Who is Confucius? What is Confucianism ?

Who is Confucius? Who has never dreamed of leaving behind the troubles of social and political life to live in a cabin in the middle of nature? Witness to an empire torn apart by the “warring states” and a weakened dynastic power, Confucius would have had many reasons to turn away from human affairs in this way. However, his entire work invites us to give up the fantasy of living “with birds and wild beasts”, to embrace what makes our humanity.

Also see A Brief History of Early Philosophy of Language

A contemporary of Pythagoras and Buddha, from the lower nobility, Confucius (Latinization of the Chinese Kǒng Fūzǐ, meaning “Master Kong”) was literate but not wealthy. He tried his luck as an adviser to the sovereign of the country of Lu before offering his services to other princes, then devoting himself entirely to education. If his life is known by indirect accounts, his work had a considerable influence on Chinese and Western philosophy.

Throughout his life, he undertook to develop political wisdom based on morality, capable of restoring the justice and prosperity he attributed to the golden age of the Chinese empire. Its doctrine aims to bring human behavior back into line with the cosmic order and with each person’s destiny. This order refers not only to a set of rules and hierarchies governing human life, but also to the very principle of all life. Just as a body needs a certain order to function well, a society rests on a balance of forces, without which it remains formless and divided.

To achieve this harmony, everyone must cultivate ren (“humanity” and “compassion”), the virtue characterizing the good man. Every man, by nature perfectible, is capable of developing ren through appropriate education and constant effort. The latter is born of a desire for knowledge, and ends with attentive listening to the world around us. “At fifteen, I resolved to learn. At thirty, I was on my feet. At fifty, I knew the decree of heaven. At sixty, my ear was perfectly tuned. “It is only at an advanced age that one can hope that the individual will and the cosmic order marry perfectly, without clashes. Thus, the master concludes: “At 70, I acted according to the desires of my heart without breaking any rules” (Interviews). The journey he evokes is not so much the journey of a sage as that of a human worthy of the name.

During his lifetime, Confucius formed many disciples, who formed a school. Some, like Mencius (Meng Tseu) or Xun Zi (Siun Tseu), remained more faithful to his thought. Others tried to reconcile it with Taoism, then Buddhism. What is called “Confucianism” today covers several things: Confucian philosophy, the religious worship of the master, as well as the official doctrine used by Chinese rulers for centuries. Confucianism was banned by the Maoist regime, before being rehabilitated in the 21st century as an alibi for maintaining order.

The thought of Confucius spread with the Chinese empire, especially in Korea and Japan. He undoubtedly had a considerable, although little known, influence on certain currents of ancient Greek thought. It reached the West in the 16th and 17th centuries, thanks to Jesuit missions, and inspired certain Enlightenment thinkers like Voltaire.

Confucianism or Confucianism is a system of thought created by Confucius, one of the great scholars of the history of thought. Confucianism is one of the indigenous, national religions in China and is named after the great Chinese philosopher Confucius. Confucianism or Confucianism is also a moral system based on this religion existing in China.

The Confucian system of thought was discussed and banned during the warring states period. This system was implemented as a political system by Emperor Han Wudi to rule the Chinese state during the long-lived Qin Dynasty. Despite losing its power during the Tang Dynasty, Confucian doctrine remained the mainstream of Orthodox China well into the 20th century. It was written against by the radical Chinese thinkers of the 20th century, the pioneer of modernism, and it was claimed that it prevented China’s modernization. This movement reached its zenith during the Cultural Revolution in the People’s Republic of China, and this reborn idea began to shine again.

Confucius brought together past experiences and religious ceremonies and examined all Chinese inscriptions to keep morals and traditions alive. Confucius thus aimed to create a Chinese culture connected to its past and history. He especially tried to explain the importance of this purpose to the students he developed and trained. After the death of Confucius, his students collected his thoughts and compiled them into a book. These books formed the foundational books of Confucianism. Confucius, together with his students, attempted to gather and review the writings of previous Chinese philosophers and scholars, and tried to ensure the continuation of living morals and traditions, especially by compiling information about administration, social life and ceremonies. His students also collected Confucius’ speeches, thus creating two collections of Confucian scriptures, known as the “five classics” (Wou King), and “four books” (Se Chou).