Introduction to Confucianism

Summary

This introductory lesson on Confucianism explores the philosophical roots of the teachings of Confucius, set against the backdrop of ancient Chinese traditions and the chaotic Warring States period. It delves into the debate on whether Confucianism is a religion or a philosophy, highlighting its focus on establishing new customs and traditions for social order. The video also touches on Confucius's personal journey, his admiration for past dynasties, and his belief in the power of education to instill values and bring about societal change.

Takeaways

• 📘 Confucianism is introduced as a philosophical and ethical system rather than a religion, with a focus on social harmony and personal virtue.
• 🌐 The script suggests that Confucianism emerged from various Chinese traditions, including indigenous spiritual practices, divination, ancestor worship, and Daoism.
• 🕊️ Confucius himself is portrayed as a civil servant and teacher rather than a deity, emphasizing his role in imparting wisdom and establishing social order.
• 🏛️ The script mentions that Confucianism originated during the 4th century B.C., after the establishment of other Chinese folk religions and philosophies like Daoism.
• 🤔 It raises the question of whether Confucianism is a religion, philosophy, or a way of life, highlighting the blurred lines between these categories.
• 🗿 The script describes how Confucianism is sometimes associated with practices like ancestor worship and divination, which were part of Chinese culture before Confucius's teachings.
• 🌟 The concept of 'Heaven' in Confucianism is explained as a source of law and virtue, rather than a physical place or deity.
• 👥 Confucius's teachings emphasize the importance of establishing new customs and traditions to bring social cohesion and order, especially during the chaotic Warring States period.
• 📚 The script highlights Confucius's admiration for the social order under dynasties and his belief in the power of tradition and custom to unite people.
• 📈 The teachings of Confucius gained popularity posthumously, influencing the establishment of new social norms and educational practices in China.
• 🌱 The fundamental ideas and philosophies of Confucianism, which contributed to stabilizing Chinese society for millennia, will be discussed in subsequent videos.

Q & A

What is the central theme of the script's discussion on Confucianism?

The central theme of the script is to introduce Confucianism as a philosophy or way of life that originated from China, rooted in various traditions and practices that predate Confucius himself, and to explore its fundamental ideas and philosophies that have influenced Chinese and Asian society for thousands of years.

Why might Confucianism sometimes be confused with a religion?

Confucianism might be confused with a religion because it has elements such as ancestor worship and the concept of Heaven, which can be associated with religious practices. However, the core teachings of Confucius do not involve the worship of deities or devotion to higher powers, making it more of a philosophy or way of life.

What is the significance of the I Ching in the context of Chinese folk religion and Confucianism?

The I Ching, or the Book of Changes, is significant as it represents a method of divination, a practice of seeking knowledge or answers from a spiritual source. It was part of the Chinese folk religion before Confucianism and was later incorporated into Confucian practices, even though Confucius himself did not emphasize it as the core of his teachings.

How did Confucius view his role in society?

Confucius viewed himself as a civil servant and a teacher, rather than a divine sage or a deity. He believed in establishing new customs and traditions to bring order and cohesion to society, which he attempted to achieve through his teachings.

What is the historical context of Confucianism's emergence?

Confucianism emerged during the 4th century B.C., after the establishment of various indigenous folk religions and Daoism, and before the widespread influence of Buddhism in China. It arose during a time known as the Warring States period, characterized by chaos and the fragmentation of China into warring tribes.

What were the key motivations behind Confucius' teachings?

Confucius' key motivations were to alleviate the suffering caused by the Warring States period and to bring about social cohesion and order. He believed that by establishing new customs and traditions, society could be stabilized and the people could live in harmony.

How did Confucius' teachings become popular and influential?

Confucius' teachings became popular and influential after his death. His students, who learned and understood his philosophies, spread his teachings and helped establish new customs and traditions that were gradually accepted and integrated into the educational system and society at large.

What is the concept of 'Heaven' in Confucianism?

In Confucianism, 'Heaven' is not a physical place but rather a philosophical concept representing the source of law and virtue. It is not personified as a deity but is seen as a force that provides purpose and values to human life.

What is the role of ancestor worship in Confucianism?

