The Influences on Society and Government - Essay Example

? Influence of Confucianism Introduction One of the most influential philosophers, to not only China but to the whole world was the Chinese philosopher Confucius. His philosophy was based on the simple yet important principles of morality and virtue. Around the era of 500 BC, he was an active official in the court of the emperor of China. After witnessing the millions in the Chinese empire living in turmoil, he came up with a set of precepts as a guide to the people to live harmonious lives. These precepts outlined a basic set of obligations that a person has to their family, society, as well as state. Based on his teachings, China later on went on to develop Confucianism, an ethical and philosophical system, which preaches about the importance of morality and other virtues like righteousness and honesty in one’s life (Lefande, pp. 1–10). People often refer to Confucianism as a religion since many people employ it as a sound ideology in their lives and govern their actions and decisions according to it. This ethical system or religion promoted a society where every person prioritizes the advancement of his or her personal virtue. Selflessness and honesty are amongst the few characteristics, which Confucianism holds in high esteem and promotes as ideals necessary for a healthy flourishing society. It believes that the best individual is the most ethically and morally sound individual (Hoobler and Hoobler, pp. 60). The influence of these teachings were spread widely even outside China. “They influenced the cultures and governments of Taiwan, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, and several other East Asian countries” (Lefande, pp. 1–10). This influence lasted centuries after the era of Confucius, and are venerated by people all over the world even now. However, to understand the true effect of Confucianism, one must analyze the effect it had on East Asia in the centuries that immediately followed the era of Confucius. The Influences on Society and Government One of the main reasons why Confucianism was so influential among East Asia was because it was based on ancient Chinese values, which are respected and in some cases shared by other countries in East Asia (Lefande, pp. 1–10). These include the mandate of heaven, veneration of ancestors, spirits, and rituals which China’s cultural heritage is based upon. Also, since it promoted a virtuous character for all people, not matter what stage of life they were at, it gained popularity as the people saw it as a reasonable system according to which they could live. People belonging to higher tiers of society would use the principles taught by Confucianism such as loyalty, honesty, and selflessness to boost their image in the public as well as to train them in order to gain positions in the government. This affected the government, as the people wishing to become a part of it would do so by improving themselves on moral grounds, thus making themselves examples for others to follow and desirable leaders (Lefande, pp. 1–10). This also had a similar effect on lower rungs of society, such as peasants and farmers. The principles of morality and virtue also became famous amongst them as they learned that following these principles was beneficial to them not only on an individual and on a family level, but also immensely improved the society as a whole. With such desirable results and influences, this religion quickly spread over China as well as several other East Asian countries. It was so well adapted into the culture of the Chinese that even today; the Chinese have taken their culture with them. Places dominated by a Chinese population such as Singapore also stand heavily influenced by the teachings of Confucianism today. Another way in which Confucianism had a major effect on government as well as society of China was through its promotion of education. According to the principles taught by Confucius, it helped polish the character of a person if he or she gained a proper education. This was one of the several improvements that Confucianism suggested to its followers, which in the light of this religion would help cultivate a better person. This promotion of education was extremely beneficial for the society and government, existent at that time as well as later on (Lefande, pp. 1–10). This is because it made people that are a lot more literate available for the positions of bureaucrats, which in turn was highly beneficial to the country as it eventually had more educated people governing it. This also led to the government giving high priority to education of the country, and it would always treat education as one of the most important goals in its governance of the country, thus, ensuring a more prosperous future for the country than eminent before. Therefore, the effect of this particular education-related teaching of Confucianism was had a long lasting influence on not only government, but also society. Confucianism had several other positive influences on the society of the influenced countries. A major teaching of this religion was the importance of family. It outlines the numerous obligations a person had to their family, and emphasized how a virtuous person is one who understands and respects the importance of family in their lives. This teaching had a highly strengthening effect on the society, as family ties were strengthened (Lefande, pp. 1–10). This principle had important effects on the quality of relationships prevalent in society as well, since fulfilling family obligations translated into dedicating a proper amount of time to them and giving them equal or even higher importance as compared to other things in a person’s life. This was perhaps one of the most beneficial teachings of Confucianism for its followers, as far as personal benefits are concerned. It led to people enjoying better personal lives, which led to them performing better in other aspects of their lives as well. In addition, it promoted further selflessness in individuals, where selflessness was already one of the many virtuous traits that Confucianism promoted amongst society. This contribution of Confucianism to society was a valuable one and one, which continues to influence Chinese family values and culture. This very same