The Chinese culture has its foundation in Confucianism, an ancient philosophy and belief system. It was invented by Confucius, a philosopher and teacher who lived from 551 to 479 before Common Era (BCE) (Makeham 4). According to several writings produced by Confucius ‘ pupils, confucianism stresses concepts of ethical behavior, ethics, and moral character, with Lunyu being the most prominent (qtd.in Society). Individuals that adhere to Confucianism believe in worshipping ancestors and human-centred virtues to ensure they live a peaceful life.
Numerous debates have come up challenging if Confucianism should be a religion. In most cases, it is perfectly understood as an ethical guide that ensures individual life with a strong character. Additionally, the start of Confucianism revived an earlier religious tradition. Confucianism does not have gods, and the founder is worshipped as a spirit instead of a god (Makeham 5). However, there are Confucianism temples for performing important civic and community rituals. Due to this, the issue of Confucianism being a religion is still unresolved, and many people consider it as both philosophy and theology.
The significance of having a moral personality is the main idea that Confucianism revolves around Confucianism, and it dramatically affects an individual through the concept of cosmic harmony. For instance, if a president has a moral personality, their leadership will be peaceful and kind to the subjects. From another perspective, I believe that most natural disasters and conflicts happening worldwide are caused by not adhering to the ancient teachings. This moral character can be achieved by practicing humanity’s virtue, and it will ensure more virtuous behaviors such as humility, respect, and altruism (Makeham 15). In addition, I believe that Confucius’ thought was advocating for education as the crucial requirement that would help develop this moral character. He also felt that people are good but may stray from conducting themselves appropriately. Confucianism’s ceremonies were all designed to foster a respectful attitude and a sense of community among its followers.
From another perspective, the critical thought of Confucius was devotion to family. This devotion can be in ancestor worship, obedience to parental authority, or family analogies to characterize the emperor and his king, such as the son of heaven. Confucian ethics considers family as the most critical group, and devotion to it can be strengthened by surrounding Society. Although Confucius named Confucianism after his name, he was not the first to discuss its concept’s considerable importance (qtd.in Society). Instead, he was understood as an individual who had concerns about preserving traditional Chinese knowledge from earlier thinkers. After the death of Confucius, most of his disciples compiled his wisdom and continued with his work. Some of his most famous disciples who continued Confucianism are Xunzi and Mencius.
In my perspective, Confucianism philosophy is a source of inspiration for people seeking guidance and meaning in their lives. The philosophical movement contained in the philosophy focuses on the importance of social relationships, morality, honesty, the capability of changing, evolving, and improving, and fundamentally believing that humans are good. This has made me learn lessons such as going beyond the surface, never giving up, failure is not the end, constantly changing, following my dreams, and everyone has the wisdom to share.
Additionally, the Confucianism philosophy has two crucial roles in my life. First, my family is the center and should come before any individual. Father is the undisputed head of the family and should be accorded all the respect. Using filial piety, the oldest son has specific duties in the family, and he is expected to care for and respect his parents. Due to this, I know my responsibilities in the family, and I perform diligently to ensure there is a strong relationship. Secondly, Ren, the central ethical principle, helps me have the nature of being equivalent through mercy, love, and humanity. This is why I always do people what I expect them to do for me.
Confucianism is still among the most influential philosophies across the world. Although it was made an official state ideology longtime ago when schools were established to teach its ethics, it is still being taught in learning institutions. Initially, the philosophy was influential in China, but today it highly influences societies such as Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan regardless of them being democratic. This indicates that democratic and Confucian can exist together to form a functional system. Additionally, the philosophy can be made relevant to people in my life by educating them about it (Makeham 38). This will ensure that they learn the importance of the philosophy and have a solid moral character that will significantly affect their lives. Generally, Confucianism should be taught to people as it provides perfect coexistence due to its emphasis on strong moral character. Although it can sometimes conflict with the Western concept of autonomy, it has numerous advantages that significantly impact people’s lives.
In conclusion, I believe that Confucianism is a philosophy that can combine with other belief systems to bring out the most vital moral character. Since the philosophy advocates for having strong moral character, different belief systems will help it reinforce with requirements for strengthening the moral nature. Additionally, having learned philosophy and understood my perspective, I will have changed my character in approaching family members and other people in the Society. Therefore, learning Confucianism philosophy is the best way to change people’s morals.
Works Cited
Society. “Confucianism”. National Geographic Society, 2022, Web.
Makeham, John. Lost Soul: “Confucianism” In Contemporary Chinese Academic Discourse. Brill, 2020, pp. 1-100.