Confucianism Outline: Elaina, Nick, Stuart, Elaina

Thesis: During the period of its creation, Confucianism impacted China in three distinct ways,
first it further emphasized the importance of education in order to achieve status, second it
reorganized social structures, finally it helped create political stability.

LEQ/DBQ Question: Analyse the impact of confucianism before and after its introduction into
chinese society between the years 500 BCE - 1000 CE

Background (Stearns):
Kong Fuzi, later known as Confucius, was a philosopher in 6th century China
Created a system of ethics called Confucianism
Centered around respect for superiors and continuation of tradition
Imposed, people should know their place, even under bad rulers (Stearns
64).
Also emphasized modesty and courtesy in leaders along with being highly
patriarchal.
The Analects, a collection of sayings and teachings from Confucius.
Under this system a new class emerged, the Shi.
A class of gentlemen who were highly civilized and followed
tradition.
Impact:
Education to achieve status:
Types of Education status achievements
Civil Service Examination System (Weiming)
Basis of social status and education was key to success
Based on education
Intended as a method to achieve an effective, rational public
administration on a merit system
Merit System: hiring employees based on their ability to
perform a job rather than political connections
Mainly recruitment of men
Although there were imperial exams as early as the Han dynasty, the
system became widely utilized as the major path to office only in the
mid-Tang dynasty, and remained so until its abolition in 1905.
Reorganized Social Structures
Two main social classes
The Scholar-Gentry
Educated bureaucrats and aristocracy identified with special
clothing and large estates (Stearns)
 Participated in elite activities such as poetry or painting along with
other art forms (Esherick)
Lower Class (Stearns)
Workers, peasants, artisans, and merchants
Subject to brutal manual labor and submission to upper classes
Incredibly large gap between the wealth of the Scholars and the
lower class with reduced rights and opportunities for the lower
class
Political stability (Riegel)
Education to Political stability
Those with a Confucian education began to staff the bureaucracy
Social
Social philosophy was based primarily on the principle of "ren" or "loving
others" while exercising self-discipline
political beliefs were likewise based on the concept of self-discipline
Confucius believed that a leader needed to exercise self-discipline in
order to remain humble and treat his followers with compassion. In doing
so, he would lead by positive example. According to Confucius, leaders
could motivate their subjects to follow the law by teaching them virtue and
the unifying force of ritual propriety.
HAPPY Analysis
H: A painting of recorded Analects of Confucius found in the Mogao Caves of
China.
A: Followers of Confucianism
P: Outline the Analects of COnfucius
P:
Y: It outlines the teachings preached by COnfucius
Synthesis: Hinduism and the Caste System (Yauger)
Confucianism
Main focus: filial piety: respect for elders, parents and ancestors
Position in hierarchy based on not only birth but education as well
Hinduism and the Caste System:
Main focus: living life under certain guides and requirements, following
caste hierarchy, very tolerant
Position in hierarchy based on previous life
Similarities
high position on the hierarchy usually equate to high social status
Respect towards superiors
Both have affected cultures immensely; hinduism especially in India and
Confucianism especially in China
 Patriarchal domination
References

Esherick, J., & Rankin, M. B. (1990). Chinese Local Elites and Patterns of Dominance.
Retrieved May 21, 2017, from
http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft0q2n99mz&chunk.id=d0e2180&
toc.depth=100&toc.id=d0e843&brand=ucpress

Stearns, P. N., Adas, M., Schwartz, S. B., & Gilbert, M. J. (2015). World Civilizations The
Global Experience (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Yauger, E. (n.d.). Comparisons of Hinduism and Confucianism and philosophical systems

including some underlying similarities in cementing a social hierarchy. Retrieved May
21, 2017, from http://teach.yauger.net/

Riegel, J. (2002, July 03). Confucius. Retrieved May 22, 2017, from
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/confucius/

Weiming, T. (2017, April 07). Confucianism. Retrieved May 22, 2017, from
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Confucianism
Timeline:
551 BCE - Confucius born in Zhou China