Searles 1

Teya Searles
Professor Magagna
POLI 113A
8 November 2019
Seven Core Concepts of Confucianism

Confucianism is so much, but Confucian himself would say it is so little. Confucianism

itself cannot be explained in simple terms. Some see it as a religion, a scholarly tradition, a

governing system, or just simply a way of life. Whichever way you describe it, Confucianism has

made its impact on Chinese society, culture, and ethics since its first inception during the

Warring States period of ancient China in 551BC. Created by Confucius, a Chinese philosopher,

and politician, Confucianism aimed to cleanse personal and government morality through his

teachings through relationships, justice, accountability, and sincerity. Confucianism is so

renowned it has even made its beliefs into other East Asian societies like Korea, Japan, and

Vietnam. Confucianism does not discriminate by religion or creed and only looks to benefit

one’s self and connect them better to their society and the heavens. Although it seemed like a lost

tradition, Confucianism has long lived in East Asian until this day, and that is due to many of its

core principles are still seen today as applicable, viable, and necessary to navigate a world so

new, yet not so different. Confucianism is made up of so many core concepts that have made it

relevant until this day, and by analyzing at least seven of these concepts, we can see how

Confucianism has given its blueprint to a better person and ultimately, a better world.

The Dao (Tao) is a core concept of Confucianism that talks of how people should behave

in society, but like the religion (Daoism/Taoism), it is a means to find a certain type of salvation.

Your flow of dao is the power you need to find salvation (Magagna). In a sense, it is a way to

selfishly reflect and become interested in your self without disregarding your personal and
 Searles 2

societal relationships. It is a means of finding salvation through self-cultivation, something

Confucian preached heavily as one cannot help others if they are not right in body and soul

(Magagna). Daoism/Taoism is conflicted when it comes to the world of politics. The point of the

flow of dao is to target salvation through self-cultivation, but that gets tricky when you get into

the dangerous world of politics. Confucious would look at politics and see politics as not bad

(like the majority of humanity), but in bad condition (Magagna). For our leaders to do good for

their people, they must withdraw themselves from all politics to reach salvation through

self-cultivation. Only then will they be of any use to govern the people. The most important

aspect of Daoism (religion) is the means of finding salvation through nature. Confucianism

wants you to take that spiritual enlightenment and bring it into society to make a better, not just

keep it to yourself. We must guide others to find themselves, and only then will we live in a

more fulfilled and enriched society. The religious component of Dao/Taoism makes it so that

people can connect their beliefs and work them into bettering their societies.

Knowledge is power, and Confucian lived by this concept. Confucian saw that incipient

knowledge (like origins and causality) was the most important form of knowledge (Magagna).

Confucian believed that the most knowledgeable and intellectual of the people should be the one

to govern the rest. This is why the civil service examinations famously recorded during the Qin

dynasty was so sought out by citizens. Passing the examinations would mean that you were apart

of the upper crust of society, in charge of government affairs. The best part is that anyone could

take these examinations, so anyone had a chance to elevate in social status (Magagna). Even

though Confucian held knowledge in high regard, he still saw those of lower status of

importance; speaking of how farmers were truly the most important factor in society because
 Searles 3

without them, how could you survive (Magagna)? But those who were knowledgeable knew this,

and help govern so that all could live in a strong, safe, and fully functional society. More

importantly, having a vast amount of knowledge did not mean you were at the authority to

belittle those who did not. Knowledge must be shared and used for the good of society.

Harboring knowledge does good for no one, and could help make all the difference when dealing

with politics, whether good or bad. Knowledge is key to Confucianism because without it, how

would we find solutions to a better world?

Ontology is the theory of reality; what is real and what is not? Humans have asked that

question for all of human history. The Ancient Greeks, who were also known for their focus on

philosophy, believed that the universe is made of particles and each particle is independent of

each other. Ontological interdependence is a core concept of Confucianism that looks to tell

people that their lives are interdependent on one another. We can look at this in an XY formula.

“X” being “you” can only be real if you interact with “Y”. “Y” can be anything; another person,

a hobby, the environment. To put it shortly, you can only be real if you allow yourself to interact

with the rest of the world. And how we interact with the world depends on who we are as a

person. We look to the Emperor to rule justly, the intelligent to govern, the farmers to farm and

grow food, the artisans to make/cook, etc. Humans are seen as an individual who can be isolated

from circumstances (like living alone), thus being independent (Magagna). However, a loner is

still interdependent on nature, law, society, etc. But Confucian preaches about human interaction,

and human interaction leads people. We can see this in parent-child interactions and how rulers

rule their people. Above all, there is no independent anything, the only reaction of others make

you something (Magagna). If you were to strip away everything from your life like memories,
 Searles 4

love, and hobbies, you would just be a shell of a person (Magagna). Only through interaction

with others is when you will become whole.

Harmonies in music will result in you having played chords and chord progressions that

result in beautiful music that is pleasing to the ear. Confucian would say that people working

together in society should work together so that they live in a beautiful world, like music.

Harmony is another core concept of Confucianism that looks to optimize differences, reconcile

through law and order, and reciprocate (the good with good and bad with bad) (Magagna).

