CONFUCIANISM
Presentation by: Alissa Monroe
Practical/Ritual Dimension
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Confucianism does not prescribe any
specific rituals or practices. These are filled
by the practices of Chinese religion,
Taoism, Buddhism, or other religion which
Confucians follow.
5 Virtues: Ren, Yi, Li, Zhi, Xin
These 5 virtues teaches followers the
basic ideas about how a person
should behave
Temporal (Time) & Spatial (Space):
practice all the time, everywhere /
throughout their daily lives
Confucianism lacks sacraments and
liturgy. But, the rituals that occur at
important times in a person's life have
become a part of the movement.
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Some consider Confucianism to be more of
a description of how to be a good person
than a spiritual practice .
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Recognizes and regulates four life
passages:
1) birth
2) reaching maturity
3) marriage
4) death
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They also do ancestor worship
Experiential/Emotional Dimension
Not gods, but forces:
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Confucius saw heaven itself as a kind of
“god”
○ There is no being-based god, but
Confucius spoke of the notion of
heaven as a positive force.
○ Believed that "Heaven is the author
of the virtue that is in me."
○ Believed heaven was a guiding force
of the universe and the judge of right
and wrong.
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Tao: force, the Great Ultimate
○ Confucius believed that the Tao was
the impetus for creation and that this
force flows through all life, enabling
change and betterment.
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There’s no sense of sacred time or sacred
space
○ Ultimate reality is beyond human
comprehension, so there’s no sense
of sacred time outside of ordinary
time.
○ Divine realms are beyond human
comprehension, so there’s no
Confucian concept of a sacred space
outside of the realm of life on earth.
Narrative/Mythic Dimension
Typically, follows Taoist cosmology and eschatology
● Cosmology:
○ "There is Wu-Ch'i which begets Tai-Ch'i,
which produces Yin and Yang. Then, Yin
and Yang form Eight Kwa (Trigrams). The
Sixty-four Kwa (Hexagram) can then be
generated. These Sixty-four Kwa
encompasses the entire universe."
● Eschatology:
○ Li Hong is a messianic figure in religious
Taoism, prophesied to appear at the end of
the world cycle to rescue the chosen
people, who would be distinguished by
certain talismans, practices and virtues.
Sacred texts: Confucius himself left no writings,
but they do exist
● Analects (Lunyu)
Depictions of the life and teachings not only
of Kongzi, but also of his foremost
followers.
● The Five Classics (Wujing)
Includes Shujing, Shijing, Yijing (Classic of
Changes), the Liji (Record of Rituals), and
the Chunqiu (Spring and Autumn Annals).
Invoked as norms for Chinese society, law,
government, education, literature, and
religion.
● The Four Books (Sishu)
Four ancient Confucian texts that were used
as official subject matter for civil service
examinations in China from 1313 to 1905
and that usually serve to introduce Chinese
students to Confucian literature.
Narrative/Mythic Dimension
Sishu
Analects
Wujing
Doctrinal/Philosophical Dimension
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Confucianism is often characterized as a
system of social and ethical philosophy
rather than a religion, and developed
from an ancient religious foundation to
establish the social values, institutions,
and transcendent ideals of traditional
Chinese society.
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A civil and diffused religion
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Confucianism is a way of life
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everyday life is the arena of
religion
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Seeks a harmonious society
○ Not dependent on feudal or
financial merit
○ Instead, based on the ultimate
goodness and moral equality of all
mankind
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5 Virtues
1) Ren - humaneness, the quality of
compassion for others
2) Yi - honesty and righteousness
3) Li - propriety and correct behavior
4) Zhi - stands for wisdom or
knowledge
5) Xi - stands for fidelity and sincerity
Ethical/Legal Dimension
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Respect is very important
○ Must understand one’s position
in society
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Filial piety (xiào) - The virtue of
respect for one's ancestors and
elders
One should also respect ritual,
cultivate wisdom,
be trustworthy, and strive to do
the right thing in any situation
Behave according to the 5 virtues
Social/Institutional Dimension
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Basically, people should live in harmony with each other and be content with their
place in hierarchy
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Ruler’s moral character influences how his people behave morally
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Ancestor worship and temple worship
Material Dimension
Websites used:
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http://www.netplaces.com/world-religions/confucianism/rituals-and-customs-6.htm
http://www.patheos.com/Library/Confucianism.html
http://www.uri.org/kids/other_conf.htm
http://www.religionfacts.com/a-z-religion-index/confucianism.htm
http://people.opposingviews.com/god-confucianism-4082.html
http://www.chinese-word-roots.org/confuciu.htm#III
http://www.patheos.com/Library/Confucianism/Beliefs/Afterlife-and-Salvation.html
http://www.patheos.com/Library/Confucianism/Beliefs/Sacred-narratives?offset=1&max=1
http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/649796/Wujing
http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/562171/Sishu
http://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Religion/Fac/Adler/Reln270/Berling-Confucianism.htm
http://philosophy.lander.edu/oriental/main.html
http://people.opposingviews.com/confucianism-worship-practices-3006.html
http://www.religionfacts.com/confucianism/symbols.htm
http://www.worldreligions.com/confucianism/beliefs-and-practices
All images taken from Google Images.
Bibliography