Confucianism Essay -- Papers China Chinese Culture Religion Essays

Confucianism A philosopher named Confucius founded Confucianism in China 2,500 years ago. Confucianism is a system of ethical behavior and social responsibility that became the great traditions of the East.1 It played an important role in the evolution in Chinese culture over the centuries. It has influenced near-by countries and had made a mark in the history of religion. There are today over six million people who call themselves Confucianists. Most Confucianists live in East Asia where Confucianism is thought to be born. For over two thousand years, Confucianism has been the dominant philosophical system of Chinese government, which has still a great hold on their people. Because Chinese culture has spread to the counties of Vietnam, Korea, and Japan, the values of Confucianism can be found there too. Confucius Confucius was born in 551 BC in the village of Zou in the country of Lu. During that time, the Zhou dynasty was in decline-this was controlled by King Zhou. As a child, Confucius would have make-believe rituals; as a young adult he quickly earned a reputation for politeness, fairness and had a love for learning. He traveled often and studied at the imperial capital, Zhou, where legend has it he spoke with Lao Zi, the leader of Daoism. When Confucius returned to Lu, he became a renowned teacher. At the age of 35, Confucius followed Duke Zhao into war. Duke Zhao was later captured and Confucius again followed. Zhao often went to Confucius for advice, but was later advised not to by one of his advisors. Eventually Zhao stopped going to him for advice and Confucius returned to Lu. When he returned, he saw that conditions have been unchanged so he retired from public life to concentrate on teaching and studying... ...ducted at the many Confucian temples on the island. In June, Taiwan?s Dragon Boat Festival commemorates the death, in 299 BCE, of the Confucian diplomat Chu Yuan, who drowned himself to call attention to unheeded demands for government reform. Bibliography: 1Confucianism ? World Religions by Thomas and Dorothy Hoober P. 3 2 Confucianism ? World Religions by Thomas and Dorothy Hoober P. 75 3 Confucianism http://albany.net/~geenius/kongfuzi/teach.html 4 Confucianism ? Encarta Encyclopedia http://www.encarta.com 5 Confucianism ? World Religions P. 56 6 Confucianism http://www.albany.net/~geenius/kongfuzi/modkong.html 7 World Book Encyclopedia ? Confucianism 8 Confucianism http://www.encyclopedia.com 9 Confucianism http://connect.net/ron/confucianism.html 10 Confucianism http://www.encarta.com (I would check it first)