Page 78 - Berkshire Encyclopedia Of World History Vol Two

confucianism 427

Confucianism Under

Attack: Dadao Kongjiadian!

Confucianism, more a social and ethical philos-
of religion and the spirits, he said, “Not yet serving ophy than a religion, originated with Confucius
humans, how can one speak of serving the spirits” (Lunyu (551–479 BCE), and, along with Daoism and
(analects), xianjin chapter). Buddhism, was one the three ways of thought in
traditional China.
Mencius and Xunzi In the twentieth century, however, Confucian-
Early Confucianism had two other philosophers: Men- ism was the focus of sharp criticism, as many of
cius (c. 371–c. 289 BCE) and Xunzi c. 298–c. 230 BCE), its values and teachings were rejected by Chinese
disciples of Confucius who lived some two hundred modernists.This trend is traced back to the May
years after the master. Each with a work carrying his Fourth Movement of 1919, when Chinese intel-
name, the two propounded the idealistic and realistic ten- lectuals called for their countrymen to “over-
dencies, respectively, inherent in the master’s teachings. throw” (dadao) the stultifying ritualism of “Con-
Both works are examples of elegant Chinese prose. Men- fucius and Sons” (Kongjiadian). The Chinese
cius argued philosophically that human nature was Communist party stepped up this direct assault,
innately good. From this premise, the Mencian program especially in the 1950s and 1960s.
for humanity valued persuasion over coercion, exemplary
Source: Chander, S. (1988). Globalizing chinese culture, localizing Buddhist teach-
action over dictated rules, and moral factors over utili- ings: the internationalization of foguangshan. Journal of Global Buddhism Online,
retrieved from http://www.globalbuddhism.org/3/chandler0201.htm
tarian motives. Mencius appreciated the people as arbiter
of moral rule, and in a three-tier order of importance,
ranked them above the agrarian economy and the ruler.
From this ordering, subsequent generations derived jus- erate wielder of power, had the acuity to ask the Confu-
tification for a right of the people to rebel. cian scholar Lu Jia (d. 170 BCE) to discourse on why the
Mencius’s contemporary, Xunzi, on the other hand, Qin failed and Gaozu had succeeded. Lu Jia presented
argued that human nature was rapacious and untrust- him with twelve lectures (Xin Yu, or New Discourses), the
worthy and that morality was acquired by imposing the burden of which was that the Qin ruled with inhuman-
strictest rules of decorum and control. Good action was ity and that Gaozu could enjoy a long rule by observing
to be ritually coerced. Xunzi’s teachings encouraged a moral scruples. In 195 BCE, Gaozu paid a ceremonial
view of Confucius as a transmitter of ancient norms visit to the grave of Confucius, a symbolic union of brute
rather than as a moral exemplar. This realistic strain of power and Confucian reasoning. Another Confucian
Confucianism lends encouragement to Legalism, another scholar, Jia Yi (201–168? BCE), was asked by the Han
philosophy that flourished in China at this time. Legal- emperor Wen (Han Wendi, reigned 179–157 BCE) to
ism, however, demanded strict laws and harsh punish- propound on the same theme. Jia Yi’s efforts (Xin Shu, or
ments without hesitation. New Writings) brilliantly discussed the faults of the Qin
and a vast range of topics on the art of ruling.Thus Con-
State Confucianism fucian ethics and moral behavior entered Chinese politics
With the Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE), China went from of state. The grand fusion of moral and political power
a multi-state arrangement of power based on private and came when Emperor Wu (or Han Wudi, reigned 140–87
personal loyalties to centralized, bureaucratic rule based BCE), listening to Dong Zhongshu (179–104 BCE), fully
on public law.With the changeover from the Qin dynasty instituted Confucianism as a state religion. Dong’s work
to the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), early Han rulers (Chunqiu fanlu, or Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and
needed a reason of state different from the brutal legalism Autumn Annals) expounded on the role of the scholar in
on which the Qin was based. The first Han emperor government, whom he claimed was the only appropriate
(Han Gaozu, reigned 206–195 BCE), a powerful and illit- person—not the priest and not the people—to know the