"K'ung fu-tzu"

6th-5th c. BCE

poor aristocrat

age 50, left his job to be a wandering teacher

Didn't question tradition

stressed moral values and political envolvment

believed in meritocracy

education for everyone

gaining moral virtue

source of education and politics until 20th c.

currently undergoing a revival

Daoism                                 Confucianism

nature                                   relationships

harmony w/ dao                   social harmony

1. Analects
2. Great Learning
3. Doctrine of the Mean
4. Book of Mencius

"Lun Yu"

sayings, conversations of K'ung

compiled after his death

3rd c BCE

written by Mencius, one of K'ung's disciples

systemized K'ung's teachings

• parent & child
• husband & wife
• elder & younger sibling
• friend & friend
• ruler & subjects

social chaos

caused by a breakdown of virtue

practice "ren"

restore social harmony

By teaching virtue

• Ren =     benevolence/humaneness
• Shu =     reciprocity (golden rule)
• Hsueh = self-correcting wisdom
• Li =         propriety, good form
• Xiao =    filial piety

Master Meng

4th-3rd c. BCE

Humans are by nature good

goodness must be cultivated

family obligations

ruler must be fair and just

subjects have the right to rebel against an unjust ruler

a temple of culture

many of them

images of K'ung

sacrifices to K'ung

Choson or Yi (???)

14th - 20th c CE

Emperor Tokogawa

17th - 19th c CE

Confucious' grave becomes a national shrine

Five classics become core curriculum

• Book of Poetry
• Book of Changes
• Book of Rites
• Book of History
• Spring & Summer Annals