Ancestor worship in Confucianism is a practice that acknowledges the belief that the dead can influence the living. It involves rituals and offerings to appease the spirits of the deceased, hoping for their positive influence on the lives of the living.

How does the script differentiate between the teachings of Confucius and other Chinese traditions?

The script differentiates by highlighting that while Confucianism has elements from other Chinese traditions, such as ancestor worship and divination, these were not the core of Confucius' teachings. Instead, his philosophy focused on establishing new customs and traditions to bring about social order and harmony.

What is the significance of the term 'Confucianism'?

The term 'Confucianism' is a Latinized version of 'Kung Fuzi,' which means 'Master Kung.' It refers to the teachings of Confucius, emphasizing his role as a master teacher and civil servant, rather than a divine figure.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Confucianism and Its Origins

The script introduces Confucianism as a topic of discussion, posing the question of whether the audience has ever felt overwhelmed by chaos. It compares this to the previous discussion on Buddhism and suffering. The instructor suggests that understanding Confucianism requires a brief historical tour, noting that it emerged from various Chinese traditions, including divination, belief in spirits, and ancestor worship. Confucianism is not attributed to a single founder but is rooted in pre-existing cultural practices. The script also touches on the debate about whether Confucianism is a religion or a philosophy, highlighting that it lacks the worship of deities and focuses more on social harmony and personal ethics.

05:02

🗿 Honoring Confucius: The Man and His Teachings

This paragraph delves into the cultural significance of Confucius, distinguishing between honoring historical figures and worshiping deities. It clarifies that Confucius's teachings do not involve devotion to higher powers or mention of deities, but rather focus on societal order and personal virtue. The script explains that Confucius saw himself as a civil servant and teacher, not a divine sage. It also discusses how Confucianism incorporates elements from Chinese folk religion, such as ancestor reverence and divination practices like the I Ching, which were already present in Chinese culture before Confucius's time.

10:04

🌏 The Societal Impact of Confucianism

The script describes Confucianism as a set of teachings aimed at bringing order and meaning to society, particularly in the context of the chaotic Warring States period in China. It emphasizes that Confucius, as a civil servant and teacher, sought to establish new customs and traditions to alleviate suffering and create a more harmonious society. The paragraph highlights Confucius's admiration for the social order under dynasties and his belief in the power of tradition and custom to unite people. It also mentions that Confucius's teachings became popular posthumously and were instrumental in shaping Chinese society and education for millennia.

15:05

🛣️ The Path to Social Harmony Through Confucian Teachings

The final paragraph outlines the process by which Confucius's teachings were disseminated and eventually integrated into Chinese society. It explains that Confucius initially tried to promote his ideas directly but turned to teaching when his ideas were not immediately accepted. His teachings, which focused on establishing new traditions and customs, were gradually adopted and became a foundational part of Chinese education and social structure. The paragraph concludes by setting the stage for a deeper exploration of Confucius's fundamental ideas and philosophies in subsequent discussions.

Keywords

💡Confucianism

Confucianism is a system of thought based on the teachings of Confucius, emphasizing moral integrity, social harmony, and proper conduct. It is central to the video's theme as it discusses the origins and influence of Confucian teachings in Chinese society. The script mentions Confucianism's roots in Chinese traditions and its development from indigenous practices.

💡Ancestor Worship

Ancestor worship is the practice of honoring and appeasing the spirits of deceased ancestors, which is a part of Chinese folk religion that influenced Confucianism. The script refers to this practice as a way to seek positive influence from the spirits of the deceased, showing its relevance to the cultural context of Confucianism.

💡Divination

Divination is the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown through supernatural means. The script discusses divination as a practice that predates Confucianism and includes the I Ching, a text used for fortune-telling, as an example of how this practice was integrated into Chinese culture and Confucian thought.

💡I Ching

The I Ching, or 'Book of Changes,' is an ancient Chinese text used for divination. It is mentioned in the script as a method of seeking guidance through casting coins or sticks and interpreting the results according to the I Ching's entries, illustrating the blend of traditional practices with philosophical teachings.

💡Philosophy vs. Religion

The script explores the debate over whether Confucianism is a philosophy or a religion, highlighting the blurred lines between these categories. It contrasts Confucianism with Western religious practices, emphasizing its focus on moral and social principles rather than deity worship.

