. Confucius hoped that if people knew what was expected of them they would behave correctly. Therefore, he set up five principal relationships in which most people are involved. These relationships were (1) ruler and subject; (2) father and son; (3) elder brother and younger brother; (4) husband and wife; and (5) friend and friend. All, except the last, involve the authority of one person over another. Power and the right to rule belong to superiors over subordinates; that is, to older people over younger people, to men over women. Each person has to give obedience and respect to "superiors"; the subject to his ruler, the wife to her husband, the son to his parents, and the younger brother to the older brother. The "superior," however, owes loving responsibility to the inferior. ...
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...influential even in modern world. These names belong to a Chinese philosopher Confucius and Jewish religious leader Jesus Christ. The two religions they founded are Confucianism and Christianity. Even though these religions dominated in very distant from each other parts of the World, many concepts of these religions may seem strangely alike. Both Confucius’ and Christ’s teachings pursue transcendence within humans and peace with other people, however their ideas of what it is to be human and how to achieve perfection differ drastically. Two great works of literature Analects and Bible express analogous ideas of Confucius and Christ about perfection of the self and treating others peacefully. Analects describe all the Confucius’ sayings as well as his actions communicating his idea of a perfect “gentleman” the ideal, each man should make his goal to be. New Testament is a collection of short stories describing short episodes from the life of Christ with morale lesson communicating the ideal behavior in each of them. We can see a lesson taught by Confucius in the quote from Analects: “Not to be upset when one’s merits are ignored: is this not the mark of a gentleman?” (Analects, 1.1). An example of pursuing perfection in Bible could be the morale “When you do charity, do not have a trumpet blown before you as hypocrites do…” (Matthew 5-7). Both teach how to become better men, how to improve human nature in order...
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... 1. Buddhism and Christianity also growing rapidly in China 2. part of enduring legacy of the classical world Class Notes: B. Rise of Religions/Philosophies In the period around 500 B.C.E., there was a great emergence of durable cultural traditions that have shaped the world ever since. 1. China : Kong Fuzi (Confucius) and Laozi 2. India :...
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...its rich history based on the written records that were found nearly 5,000 years ago. From 475 BC to the end of the 19th century, China went through a long feudal period. It experienced two seemingly contradictory and paradoxical phenomena. Knowing that it was the most violent and chaotic period in ancient Chinese history due to the conflict between the collapse of the traditional Chinese culture and the establishment of a universal empire, it was also considered to be the most creative and innovative one since it was indeed an age wherein philosophers tried to give their personal opinions regarding the world and attempted to contribute something in the history of Chinese philosophy. All the competing Chinese philosophical traditions – Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism and Mohism, among others – trace their origins back to this period which is closely identified with the wellspring of Chinese philosophical, political, and social thought. The battle of ideas among the fabled numerous masters and hundred schools of thought that lasted for more than three centuries, was fought, but at the same time, the moral, political, and social order – presided over by the Zhou – was collapsing, and old institutions and tradition were degenerating and disintegrating. This period was commonly referred to as the Golden Age of Chinese Philosophy, or simply, the period of philosophers. During the Golden Age, the most influential thinker in China was Kong Zi, also known as “Master Kong” or Confucius,...
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...Throughout history, there have been many forms of government. Ancient Asia had many too, but the Han dynasty started something different from all of the rest that would continue on for over a thousand years. The Qin dynasty, before the Han began, had caused terrible education, high taxes, and harsh laws that made it hard to live in China. The Han dynasty wanted to change that, for no one could live under such circumstances. They combined Legalism, a philosophy that order came before everything else, and Confucianism, which changed major aspects of how government should be. Gao Zu, the first emperor of the Han dynasty, created a new sect of advisors who were Confucian scholars. He created this new form because “he believed the government...
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...of their inventions are so great, they are still used and practiced these days, like written laws and languages from Mesopotamia, enormous buildings from Egypt, Buddhism and the number system from India, and finally, most of the inventions from China. Thanks to them, we can have thThe Contributions to the World The four ancient River Valley Civilizations influenced the future civilizations with their wonderful inventions and technologies. The River Valley Civilizations were Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China. Mesopotamia had a written language, Egypt built the pyramids, India had medical advancements, and China had a philosophy called Confucianism. Their inventions were...
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...This article is devoted to the analysis major historical traditions of China’s international relations. Chinese specialists have long been urged to establish a distinctive school of international relations , rejecting the hegemony of “Western” social science theory and turning back to China’s history. Under the leadership of propaganda officials, Chinese authors increasingly invoke the premodern, sinocentric model of international relations in Asia, reviving the label “tianxia” (all under heaven). Reflecting Hu Jintao’s “harmonious world,” imperial China’s tribute system is now often cited as a model. These developments have thrown the spotlight on views of China’s traditions in international relations, not only inside China but across all of East Asia, where China’s rise evokes memories of a long history of interaction. Although Chinese foreign policy since 1949 has had distinctive characteristics, the forces that shape Beijing's foreign policy and many of its overall goals have been similar to those of other nations. China has sought to protect its (sovereignty) and (territorial integrity) and to achieve independence of action, while interacting with both more powerful and less powerful countries. As with most other nations, Beijing's foreign relations have been conditioned by its historical experiences, nationalism and ideology, and the worldview of its leaders, as well as by the governmental structure and decision-making process. At times China's domestic policies have had...
