1. Confucius and China

3. 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

4. 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?

5. 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…

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

7. 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

8. 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)

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

10. 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