💡Confucius

Confucius, or Kong Fuzi, is the central figure of Confucianism. The script describes him as a teacher and civil servant who sought to establish new traditions and customs to bring order to society. His teachings, rather than his person, are the core of Confucianism.

💡Warring States Period

The Warring States Period refers to a time in Chinese history characterized by conflict among various states. The script uses this period as a backdrop to explain Confucius's motivation for developing his teachings to alleviate the chaos and suffering of the time.

💡Heaven

In the context of Confucianism, Heaven is not a physical place but a source of law and virtue. The script explains that Confucius often referred to Heaven as a way to convey the idea of moral order and the observation of human actions by a higher moral authority.

💡Tradition

Tradition, as discussed in the script, is a set of customs and practices that Confucius believed could bring people together and provide a framework for social order. Confucius's teachings aimed to establish new traditions that would help stabilize society after the Warring States Period.

💡Cultural Artifacts

Cultural artifacts, such as the practices of ancestor worship and divination, are elements of Chinese culture that Confucius incorporated into his teachings. The script notes that Confucius used these familiar cultural elements to communicate his philosophy effectively.

💡Civil Servant

Confucius is described in the script as a civil servant who sought to promote his philosophy through his role in government. His initial attempts to establish new traditions were as a servant to the state, aiming to bring about social change from within the existing system.

Highlights

Introduction to Confucianism as a philosophy and its comparison with Buddhism.

The question of whether Confucianism is a religion or a philosophy is explored.

Confucianism's roots in Chinese traditions predating Confucius, including indigenous spiritual practices.

The influence of Daoism on Confucian thought, particularly the concept of opposites in the whole.

The historical context of Confucianism's emergence during the 4th century B.C.

Confucius's self-perception as a civil servant and teacher rather than a divine sage.

The debate on the nature of Confucianism as a philosophy, culture, or way of life.

The significance of Confucius's teachings in providing meaning and order to Chinese society.

The concept of 'Heaven' in Confucianism as a source of law and virtue, not a deity.

Ancestor reverence and its integration into Confucian practices.

The role of divination and the I Ching in the cultural context of Confucianism.

Confucius's motivation to alleviate suffering during the Waring States period in China.

The idea of establishing new customs and traditions to bring societal cohesion.

The posthumous popularity of Confucius's teachings and their impact on Chinese education.

The fundamental ideas and philosophies of Confucianism that shaped Chinese society.

The importance of tradition and custom in Confucius's vision for societal stability.

Confucius's admiration for the dynastic period and the inspiration for new traditions.

The process of integrating Confucian teachings into the civic and educational systems.

