Confucianism is a form of religion and political ideology. It was founded in China in between the 5th and 6th century BCE. The Chinese people have held onto these ideas and now use them as the backbone for their cultural and moral values. Confucianism is even considered a major influence for other cultures and religions through art and writings. Confucianism inspired the growth of open thinking and morality in the countries surrounding China during the time. The main idea of confucianism is that people are born good and can achieve perfection through learning and practice. Personally what I find the most interesting about confucianism is that even though it has been spread across the world, it still managed to become the focal point of ideas and morals in China. With the idea that you want to just be a good person, the goal of confucianism is to change the world around you with your good doings. In doing so you are trying to achieve “cosmic harmony”. There are many debates on whether or not it is a religion or a philosophy. In any case it is best seen as a moral guide to make you a better person. There are no gods in Confucianism, however, Confucius is seen as a spirit that watches over your good deeds.
Confucianism heavily emphasizes the idea that education makes you a better person in the long run. This can be related to current events today as people are using many forms of biased media to get their information. Social media is heavily biased and people are mostly unable to figure out what is a good source or not. However, with good education on the subjects at hand, a person can figure out how they truly feel about a certain topic. This idea can solve the modern issue of hooping on the “Social Media Bandwagon”.
Confucianism also emphasizes humanity and the effects negative attributes affect the world. If a person has good morals then they will be respected. This level of respect will come with other attributes such as unselfishness, humility, and peace. According to confucianism, people who have good morals are able to spread positivity along through other people until the balance of positive and negative has been restored. A person would need to spread this idea to their family as well. Family plays a key role in confucianism, as it is the main catalyst that brings the ideas of humility and peace to fruition. It is important to note that this is seen a lot in Chinese culture. Many people in china often ask for knowledge through the spirits of their ancestors. The help that is passed down from generation to generation keeps these good morals alive.
Personally I agree with a lot of the ideas of confucianism. They all make sense and should be incorporated in American society today. You do not have to believe in your ancestors, but I do think it is a good idea to live your life by spreading peace and kindness. It is also a belief of mine that people should be open to the ideas of new teaching even if you have been told something your whole life. Being taught something new does not mean that everything you have been taught is a lie, but it should open a new door that allows you to see your own ideas in a new light.
"You do not have to believe in your ancestors" -- why wouldn't you?
ReplyDeleteYou've not included any links. There's a world of information about Confucianism out there, just pick a couple of things. For instance, find something to support the statement that "the main idea of confucianism is that people are born good and can achieve perfection through learning and practice"... I always thought the main idea was that we should endeavor to harmonize with our peers and society at large.
"Being taught something new does not mean that everything you have been taught is a lie" - no, not at all. But being receptive to something new DOES mean that at least some of what you've been taught is subject to review and possible revision. New doors and new light do sometimes lead to new thoughts.