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...Every philosophy has its own distinct laws and beliefs. These two philosophies are completely diverse and bring something different to the people of China. Confucianism was a social and ethical philosophy while Legalism encouraged a strong central government with complete power. Confucianism was a more superior form of government because it stressed personal honor by practicing with honest, honorable, kind leaders that existed for the benefit of the people, excluded violence to get results and implemented the importance of family. Confucianism leaders were led to have kindness for their followers. “Rulers should also be humble and sincere, for people will grow rebellious under hypocrisy or arrogance. Nor should rulers be greedy; Confucius warned against a profit motive in leadership, stressing that true happiness rested in doing good for all, not individual gain.” The Legalism government on the other hand, expected the people to serve them. In the Legalist government, nothing comes before the government. The Legalist government wanted to be feared. “If heavy penalties are clear and if the people are always well disciplined and then if men are engaged in case of emergency, the superior will have all the advantage.” With honorable, honest leaders, a reliable and rigorous political life would inevitably follow for the Confucianism people. It was important for the Confucian government to lead by example with their honorable, honest morals. “Rulers should also be humble and sincere...
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...THE CHINESE MANAGEMENT Confucius on Management History has shown that China is a significant creator and repository of great philosophies, yet we know little of Chinese philosophies on leadership. With China becoming a global economic and political force, we need to learn from and to understand Chinese leadership philosophies. We must also consider that China is now in the process of blending its tradition, customs and practices with Western concepts and ideas. In the business world, it is the blending of its wisdom and Western practices. Successful leadership behavior of today's more culturally diverse workforce is one of the most important challenges organizations face. CHINA The People's Republic of China today seems to be entering the modern world, coming out of the shadow of the warlords, the 20-year struggle between communism and nationalism, and the Cultural Revolution. Moves are afoot to shift the Chinese economy more toward the market-oriented end of the spectrum. China’s 1978 open door policy initiated rapid economic development, and consequently exposed china to a flood to Western management practices. CHINA 2 China is a country of old and new and one that is in transition. With the rise of China in the global economy, it has never been more important for business leaders to understand Chinese leadership philosophies and practices. Ancient Chinese thinking and Western ideas have shaped the development of leadership styles in China. Leadership theories (paternalistic...
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...both intriguing and fascinating. The complexity to understanding marriage in the agrarian-state society of traditional Chinese culture is interpreting the cultural context as it relates to Confucianism, social hierarchy, family lineage, economic status, a division of labor and gender stratification. Agrarian-State Society An agrarian society is one whose socio-economics is based on the cultivation...
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...this paper, I will be discussing two opposing ideologies, Confucianism and Legalism. Towards the later part of ancient China (e.g Han dynasty), states started to adopt a mixture of Confucianism and Legalistic ideology. Why did Legalism and Confucianism fall off? In this paper I will explore and provide my own insights on the shortcomings of both ideologies; how Legalism was more persuasive in getting people to accept their ideas and more effective as an ideology and how Confucianism lost out in both aspects. Persuasiveness of Legalism The central idea of legalism was to provide absolute power to the person in charge and the supremacy of authority. Legalists like Han Fei Zi believed that human nature was “evil” and strict rules should be in place to ensure order, similar to a shepherd and sheeps3. With this theory in mind, the idea of absolute power was very attractive to rulers of states. Rulers will exercise the “two handles” of reward and punishment accordingly to keep their subjects obedient and loyal. This ideology is even more appealing towards newly founded states that lack in the department of control over its subjects. If states can adopt the legalistic way of ruling, rulers can exercise their control over the whole state to maintain order. Therefore it is more likely for rulers to be persuaded into adopting legalism as their state ideology since it aligns with their objectives. When compared to Confucianism where rulers are encouraged to trust officials in states...
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...NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, DUBLIN UNIVERSITY COLLEGR DUBLIN Cross Cultural Management FT-UCD BBSMKT-22 Chen Lihuan 2950 words CT0203124 UCD ID: 14207863 Case 1. Question 1A) Figure 1.0 Hofstede’s Five Cultural Deminsions for Germany, UK, USA and Japan. (Data from Geert-hofstede.com,n.d) Figure 1.0 is a bar chart that presents the full data of all four cultures. (Germany, UK, USA, and Japan) Other than two dimensions (Individualism and uncertainty avoidance) that have been discussed in the case, the rest of the three dimensions will be discussed in following article. Masculinity Masculinity shows whether the society is driven by competition or quality of life (Geert-hofstede.com, n.d). According to figure 1.0, all four cultures are masculine culture. USA scored at the lowest of 62, followed by Germany and UK at the score of 66. The highest score in Masculinity is Japan, at 95. Although Japan has an extremely high score at Masculinity dimension, due to its collectivism, there are not much intense competitions between individuals. Power Distance Power distance is referring to how people within the society react to unequal power distribution. The higher the score is, the higher acceptability for unequal power distribution by the society will...
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...The ruler is given prestige and religious importance. 2. The ruler is considered to possess supreme power. 3. It allows a new ruler to gain power quickly if the people believe he has the 'Mandate of Heaven'. 4. A ruler's power must be kept in check by virtue. 5. The Mandate of Heaven justifies rebellion as long as the rebellion is successful. Simply because it was successful, obviously then, the new ruler had to have had a Mandate from Heaven. Perhaps the most famous teaching of Confucius is the Golden Rule simply stated “Do it unto other if want others do it unto you” . He emphasizes on moral teachings. Because his moral teachings emphasizes self-cultivation, emulation of moral exemplars, and the attainment of skilled judgment rather than knowledge of rules. In the centuries after his death, Mencius who wrote his book in 4th century B.C.E.containing Confucius teachings on governance with emphasis on the welfare of the people as the most important goal. After more than a thousand years, the scholar Zhu Xi created a very different interpretation of Confucianism which is now called Neo-Confucianism, to distinguish it from the ideas expressed in the Analects. Neo-Confucianism held sway in China and Vietnam until the 1800s....
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