Harmony, on a small scale, can be achieved through your everyday interactions, on a close and

personal level by just being a good and unselfish person. However, Confucian looked to

harmony as a means to drive policy in China, with harmony being the ultimate target of politics

(Magagna). The way we rule our people should bring about harmony, not chaos (remember, first

wave Confucianism was brought up during the Warring States period). And like music,

Confucian harmony can be like an orchestra if everyone, from the farmer, fisherman, to

government entities and emperor, plays their part correctly. We can think of it as a soup; all

different flavors are put together in the pot to optimize maximum flavor (Magagna). Harmony

does not need uniformity to working, it just needs to be blended in a way that everyone will

benefit.

Mencius was a Chinese philosopher who was “second” only to Confucian himself during

their time together during the Warring States period (Magagna). Mencius was a great thinker

who educated rulers on how to better themselves so they could better their land; understanding

human nature was another core concept of Confucianism. Mencius' description of human nature

can be described through his “Child in a Well” scenario where you find a child trapped in a well;
 Searles 5

what would you do (Magagna)? Mencius says our decisions can be rooted through three desires;

to obtain wealth, status, or power. But none of those would come of helping the trapped child.

Our decision to help would be, human. Humanness is the essence of humanity; we would be

saddened by seeing a stuck child and would help. Mencius would see human nature as rational,

social/cooperative, moral (theoretically), and tendential (being born with tendencies that can not

be changed) (Magagna). And our decisions are made based on what we think is right and wrong,

the shame of doing something we are not supposed to, how modest and courteous it is to the rest

of society, and how compassionate it is (Magagna). For human nature to be realized at its purest,

one should have reached self-cultivation. If not, we would need the government (like law and

order), to help regulate human nature. Finally, we need to realize that all humans, no matter the

social class or gender, are capable of learning, growing, and flourishing in life (Magagna).

Human nature is a powerful driving force in Confucianism that helps to explain much that is

wrong with the world.

If we were to understand human nature more, we would look into what Confucian would

call the ecological family, more simple family life. The term “ecological” can be referred to as

the environment in which the family is rooted (Magagna). Strong trees (families) make for strong

forests (society), thus making a lush and beautiful landscape (nation) where all thrive, live, grow,

and stand tall for generations to come. If there is no strong family to plant the seeds of this forest,

then the forest would surely be burned down and make way for a forest that will grow lush (like

the Warring States period). This is where Confucian would see the largest influence on

humanization and education (Magagna). Your home should be the place, given interdependence,

where people become humanized. This makes sense because much of our social, cultural, and
 Searles 6

political ideologies are shaped by who are parents are; children are the products of their parents.

If we can root out everything bad in society that makes human beings evil, then we could make a

good society in which all can live happily and peacefully. The ecological family can be broken

down to explain how human nature is formed. The family is where we first learn to become

human (Magagna). From there, we begin to self-cultivate and build upon what our parents teach

us. It is most important to remember that family is the most important source of real happiness;

not wealth, status, or job (Magagna). Finally, the ecological family can be directly reflected upon

the politics and leadership that the rulers of a nation exhibit through their economic, cultural, and

ritual policies (Magagna). One important aspect of the ecological family is that if politics in the

family won’t work, then politics in the nation won’t work. Confucian hold family life in high

regard in teaching us how to be our best people. It all starts in the home in Confucianism, a

philosophy that has reached many cultures outside of China as well.

The time in which Confucian lived was one that looked like most of human history. The

Warring States period of ancient China arose after the Spring and Autumn periods were

Confucian himself lived in (Magagna). During the Warring States period, states declared

independence from the Zhou dynasty, and in the end, the Qin dynasty conquered all and marked

the transition from ancient China to imperial china. Could the Warring States period have been

avoided, or was it inevitable? Politics in Confucianism is a core concept that brings together

other core concepts like harmony, human nature, knowledge, and Daoism. Confucian wanted to

use politics as a method of management; a system that was able to make the people flourish

(Magagna). The methodology would ultimately come from Daoism in the form of incipient

(causal) knowledge. And management would see implementation policies put into practice for
 Searles 7

the better of society as a whole. This would mean the elites, even emperor, would be subject to

regulation. Also, there would be steps taken for international stability (peace) among other states;

they did not want another Warring States period. Looking at politics and government,

Confucianism sees this as three different components; how one’s self fits into politics and

government, then how one’s society (like family and community, and then how does the central

government work to promote Confucianism politics into the nation (Magagna)? More

importantly, the way we balance our government institutions over our self-interest determines

whether a nation is even capable of standing strong in the first place. Politics that are enlightened

by Confucianism will exhibit these kinds of characteristics in practice.

From these seven core concepts of Confucianism, we can see how Confucian modeled a

good world. Even though Confucianism, regarded as one of the most famous East Asian ways of

thought, is seen as a lost way of life, it is still alive and well in the modern world. Many of what

the core concepts of Confucianism taught can be seen in culture and politics. What is outlined in

the core concepts of Confucianism can be directly translated into what modern-day democratic

governments aim to achieve? A government controlled by the people that is constituted under

fair and moral ethics that work to better society and lead the rest of the world by example.

Confucianism aims to correct the wrongs of the past and better ourselves, but we must first take

the initiative to see that we, as humans, are not perfect, and must work to live in a world that not

only benefit yourself but the rest of us as well. Confucianism has planted itself in not just Asian

history, but human history, and has created a way of life that is worth living if we as humans are

willing.