Confucianism

The development of the Confucianism

Before the empire

The relation between the Confucianism and Confucius itself is thin. Confucius is often regarded as wise famous and a Chinese philosopher whose lesson deeply influenced the East Asia during 20 centuries. Nevertheless, the ideas of Confucius were not accepted during its life and he often deplored the fact that he did not find any Master to be been useful.

Just as for many other major historical figures (Buddha, Socrate, Jesus,…), one does not have direct traces of the ideas of Confucius. To us only the writings of the disciples arrived gathering the words and the thoughts of their Master. Concerning Confucius, the problem is worsened by the wave of eradication of the unmatched thoughts during the Dynastie Qin, more than two centuries after the death of Confucius. At best, the writings and the thoughts of Confucius arrived to us are thus dubious.

However, it is possible to outline the ideas of Confucius through the fragments which remain. Confucius was a man of letters, who was concerned with turbid times that he lived. It went from place in place while trying to spread its political ideas and to influence the many kingdoms fighting for the domination of China. The weakening of the Dynastie Zhou created a vacuum, filled by many small States fighting for the capacity. Closely persuaded that it had a mission on the Earth, Confucius tirelessly promoted the old virtues of the former famous kings, such as the Duc of Zhou. Confucius tried to obtain the political power and founded a new dynasty, by accepting the invitation of a rebel “to create a Zhou dynasty in the East” (Talks XV. 5). Accordingly it is considered that its thoughts are mainly political. Nevertheless, although it is common to say that Confucius was a “king without crown”, it never on the occasion to apply its ideas, was expelled many times and finally turned over in its native soils to pass the last part of its life to be taught.

The Talks with Confucius , work nearest to the source of its thoughts, report discussions with its disciples. Owing to the fact that this book is a compilation of conversations, questions and answers or parts of the life of Confucius, one does not have a description of a coherent system of thought. Not using the deductive Reasoning and the Law of non-contradiction like many Western philosophers, it resorts to Tautologie S and Analogie S to explain its ideas. So the Western readers could think that its philosophy is confused and not very clear, or that Confucius does not have a clear objective. However he also said “I seek a unit infiltrating all” (Talks XV. 3.).

If the first outlines of a true system were carried out by disciples or disciples of disciples, the first of them is Zi If, the grandson of Confucius. During the philosophically fertile period of the Hundred Schools of thought, many important figures of the Confucianism such as Mencius or Xun Zi (not to be confused with Sun Zi) developed the Confucianism and widened it as ethical and political doctrines. These two thinkers have to fight against the contemporary ideas and to gain the confidence of the leaders using the argumentation and the reasoning. Mencius particularly gave to the Confucianism an explanation much more complete of the human nature, of what is a good government…

Some of disciples of Xun Zi, like Han Fei Zi, became legists (a totalitarianism based on a very severe penal system, diametrically opposed to the Confucianism which is based on morality) and helped Qin Shi Huang to unify China under a very strict control of the human activities. Thus, the dream of Confucius of unified and pacified China was carried out under a school of thought, the Légisme, which is diametrically opposed to its base based on the rites and the virtue.

Official recognition

The Confucianism survives its prohibition during the Qin dynasty, thanks to well-read men having memorized the texts and with redécouvertes, of which most notorious is that of the treasure the Traditional ones found in the walls of the ancestral house of Confucius. The emperors of the Dynastie Han approve the doctrines and support the well-read men. Undoubtedly seeking to break with the influence of the clan Huanglao dominated by his/her grandmother the empress Dou dowager, considering useful the political doctrines confucéenne, perhaps influenced by well-read men such as Dong Zhongshu, Han Wudi (- 156 ~ -87) makes the official philosophy of State of it, without however giving of reality capacity the well-read men who, disappointed, will support the usurpation of Wang Mang (- 45 ~ 23). In any event, the study of Traditional the confucéens becomes the base of examinations of recruitment or licensing of the civils servant, making Confucianism the core of the system of Chinese education - although the full mode of the mandarinaux contest begins only in VIIe century under the Sui. Inculcated deeply in the system of thoughts of the Chinese and their politicians, this philosophy becomes the political way of thinking dominating, and will be seldom threatened in this position until the arrival of the Maoïsme at the XXe century.

Evolution starting from Han

When the Confucianism becomes official doctrines under former Han, one can distinguish various currents already there. Thereafter, two thousand years of comments, renewals, interpretations and successive returns to the sources continue to complicate the table. Nevertheless, according to the philosophers of the XXe century Xu Fuguan (徐復觀) and Soft Zongsan (牟宗三), the various currents always kept like constant the importance of social dimension and ethics of their thought. These two specialists estimate that a Confucianist does not examine the things with a detached attitude, but always concerned. One can propose to distinguish six periods in the history from the current confucéen:

traditional Period of formation until the Dynasty Qin (- 221)
Dynasty Han (- 202-200): reconstitution of the lost texts and drafting of comments become them-same the object of philosophical studies. While wanting to be simple vectors of forwarding of old texts, the well-read men of the time left a strong print.
Of IIe in VIIIe century: appearance of the Xuanxue attached to the Taoism, but whose certain authors (Wang Bi e.g.) regard themselves as confucéens; development of a Buddhist philosophy Chinese whose certain currents are very in favor at the court (Tiantai, Huayan…).
From IXe century and until the end of the Dynasty Ming (middle of the XVIIe century): appearance of thinkers and currents influenced by the taoism and Buddhism, while often seeking to dissociate itself some - Han Yu, Li Ao, Liu Zongyuan (fine of the Tang), Néoconfucianisme Song with in particular Cheng Jing, Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi, School of the Spirit of Wang Yangming (fine of XVe century). The traditional gun of Zhu Xi becomes under the Yuan the programme of reference of the imperial Examens. The neoconfucianism is diffused in Korea and with the Japan where it acquires a great importance (Yi You oelgye, Yi Yulgok, Kaibara Ekken).
Dynasty Qing, starting from the end of the XVIIe century: development of the Hanxue, “Han studies”, current which recommends the return to the texts of origin (i.e. with their version restored under the Han dynasty); its thinkers reproach the philosophers previous centuries for being themselves far too isolated original Confucianism.
Starting from the beginning of the XXe century: development of the New Confucianism under the impact of Western philosophy.

Morals confucéenne

Confucius is convinced that the reform of the community is not possible that through that of the family and the individual. The men of Antiquity, says it, “who wanted to organize the State, regulated their family circle; those which wanted to regulate their family circle, initially aimed at developing their own personality; those which wanted to develop their own personality made initially their heart noble; those which wanted to ennoblir their heart made initially their thought worthy of faith; those which wanted to make their thought worthy of faith improved initially their knowledge”. Confucius, in the company, divides the men in three groups. The perfect men ( sheng ), or wise, represent the model which should be followed once one reached the degree of perfection more raised, as it was the case, for example, of the Emperors of old China. Then, the noble ones come, or the higher men ( junzi ). Finally the common men constitute the people. The finality of morals confucéenne is the spiritual nobility: what one awaits from noble, of a higher man, it is that it finds the Li

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