Confucianism: An in depth look

Presentation by: Elaina Speetzman, Stuart Leland and Nick

Moses
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Thesis and LEQ/DBQ Stimulus Question

Background of Confucianism

Impact of Confucianism

Education

Social Structure

Political Stability

HAPPY Analysis

Synthesis: Confucianism and the Caste System

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
Differences
Confucianism
Main focus: filial piety: respect for elders,
parents and ancestors
Position in hierarchy based on not only
birth but education as well
Hinduism/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

VS.
Questions?...

Quizizz Review!
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
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