Culture · Religion · Confucianism (儒家)
Confucianism
儒家 · The ethical and social philosophy of Confucius — the foundation of Chinese state governance, family structure, and moral culture for two thousand years.
About this tradition
Confucianism (儒家, Rújiā — 'School of the Scholars') is the system of thought founded on the teachings of Kong Qiu (孔丘, 551–479 BCE), known in the West by the Latinised name Confucius. It is not a religion in the sense of having a theology of the divine, but a comprehensive philosophy of human relationships, governance, and self-cultivation that became the foundational framework of Chinese civilisation.
The core Confucian concepts include: ren (仁, benevolence/humaneness) — the cardinal virtue of concern for others; li (礼, ritual propriety) — the correct forms of conduct in all social roles; yi (义, righteousness); and zhengming (正名, the rectification of names) — the idea that social order depends on people fulfilling their proper roles accurately.
The Five Relationships — ruler and minister, parent and child, husband and wife, elder and younger sibling, friend and friend — define the social web in which virtue is practised. Four of the five are hierarchical; all involve reciprocal obligations.
After Confucius's death, his ideas were systematised by Mencius (Mengzi, 4th century BCE), who argued that human nature is inherently good, and by Xunzi (3rd century BCE), who held the opposite. The Han dynasty adopted Confucianism as state ideology in the 2nd century BCE; the imperial examination system (605 CE – 1905 CE) tested candidates on the Confucian classics.
Neo-Confucianism (宋明理学) emerged in the Song dynasty, integrating Buddhist and Daoist metaphysics. The philosopher Zhu Xi (朱熹, 1130–1200) produced the commentaries that became the examination standard until 1905.
Confucianism was challenged by the May Fourth Movement (1919) and suppressed during the Cultural Revolution, but has undergone significant revival since the 1990s as a source of Chinese national identity.
Key monasteries and temples
- Temple of Confucius, Qufu (Shandong) — the largest Confucian temple complex, UNESCO-listed
- Cemetery and Mansion of Confucius, Qufu — UNESCO, the family estate
- Imperial College (Guozijian) and Temple of Confucius, Beijing
- Confucius Temple, Nanjing — the largest temple outside Qufu; active cultural centre
- Confucius Temple, Shanghai (Wenmiao) — Ming dynasty, in the old town
Where to experience it
Qufu in Shandong is the pilgrimage destination for Confucian heritage — the birthplace of Confucius, with the UNESCO triple of Temple, Mansion and Cemetery. Direct high-speed rail from Jinan or Nanjing. The Beijing Guozijian (Imperial College) is adjacent to the Confucius Temple and gives a sense of the examination culture in an accessible day outing from central Beijing.