Confucianism
Confucianism
Confucianism (/kənˈfjuːʃənɪzəm/; Chinese: 儒家; pinyin: Rújiā) is a philosophical and ethical system, often described as a religion, that originated from the teachings of the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius.
Etymology
The term "Confucianism" is derived from "Confucius", the Latinized form of the Chinese name "Kǒng Fūzǐ" (孔夫子), meaning "Master Kong". The term was coined by Westerners in the 16th century and is not used by Chinese themselves, who refer to their belief system as "Rújiā" (儒家), meaning "scholarly tradition".
Definition
Confucianism is a complex system of moral, social, political, and religious thought which has had tremendous influence on the history of Chinese civilization up to the 21st century. Some consider it to be the state religion of East Asian countries because of governmental promotion of Confucian values.
Key Concepts
Confucianism revolves around the pursuit of the unity of the individual self and the God of Heaven (Tian), through moral self-cultivation and social harmony. It emphasizes the importance of family and social harmony, and advocates moral self-cultivation.
Ren
Ren (Chinese: 仁; pinyin: rén) is the Confucian virtue denoting the good feeling a virtuous human experiences when being altruistic.
Li
Li (Chinese: 禮; pinyin: lǐ) is a classical Chinese word which is commonly used in Chinese philosophy, particularly within Confucianism. Li does not encompass a definitive object but rather a somewhat abstract idea and, as such, is translated in many different ways.
Yi
Yi (Chinese: 義; pinyin: yì) is often translated as "righteousness," but it may also signify "justice," "morality," "propriety," or "honor."
Related Terms
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Confucianism
- Wikipedia's article - Confucianism
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