Transcripts

hello everyone Welcome to our lesson

this week on Confucianism this first

video will be a short

introduction so the question we looked

at last week as our introduction to

Buddhism was the following have you ever

been overwhelmed trapped by suffering

and hopefully now after having digested

Buddhism this question might make a

little more sense to you as we go into

confusion ISM the question I'd like you

to think about as we begin discussing

this topic is the following have you

ever felt like you're immersed in chaos

as if uh everything around you was

hectic and you weren't too sure how to

to make sense or to deal with all of

it so as with the previous two

discussions on Hinduism and Buddhism I'd

like to begin with a a short tour of

Confucianism but when I mention

Confucianism does anything particular

come to mind do any particular images or

artifacts or ideas come to

mind rather than a tour like in the

previous lectures what I like to do is

to go through some of the various

Chinese religions or Traditions that

kind of lead us to Confucianism because

Confucianism comes out of China uh

immersed in various other Traditions so

a lot of what we think of as being

associated with Confucianism stems from

or is rooted in other Traditions that

were in China before

Confucianism

so thousands of years there have been

obviously many indigenous spiritual

Traditions within China with various

different practices and we'll look into

the some of those practices and see how

they uh later became part or associated

with

Confucianism a lot of these practices

have to do with

divination the belief in spirits

ancestor worship

so as we take a look at Confucianism

often times they might be associated

with these sorts of phenomena but

Confucian confucious himself um didn't

necessarily Advocate or invent or come

up with these sorts of practices they're

already within the Chinese culture prior

to his

teachings similarly before Confucianism

Daoism was already popular within China

and when we think of um

DS philosophy when we start to delve

into the nature of of reality within

dosm and the notion of opposites being

part of the

whole sometimes these sorts of Concepts

also find their way in Confucian um in

Confucianism yeah but again confucious

didn't necessarily come up with these

sorts of ideas or practices or these

sorts of

philosophies

Confucianism we can see as originating

within the 4th century B.C so this is

after um um the establishment of various

indigenous folk religions and after the

establishment of

Daoism and christianism is even a little

bit before

Buddhism so one major question that may

have even come up for you when looking

at Buddhism is asking whether or not

this is is really a religion when we

took a look at Buddhism we heard a lot

of um teachings based upon cognition

based upon how the mind works and for

many people it felt more like a

psychology or more of a philosophy than

it does what we normally think of

religion especially down in the west

where we associate religion with

worshiping of deities worshiping of of

the supernatural while there is some of

that within certain branches of Buddhism

it's not part of the fundamental

teaching of the the Buddha at least for

many for many uh practitioners it's not

um the same applies to conf ficis

there's a debate about whether or not

cicim is really a religion as opposed to

a philosophy or or a way of life and

again the

the um the lines between these sorts of

ideas religion versus culture versus um

which is uh philosophy versus psychology

mean the lines between all these sorts

of distinctions are a little blurred and

maybe this is something to keep in mind

as we start to delve into even more of

these things that we call

religions but within Confucianism we

often sometimes we often see statues of

the of

confucious um and from the outside in

that may make confuscious seem like a

deity though he really is

not there are various temples honoring

confusus but again this may seem as if

it's worshiping a deity but but it's not

it's as if it's akin to having statues

of historical figures so if you if you

walk around various historical landmarks

within the US you'll see statues of

Abraham Lincoln statues of Muhammad Ali

statues of and it's not necessarily

saying that these people are are are

gods or goddesses it's a matter of

honoring various people that we feel

have impacted our culture same thing

with confucious and when we look at

confucious teachings um there there is

no mention of there's not a specific

mention of Dei Spirits or Devotion to

higher Powers though since confucious

lived within China uh uh and immersed in

various folk religions and DSM the

language he uses will refer to um

Spirits refer to things that may seem

Supernatural but it's not at the root or

the heart of his

teachings what we do see though which

makes confucious a very large figure

within not just Chinese history but with

world history is that based upon his

teachings he gave people meaning and

order for several thousands of

years so when we take a look at how

Confucianism uh is influenced by various

Traditions already based in China uh we

see things like his frequent reference

Heaven

T and the notion of Heaven here isn't so

much u a place like we often think about

it in in a Christian tradition it's more

of the source of law or the source of

our virtue it's it's sometimes uh

confucious will often sometimes

confusious will refer to how we are are

watched by heaven or how our actions are

seen by Heaven um and so sometimes the

language comes across as If Heaven's

treated as a person though that's not

really how confucious is using the term

it's more of that from which we are

given purpose that from which we are uh

given um values it's it's a very

philosophical sort of idea

here also part of the folk religion that

made its way into Confucianism is

ancestor reverence which means there

there's this belief that the dead can

influence what we do can influence our

lives so lots of practices within

Chinese folk religions have to do with

appeasing the spirits of the deceased

especially appeasing the spirits of

deceased loved ones hoping that they can

have a positive influence what we do

hence there'll be uh use of incense in

the worshipping or providing food at

altars or food at grave sites

also within folk religion that find its

way into conf visis is the notion of

divination and this is the ability to um

