Explain Six Core Confucian (East Asian) Concepts - Religion Essay Exampl

This assessment endeavors to explore six concepts of Confucianism in the East Asia. The definition of the term Confucianism has been highlighted. The explanation of the six concepts has been done comprehensively. The explanations bear the different meanings, understanding, some origins, and the applications of the concept of Confucian in this region. Further, the understanding these concepts have been related to the different social groups who are synthetically part of the larger East Asian like China.

Confucian is simply a way of thinking that initiates a given way of behavior. The behavior and this system of thought are based on the philosophy, religion, morality, together with the science of politics. Confucianism as a teaching has been instrumental in shaping the political systems and the social growth and development of most East Asia communities, especially in China. Confucianism has been in existence for over a hundred years now. This system of thought and behavior has more than six major concepts.

Concepts

The concepts explained here are a ritual, filial piety, loyalty, humanness, the man, and relationships.

Ritual

This concept is also called Li. The original meaning of this concept was the act of sacrificing. This ceremonial meaning was religious. It did not take long before this term was defined in a different way as including secular behaviors involved in a ceremony. Most of the secular activities that are involved in the process of celebrating were installed within the meaning of Li. The meaning of this concept was further diffused to include politeness or propriety that is accustomed to daily human life. The rites were coded and taken as with numerical meaning of ethics and norms. Confucius himself is said to have tried to relook at the etiquette pertaining to the earlier dynasties. Nonetheless, the later Confucian tradition took him with regard as one of the great authorities within the ritual behavior.

The teachings of ritual made an emphasis of the rituals in everyday life, taken as the basis for the ideal norms of the society. It was important to be ethical or to exhibit norms. According to Confucius, "Respectfulness, without the Rites, becomes laborious bustle; carefulness, without the Rites, becomes timidity; boldness, without the Rites, becomes insubordination; straightforwardness, without the Rites, becomes rudeness." (Yao 2). It was the role of ethics to govern and show people how well they could interact with one another. Rituals highlighted the behavior and the politeness as applied to become a system of etiquette, particular to the way Confucius took and understood the system of etiquette.

Rituals were meant to bring about sensitivity with the way in which people were to behave and act in the presence of those who were learning. The rite indicated that every respect has to have a right in order to let one become respected and fail to be a laborious bustle. As much as one is supposed to be careful, he or she is also supposed to avoid not being rude. The rites make boldness eradicate the meaning of insubordination. Many other elements that define life are sanctioned within the ritual concept (Chen 54-65).

Filial Piety

This concept is also called Xiao of Hsiao. Filial piety was taken as one of the greatest virtues that exemplified the way in which human beings behaved. This virtue was instrumental and was shown towards the dead and the living. Its significance was seen as instrumental in letting people have respect for life and afterlife. The term filial is used to mean of a son while it denoted the obedience and respect that was shown by the son to the parents. Parents were to be respected. It was the work of the young, as of the son, to show unending respect to the parents, and especially the father, as was the tradition of the time. This respect was later made as a variable that had to contribute to the relationships not only as that of the son and the father or son and the father. The first relationship was taken to be the son and the father. There were other relationships like that of husband and wife, ruler and servant, younger brother and the senior brother, and the one existing among friends. Respect was paramount in all of these relationships.

In every relationship, every partner had specific instructions and duties in the wake of giving out respect. These duties were supposed to be respected and executed by everyone including the dead. Because of this, there became the veneration of the ancestors. The veneration established a situation where the active stood as sons to the dads. Therefore, one can say that filial piety is a replica of the Li. This is common during the adoration that is often given to the dead. When an individual dies, he or she is supposed to be exemplified together with the concept. Filial piety has been grafted into when a family member dies; there is a specific time in which people are expected to mourn.

When one member of the relationship does a crime, the nature of the punishment is dependent on what is essentially their position in the relationship. For instance, when someone commits a crime against a father, the punishment is severe (Yao 34). Parents show enormous respect for the sons or for the children. There is an enormous power that is expressed from the fathers to the children. Every other filial relationship exercises the same amount of respect as between father and son.

There is one book called The Book of Filial Piety that has an enormous knowledge on filial piety. The work that has always been attributed to Confucius has been placed in this book, as was written in the 3rd century B. C. nonetheless; filial piety has been instrumental in Confucius thinking since its creation and it has continued to offer its teachings including up to now.

