Pros And Cons Of Confucianism

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Confucianism is only a religion in the sense that it is “something one believes in and follows devotedly” (Dictionary.com, n.d.). As Nigosian points out, people that studied and mastered the Confucian canonical text became eligible for appointment in the imperial government because they were considered to the learned elite. They did not run churches (2008). The teachings of Confucius, whose real name was Chiu Kung, centered mainly on a properly run government. Eventually his students were easily accepted into government posts. In Confucius’ mind proper consideration and respect were required for a government and a society to function in a manner that reflected compassion, morality, virtue, and obligational duties (Nigosian, 2008). “Those obligations and …show more content…
It is no wonder that Confucianism is so respected by the Chinese. The structure is an integral part of their psyches. Nigosian explains this by saying that the Chinese are very practically-minded and because of this they are far more concerned with ‘this’ world and the happenings here than any imagined afterlife or other conjectures of that nature (2008). This Chinese practicality takes full form in Confucianism and reflects their deepest outlooks like no other philosophy or religion can. If I had to pin down whether Confucianism is a religion, a philosophy, or a way of life I would have to say it is all three for the Chinese. To the practical mind, it is a practical religion without a lot of speculation about things no one is truly certain of. If there is a god, he is doing fine and he will let us know if he needs anything. Philosophically, Confucianism still provokes the greatest minds, both then and now, to keep Confucius’ teachings alive and relevant. There are ideas within Confucianism, such as ‘Chun-tzu’ also known as the superior-man, which make Confucianism a philosopher’s playground (Nigosian,