the way of confucius Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Confucius is one of the most famous of the ancient Chinese philosophers. Confucius lived from 551 to 479 BC. He believed that Chinese culture had peaked during the height of the Zhou dynasty. During their reign, the Zhou rulers adhered to a set of practices referred to as the â€Å"li†, also called rites or rituals. These rites governed all aspects of Chinese culture. The rites told everything, from the way huge political ceremonies should be conducted, to what is the proper way to respond to the receiving of a gift. During Confucius’ life, the role of the Zhou kings was reduced to mere figureheads and many of the rites had been lost, forgotten, or reduced to a lesser role. Confucius decided that he was to revive the practice of the rites and show others back to the way of the â€Å"dao†, or the â€Å"way of heaven†. In an effort to accomplish this, Confucius would not only strive to strictly follow the rites himself, he would dedicate his life to teaching and spreading them to others as well. The teachings of Confucius cover a wide variety of topics, as they were meant to govern all aspects of one’s life. Some of the most important aspects of the rites taught by Confucius regard family relations, desirable traits of character, proper ways of governing, and aspects of â€Å"ren† or â€Å"true humaneness† or â€Å"humanity†. While some of his teachings are ideas specific to his time and culture, such as the proper colors to be worn by nobility, other teachings such as family relations and virtue of character are just as valuable to today’s society as it was for his own. One of the most important aspects of life for Confucius was family life and relationships. Many of his teachings are therefore related to such topics. The main points of Confucius’ teaching regarding family life have to do with filial obligations and respect among the family. He had become disheartened by the current state of family affairs as can be seen in Book 2.4 where he states â€Å"nowadays, filial is used to refer to anyone who is merely able to provide their parents with nourishment. But even dogs and horses are provided with nourishment. If you do not treat your parents with reverence, wherein lies the difference† (Ivanhoe, 5). Confucius believed that respect and reverence were the foundation of the family bonds and what separated people from the animals. Confucius believed the only cor... ...ims with the proper corresponding actions. Confucius also makes clear the distinction between a gentleman and a petty man. He gives examples such as in Book 4.16 when he states that a gentleman acts a certain way because he understands what the right thing to do is, where as a petty man acts a certain way only because it is to his advantage to do so. In Book 15.2 Confucius states that in times of hardship, such as a shortage of food or water, the gentleman remains firm and levelheaded, while the petty man becomes overwhelmed by the situation and acts improperly. He also states that in terms of everyday affairs, â€Å"the gentleman is relaxed and at ease, while the petty man is anxious and full of worry† (Ivanhoe, 23). As can be seen, Confucius was an extremely wise man. His appreciation for the past spurred the development of his teachings that have stood the test of time. While his work was intended to guide the masses of his day back to the glory that was once the Zhou dynasty, he instead managed to create a set of rites and teachings about the importance of family relations and strength of character that can be applied and appreciated as much today as they were over 2000 years ago.