Confucianism and the Five Relationships



Confucianism and the Five Relationships

Global History and Geography I Name: ___________________

E. Napp Date; ___________________

A Chinese philosopher named K'ung Fu-tzu or Confucius, the Westernized version, believed that a society could become perfect, if the people who lived in it exhibited "beautiful conduct." Confucius was born in 551 B.C. He had a government job which he gave up to devote his life to teaching people how to behave. Today over five million people, mostly in China and the Far East, practice Confucianism.

Confucius lived during a time of war and disorder. He believed that his ideas would restore and maintain social order. Confucius strongly believed in the importance of inferiors listening to and obeying superiors. He also maintained that there were five critical relationships in Chinese society. The Five Relationships were emperor and subject, father and son, husband and wife, elder brother and younger brother, and friend and friend. In the first four relationships, there was a superior and an inferior. The superior was responsible for setting a good example for the inferior and protecting the inferior. The inferior had to obey the superior. If people did what they were supposed to do, social order would be restored. Confucius urged people to follow the traditional ways.

Those who practice Confucianism also believe that the family and family values are very important. Children are taught to be very respectful of their parents and are taught to obey their parents. This belief is called filial piety or a love and respect for one’s parents and ancestors.

Although Confucius did not write any books, his followers collected his sayings and later published them in the Analects. Confucius also accepted the Mandate of Heaven. He believed that if the ruler benefited and protected his subjects, the people would obey the emperor and the emperor would continue to hold the Mandate of Heaven or right to rule.

Questions:

1- Who was Confucius and when did he live? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2- What are the Five Relationships? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3- What responsibilities do superiors and inferiors have? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4- How is order maintained according to Confucius? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5- What is filial piety and why is it important in Confucianism? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6- Why did Confucius accept the Mandate of Heaven? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7- What are the Analects? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Confucianism had a strong impact on the development of China mainly because this

Philosophy

(1) established a basic structure for military rule

(2) provided a basis for social order

(3) contained the framework for a communist

government

(4) stressed the importance of the individual

Which belief is most closely associated with the philosophy of Confucianism?

(1) nirvana (3) prayer

(2) reincarnation (4) filial piety

According the teachings of Confucius, the key to the successful organization of society is that

1. the ruler should be chosen democratically

2. the evil in humans must be eliminated

3. ancestor worship should be discontinued

4. individuals should know and do what is expected of them

In traditional Chinese culture, which philosophy had the greatest influence on the development of social order and political organization?

1. Taoism

2. Shintoism

3. Confucianism

4. Marxism

The teachings of Confucius encouraged people to

1. put their own interests first

2. reject government authority

3. believe in reincarnation

4. follow a code of moral conduct

The Master said, "A youth, when at home, should behave well toward his parents, and when abroad, respectfully to his elders. He should be earnest and truthful. He should overflow in love to all, and cultivate the friendship of the good. When he has time and opportunity, after doing those things, he should study the polite arts."

The Master said, "With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my bended arm for a pillow, I still have joy in the midst of these things. Riches and honors acquired by unrighteousness are to me as a floating cloud."

Zhonggong asked about perfect virtue. The Master said, "When abroad, behave to everyone as if you were receiving an important guest; treat people as if you were assisting at a great sacrifice; do not do to others as you would not wish done to yourself. Thereby you will let no murmuring rise against you in the country, and none in the family. . . ."

The following excerpt is from the Analects. Summarize Confucius’ teaching in the space provided:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Master said, "Anyone learning without thought is lost; anyone thinking but not learning is in peril." The Master said, "Yu, shall I teach you what knowledge is? When you know a thing, to realize that you know it; and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it: this is knowledge." ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Word Bank:

Five, Order, Superiors, Inferiors, War, Traditional, Analects, Confucius, Women, Filial Piety, Mandate of Heaven

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