Chapter 20-4 Ancient China Confucianism & Government

Confucianism The dominant philosophy in China, Confucianism is based on the teachings of Confucius. He lived more than 1,000 years before the Song Dynasty His ideas were the basis for the Song government

Confucian Ideas Focused on ethics & proper behavior He said people should conduct themselves based on 2 principles (ren- concern for others) and (li- appropriate behavior) Confucian argued that society would work better if everyone followed ren & li Young people should obey their elders

Influences of Confucianism Qin dynasty officially suppressed Confucian ideas Han dynasty allowed Confucian ideas and made them the official state philosophy During the period of disunion Confucianism was overshadowed by Buddhism

Neo-Confucianism Late in the Tang dynasty, many historians & scholars became interested in the teachings of Confucius. They wanted to improve Chinese society & government. During & after the Song dynasty, a new philosophy of Neo-Confucianism developed.

Neo-Confucianism Neo-Confucianism was similar to the old philosophy but added a more spiritual element. They discussed the idea of what made people bad or good in life.

Scholar- Officials Define the following: Bureaucracy- Civil service-