teaching, however, had a negative influence as far as government is concerned. It led to a criminal’s whole family receiving punishment for crimes that only the individual had committed. This was again, caused by the teaching of Confucianism which emphasizes the importance of family; however in this case it led to a negative influence. As it taught the Chinese their obligations to family, it also raised the level of responsibility a person has to their family. It focused on family to such an extent that the government started considering it not only normal and acceptable, but also even desirable to punish the whole family of a wrongdoer for the individual’s own misgivings (Jin, pp. 138). In other words, when a person committed a crime, he or she was not held individually responsible. In fact, the sense of responsibility spread to the whole family. The idea of this was perhaps to ensure that every person who was tempted to commit a crime would have their whole family talking sense into them and correcting them. This would increase the chances of the person realizing the wrongness of their plans, and not committing the crime. However, the consequences of this way of thinking were much more brutal, as the practical application of it led to even the extended family of a law-breaker receiving punishment sometimes. Thus, even though the importance to family that Confucianism promoted had a positive influence on society, it had a negative influence on government. Apart from this, the nation of China has also undergone a great revival in the past centuries. This revival is apparent through two main indicators. One was that the Chinese economy returned to thriving, and the second indicator was that the ancient cultural traditions of China, which had been forgotten for a while in between, were revived and developed further. This revival of culture is a product of the influence of Confucian principles. It reflects the teachings of Confucianism, which attempted to encourage national spirit, and even now, has taught China to avoid letting it diminish from the country’s attitude. This can be seen in the numerous sayings that have followed Chinese mentality through the years, from history to present, such as striving constantly to become stronger or to persevere to achieve goals. A more modern version of national spirits is visible today in the great ambition: “Establish the regulation for the universe, establish the order (Tao) for the people, follow the sages’ learning, and inaugurate the peace and prosperity forever” (Xiang, pp. 2). An important note to make is that such spirit and devotion may not always lead to successful results, but it always eases the process of striving for success. That is to say, national spirit made the process of striving for progress and development easier for the people working hard for it. This has especially been useful for a large proportion of the population, who had to work themselves up from the status of peasants and strive for social development when living in China. This was a major contribution of Confucianism on history, which facilitated its transition to greatness as well as their revival in the times of slowdowns. Another important dimension of the influence of Confucianism was how it affected the cultures and societies of countries other than China. This includes the influence it had on countries like Japan, Vietnam, and Korea. Its influences were rooted in economic, cultural, educational, and ethical changes in these countries. Before the arrival of this religion to these countries, at around 285 AD, they were in a state of transition, going from primitive either to slave owning, or from slave owning to feudal societies. They were uneducated societies with no written language. However, as Confucianism arrived in these areas, they started learning the Chinese alphabet and progressed immensely; going as far as to publishing books and opening schools, modeled after the Confucian principles of education. This meant that the influence of Confucianism had not only reached the education of the scholars of these countries, but also the training and education of the officers. This is apparent because of the high degree to which the educational systems in these countries are modeled after the Confucian teachings. This includes not only the content and syllabus that the teachings follow, but also the way the students are appraised and tested. In addition, this influence is apparent in both public and private schooling, in all grades. As a result, Confucius became a highly venerated figure in these schooling systems, and received titles such as ‘Supreme Sage and Foremost Teacher’ (Huanyin, pp. 5) in Japan and the ‘Teacher of Ten Thousand Sovereigns’ (Huanyin, pp. 5) in Vietnam. Apart from these influences, he was also considered a role model in relation to family values and social education. His teachings were also a significant part of the latter developments in education for children, women, and expatriate students, as well as the education given at the Imperial Court (Huanyin, pp. 5). Conclusion The influences of Confucianism are visible in societies and governments across the world, in both Eastern and Western countries. This religion had a deep impact on several aspects of life in these countries, ranging from education to government policy, from family values to national spirit. Each of these influences increased the value people give to the teachings of Confucius, and the mark he has left on societies everywhere will be difficult to erase, especially since the influence came to societies at times when they really needed change and growth. Works Cited Hoobler, Dorothy and Hoobler, Thomas. Confucianism. Infobase Publishing, 2009. Huanyin, Yang. Confucius - K’ung Tzu (551-479 BC). UNESCO: International Bureau of Education, 1999. Jin, Qui. The culture of power: the Lin Biao incident in the Cultural Revolution. Stanford University Press, 1999. Lefande, Matthew August. Aspects of Legalist Philosophy and the Law in Ancient China: The Ch’in and Han Dynasties and the Rediscovered Manuscripts of Mawangdui and Shuihudi. Common Wealth Protection Press, 2000. Xiang, Shiling. On the Value and Influence of the Traditional Confucian Thought in the Contemporary China (Extended Abstract). Renmin University of China, 1989. Read More