Confucius and China

Introduction Around 1027 BC, a people called the Zhou overthrew the Shang and established a dynasty in China To justify their abrupt rise to power, the Zhou leaders declared that the Shang King had been such a poor ruler that the gods had taken away their power and given it to the Zhou This justification is called Mandate of Heaven The idea that the authority to rule comes from heaven

Then what??? The Zhou dynasty lasted for 8 centuries until their decline However, their harsh rule did not leave without lasting consequences While they were in power, China had begun to move away from their traditional values of social order, harmony, and respect for authority What were they to do?

Then came Confucius… He was China’s most influencial scholar He was born during that time of crisis and rebellion in China He believed that social order, harmony, and good government could be restored in China if society were organized around 5 basic relationships…

1. ruler and subject 2. father and son 3. husband and wife 4. older brother and younger brother 5. friend and friend

Three of these 5 relationships were based on family He stressed that children should practice respect for their parents and ancestors They should devote themselves to their parents during their lifetime and honor their memory upon their death

Confucius and Government He wanted to reform Chinese government and teach them how to govern wisely He believed that education could transform a person He laid the groundwork for the first bureaucracy A government system run by people trained in civil service - (government employees)

Education became an important part in the advancement of a persons career

What is Confucianism? It was never a religion It is an ethical system based on accepted principles of right and wrong It became the foundation for Chinese government His ideas spread throughout eastern Asia