receive information receive Knowledge

from uh some sort of spiritual Source

through some sort of spiritual mean and

maybe the most popular method of this is

through the I Ching which is the book of

changes and the iing in one way to think

of of the iing is kind of a um kind of a

dictionary u a fortunetelling sort of

dictionary and what you'd often see are

people using coins or sticks like we see

in the image here and tossing them or

shaking them and the results of the

coins or the results of the sticks are

an answer to a question you posed so

let's say you asked a question about

what to do with a certain financial

situation or what to do um with a

decision you're about to make with

regards to who you're going to marry or

an occupational change so you shake the

sticks or the coins and then you let

them fall or you randomly pick them up

and their random assortment corresponds

to various different answers that can be

found in the I Ching

and you look those answers up in the

iing and then you read what they

correspond to and the idea is that the

answer you seek can be gleamed by

reading that uh the meaning of your of

your

devation so all of these were in place

in China prior to the growth of

Confucianism so when we think of

Confucianism the heart of it aren't

these elements it's not the heart of

cism isn't divination isn't ancestor

worship isn't the notion of heaven and

again because of these because of these

things being part of China during the

time period confucious will use the

language will speak in terms of of these

sorts of cultural artifacts so that the

people can understand where he's coming

from what he's trying to say so that he

can influence them to

change but Confucian confucious himself

never thought of him as anything more

than a civil servant so as to a Divine

Sage or even a good man far be it from

me to make any such claim as for

unvarying effort to learn and unflagging

patience and teaching others those are

merits I do not hesitate to clim so he

saw himself more as a a teacher more of

a servant to the state a civil servant

to to the people much more than than

anything Supernatural or

Divine now

what is

Confucianism in a very very general

sense it's simply the teachings of

confucious and just like we saw with

Buddhism where Buddha isn't the isn't

the name of the person just the title

the same thing here is true of

confucious confucious is just the

latinized version of kung futu or the

master Kung so Kung is the um the name

it's a it's a the name of this person's

Clan or it's the the name of the branch

of his ancestry so the the term

confucious just refers to him as being

the master the master teacher

right so he was a civil servant and

because of what he wanted to do for the

people because of what he saw happening

to society he thought he could best

serve by teaching by teaching his brand

his particular philosophy that he help

he thought could help bring together uh

the culture bring

together

China so what does this mean bring

together well for a very very long time

China ancient China was ruled by various

dynasties and in some sense when you

think of being ruled by a Dynasty uh

when we look at it from our Democratic

Society it seems like it could be could

be right for for um for misuse of power

it seems like it could be uh

um a form of society lacking freedom and

all these sorts of things existed that's

true but within a dynasty you also have

order right you also have

cohesion but after a

while a dynasty began to crumble and

China began to split into all these

different Waring tribes

so this is known as the Waring States

period in China where the the the Z CH

Dynasty split because of the because of

internal strife and what we had was this

huge um Hui chaotic form of a society

complete Anarchy where we had all these

tribes all these different states

fighting each other ruthlessly because

there's no more

overarching um sovereignty

the stories from this time period are

are pretty horrendous where uh these

different states and these different

tribes would be very ruthless toward

each other um some stories include

people cutting off heads of their

enemies and making the relatives drink

their uh the blood from their brains and

you know all these sorts of heric

acts

so uh Confucius thought to himself there

has to be a better way W

this and U it is through this sort of

motivation that he began to formulate

certain theories and philosophies that

he thought could bring about dramatic

change to alleviate the suffering that

resulted from this Waring States

period so a little bit more about

confucious as as a

person um he was a a big admirer of the

or that existed under the dynasties

right especially Under The Glory Days of

the the Jia theia chiao

Dynasty and he noticed that what seemed

to keep people together was tradition

was some sort of

custom so this gave him a seed that in

order to make change in order to bring

about change what he'd have to do would

be to establish new Customs would be to

establish new New

Traditions so uh as a civil servant he

tried to promote this sort of philosophy

to anyone who had listened to him hey we

need to we need to establish New

Traditions we need to establish new

customs in order to to bring ourselves

out from this Mock and people didn't

really listen to him so instead he

became a teacher and he thought if I

just taught maybe if I can teach enough

people then those students can help

spread this sort of philosophy and as it

turned out that's what happened

unfortunately his teachings became

popular after he passed so he never

really got to see the fruits of his of

his labor

um uh what had happened is as a result

of people listening to him people

learning from him understanding his

philosophies those students would

eventually bring about New Traditions

right new Customs exactly as confucious

had had

wanted

the idea then is that these Customs

these Traditions have to go through the

Civic process these would have to be

things that would have to be slowly

accepted by various cities states and

put into education put into educational

system so that uh people kids growing up

will learn these as the way things are

right this is how life is supposed to

be so what did uses

teach what were the fundamental ideas

and

philosophies

that molded

and helped

stabilize the society in China for

thousands of years and even for a lot of

Asia that's what we'll talk to or talk

about in the next in the next

video