Loyalty

This concept of Confucius is also called Zhong or Chung. This concept had a similar meaning as given as filial piety. It resembled the filial piety concept attached to the relationship between the minister and the king. In filial piety, such a relationship is covered by the ruler and the subject. The relevance of this relationship was with the social class involving students. When a student wanted to move up the ladder in the society, he was forced to go through a process that necessitated for him or her to make entry in the civil service of a leader. He was expected to obey the rule. He was expected to be part of the leadership process that also shared relationships with other elements.

This element, like filial piety, was common during the Chinas autocratic regimes. Confucius had brought about the idea of sensitivity towards the realpolitik that belongs to the class relations during his time. He was not after the proposition of that might make right but was seen as a superior who had a mandate from heaven. He attracted respect and attention because of this. Nonetheless, this notion suffered misinterpretation as it called for people to blindly and unquestionably obey the ruler, something that became a doctrine.

Loyalty was a massive attribute that played a critical role in holding the pieces together in the society. It acted as a strong agent towards respect between individual people and respect between people and their leadership. Confucius was an astute thinker of loyalty. He thought and applied loyalty in many different perspectives, most of which were instrumental in the definition of the Chinese heritage strong to date.

Humanness

This concept of Confucius is also called Ren or Jen. Confucius was always aware and concerned about the well-being and the development of the individual people. Nonetheless, he saw this as best fitting when it is established contained by the concept of human relations. Filial piety and ritual are the best means that exemplify the way an individual needs to act towards the rest of the concepts. Nonetheless, the core concept is humanness. Defining humanness is difficult unlike defining ritual. It can best be seen and defined in the understanding of the contents of the Golden Rule of Confucius. This rule has a phrase that emphasizes that it is important not to do to someone what you do not expect to be done to you (Yao 64-76).

Confucius was a strong believer of the Golden Rule. This rule is important in all the religions that were there. According to this concept, it was necessary that one treat an individual the way he or she wanted to be treated. The treatment of an individual was supposed to be based not on what is to be given back. It was necessary to consider the Mandate from Heaven as this was necessary in treating people.

This concept stresses the need to remain human and act humanely in everything. This concept is instrumental in the existence of an autocratic leadership where it calls for the leader to act in a way that is humane to the subjects. A rule that is inhumane is seen to risk the wrath of losing the Mandate of Heaven. Every leader must have this mandate. Any leader who is seen to act contrary to this concept is not supposed to be obeyed. It is the mandate of any ruler to have a synthetic process where he or she is attributed to have the best ways of respecting this mandate and exercising the best attributes of autocratic leadership. Confucius advocated for the presence of a polling process in order to consider the opinions of the people on certain matters.

The Gentleman

This concept is also called Junzi or Chun-Tzu. This concept represents the idea that every Confucian strives to become. In the modern life, this concept is present with masculinity seen as a strong indication of a gentleman. A gentleman is someone who is critical of being a good man. Such is a person who is obedient to the morality. It is someone who is morally upright. He is someone who respects the existing law. He is someone who respects filial piety, who is loyal, and participates in the observance of the correct rites. The greatest of all the gentlemen is Confucius himself. A gentleman works for the well-being of the people. He respects their decisions. Confucius wanted to demonstrate the power that a gentleman can offer when given a chance to rule a state (Yao 23).

In general, a gentleman was something that was adoration from many individuals and people. It was necessary to consider the trends of making one become a gentleman. Confucius was the ultimate example. In his leadership, he advocated for the people to be gentlemen and live lives that reflected their true self. The opposite of a gentleman is a small person (Crane 65-87).

Meritocracy

This concept was attached to individual growth in terms of education. Confucius emphasized the need for scholarly study in order for people to experience self-improvement. He advocated for merit in leadership positions like bureaucrats and rulers. Leadership positions should be taken based on merit and not based on birth. Confucius was very influential in this sentiment. He promoted literacy and study. He made enormous contributions towards the creation of competency. The establishment of the Imperial bureaucracy, an admission that was only achieved by the passing of the Imperial Examinations, was one of the greatest Confucius ideas.

As seen above, the concepts of Confucius in the East Asia are deliberations that indicate the standard of behavior and thinking process. These concepts guide human conduct in religion and in society. The essence of Confucius is legendary when considering all the concepts of Confucianism are deliberated.

Works Cited

Chen, Yong. Confucianism as Religion: Controversies and Consequences. Leiden: Brill, 2013. Print.

Crane, George T. Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Dao: Ancient Chinese Thought in Modern American Life. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley Blackwell, 2013. Internet resource.Yao, Xinzhong. Reconceptualizing Confucian Philosop...