Confucianism
Sign in to savethumb|upright=1.15|Temple of Confucius of [[Jiangyin, Wuxi, Jiangsu. It is a wenmiao (), a temple where Confucius is worshipped as Wendi, "God of Culture" ().]] thumb|upright=1.15|Gates of the wenmiao of Datong, [[Shanxi]] Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, religion, theory of government, or way of life. Founded by Confucius in the Hundred Schools of Thought era (c. 500 BCE), Confucianism integrates philosophy, ethics, and social governance, with a core focu
AI overview
Confucianism is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, founded by Confucius around 500 BCE, that integrates philosophy, ethics, and social governance into a comprehensive way of life. It has been influential enough to be described variously as a tradition, philosophy, religion, theory of government, and way of life, and remains significant in Chinese cultural and intellectual history.
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Article
37 sectionsContents
- Terminology
- Five Classics and the Confucian vision
- Doctrines
- Theory and theology
- ''Tian'' and the gods
- Social morality and ethics
- Ren
- Rite and centring
- Loyalty
- Filial piety
- Relationships
- ''Junzi''
- Rectification of names
- History
- Metaphysical antecedents
- Zhou traditions wane
- Confucianism rises
- Decline
- Organisation and liturgy
- Governance
- Meritocracy
- Institutional design
- Promotion system
- Compatibility with liberalism and democracy, and critique of political meritocracy
- Influence
- In 17th-century Europe
- On Islamic thought
- In modern times
- On Chinese martial arts
- Criticism
- Contradiction with modernist values
- Women in Confucian thought
- Chinese Rites controversy
- Notes
- Citations
- Bibliography
- External links
thumb|upright=1.15|Temple of Confucius of [[Jiangyin, Wuxi, Jiangsu. It is a wenmiao (), a temple where Confucius is worshipped as Wendi, "God of Culture" ().]] thumb|upright=1.15|Gates of the wenmiao of Datong, [[Shanxi]] Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, religion, theory of government, or way of life. Founded by Confucius in the Hundred Schools of Thought era (c. 500 BCE), Confucianism integrates philosophy, ethics, and social governance, with a core focus on virtue, social harmony, and familial responsibility.
Confucianism emphasizes virtue through self-cultivation and communal effort. Key virtues include ren (, "benevolence"), yi (; "righteousness"), li (; "propriety"), zhi (; "wisdom"), and xin (; "sincerity"). These values, deeply tied to the notion of tian (; "Heaven"), present a worldview where human relationships and social order are manifestations of sacred moral principles. While Confucianism does not emphasize an omnipotent deity, it upholds tian as a transcendent moral order.