Confusianism in the People's Republic of China - Essay Example

? Confucianism in the People’s Republic of China Confucianism is a philosophy in China that seeks inspiration from the mythical past. It is based on education, respect and hierarchy. It was established with the intention of reducing the wars and conflicts that took place in China. According to this philosophy familial relationships are the foundation of the society (Makeham 55). Children are expected to dedicate themselves to their parents in both their actions and thoughts from childhood to adulthood. However, this has been significantly eclipsed by the Western practices and thoughts as majority of the families in China are influenced by modernization. Despite this, it has undergone a revival in the Chinese society in last few years. Majority of the Chinese identify Confucianism as the ultimate core of the Chinese culture. This paper will compare the new and classical Confucianism as well as the Marxism doctrines and the new Confucianism in detail. Difference between Confucianism and New Confucianism Confucianism is imperative in the social progress through modernization and technology. It has also contributed to new social differentiation, equality, mobility and political participation in China as a sovereign state. Advancement in technologies has led to the development of new modes of production, distribution of products that have imperatively aided in the overall growth of the economy. The ‘New Confucianism’ begun in the early 20th century as a movement of intellectuals in the Republic of China. It advocates for some element in the traditional Confucianism applied in the modern society with the synthesis of Western Philosophies. It has significantly been attributed to the influence on the Chinese society by the Western World (Makeham 43). Western doctrines were applied in the New Confucianism unlike the traditional principles which relied on the mythical past for inspiration. The new Confucianism adopted principles from upcoming religion like the Buddhism and Doaism. The traditional Confucianism was based on moral values and the strict adherence to the moral principles. The new Confucianism adopted the bending of rules to suit the people in the present times. Traditionally these rules were invented by the founder of the Confucian principle. However, with the revival of the new Confucianism various philosophers would invent the rules and to be applied in life. In the past, Confucian humanism was the defining principle on political, family, social and ethical ideology. However, with modernization the Confucian principles focused on spiritual orientation in the human community. Gender, region, race and ethnic differences were emphasized in the new Confucianism principles. The role of the different genders was adjusted to fit the present world. Neo Confucianism can be seen as one that has created a new of life that is in synchrony with global developments and industrialization. It is fashioned with regards to its utilization in the present practical action. Liang Shuming idea was to create a philosophy, Neo Confucianism, which would integrate with modern technologies; including organizational technologies. This is unlike the “traditional Confucianism”. Based on a pioneer of Neo Confucianism, Xiong Shili, Neo Confucianism is largely regarded to as a scholastic exercise. Contrary, Confucianism is regarded to as a political or social movement with influential capabilities. Despite this, Liang Shuming, who was highly influential in coining the philosophy of Neo Confucianism, refused to consider himself as a scholar. The old Confucianism governs social and political aspects of the Chinese people. Neo Confucianism is a phenomenon which provides a new horizon on some issues in the old Confucianism. However, it addresses some of the issues as a repetition of the old Confucianism. It attempts to integrate some aspects of the western culture such as equality, but not entirely. Liang Shuming’s Role in Shaping the New Confucian Liang Shuming, an intellectual, is seen as one of the main contributors to the New Confucianism. He believed on the application of Confucianism ways into modern technology and life. According to Liang, he believed that the world would come to embrace the Confucius principles as the traditional philosophers would strive to influence people globally (Yao 56). He attempted to preserve as well as develop the Confucian principles as a socio-political movement. This would comprise a potent force in the broader society. In the attempt to preserve the traditional philosophies of Confucianism, Liang wrote a book that focused on the Western and Eastern teaching and culture. In his book, he wrote of the Western and Eastern cultures in comparison to the Chinese Confucianism principles. He argued that although these traditions were different, the success of any doctrine was its application in life. The Confucian doctrine of master-servant relationship has successfully been employed in the Chinese culture. The master enacted morals and principles in the subordinates while the subordinates obeyed. In contrast, the western culture highlighted on equality of all persons. According to Liang, the application of equality in the Chinese culture would dilute the existing harmony as people would lack governance. Liang in his book explained that the China culture was better that the European culture. This is because the Chinese traditions taught that people should not follow their earthly desires because it was not a way to true happiness. This thus means that the Chinese culture teaches people to nurture the inward attitude and not the outward. In the inward attitude, people learn to appreciate moderation, and there is an excellent coexistence between Humankind and nature. Therefore, Liang defended the retention of the traditional Confucius teachings by showing how much it was accommodating and helpful to humankind. He pointed out that people would the ultimately adopt the Confucius traditions because it promoted the conservation of nature as well as the well-being of humankind. Differences between New and Marxist Confucianism A clear disparity exists between New Confucianism and Marxism. The main problem in this scenario is how New Confucianism deals with Marxism. Liang Shuming, who undertook the polemics, illustrated their animosity towards Marxism not only in ideological terms, but also politically. Personal protests have been carried out against Marxism by various philosophers in support of Neo Confucianism. Marxism has existed for many years beyond the framework of Neo Confucianism (Makeham 43). However, Neo Confucianism can be termed as a high level of reaction against the Marxism doctrine. The process that led to the generation of Marxism philosophy in China entailed the import of Communism into China. The Marxism philosophy exhibits and elaborates concepts of the Western world. Neo Confucianism does not accept some of these Western Concepts. This is despite the fact that Neo Confucianism seeks a convergence between Chinese and Western Concepts (Yao 13). There are notions of Western philosophy that can be elaborated in the Neo Confucianism works. However, examination of such terms reveals them to be arbitrary and tentative to an unacceptable degree. New Confucianism attests that there is equality. However, there are still some elements of hierarchy in the philosophy. These elements show the tendency to respect hierarchy. They also show some differences in the status. This is unlike the Western concepts, which are more egalitarian. Marxism values the treatment of people with equal respect, regardless of the socio-economic status. Marxism supports the role of the individual and individual expression more than the Neo Confucianism. Marxism encourages individual expression even from an early age. Neo Confucianism still emphasizes on the value of modesty and humility. The overt display of individualism is not emphasized in Neo Confucianism. Marxism places an emphasis on the acquisition of wealth. It focuses on the materialistic nature of the world. On the other hand, Neo Confucianism places an emphasis on the human inward attitude. One can see that Marxism supports and protects the interests of the humankind desires and human esteem above all else. Support of efforts to establish a “National Confucian Church” Liang Shuming predicted that the future of the world will be centered on Confucian. Cultural patterns are the essence of Confucianism. Those in support of teaching of Confucianism in China note that the philosophy attempts to deal with social life patterns, rather than doctrine touches. For the integration of this philosophy into schools, there is a need for the connection between practice and theory. Confucianism affects the universal values and fundamental norms of the civilized life. The integration of this into the education system would have a positive impact in terms of values and norms. The National Confucian Church teaches people on the moral laws and culture that are pertinent to the Chinese. According to the Confucianism, people should not be ignorant of the things that take place in the world. Instead, they should get nourishment with the knowledge that helps them to keep their ethical standards high. These teachings have given support to the introduction of the National Confucian Church in the education institutions (Yao 67). Teaching of Confucianism sets a high level of idealized models of social behavior and roles. Liang notes that Confucianism will address the challenges of China’s backwardness and poverty. The support of efforts to establish a National Confucian Church will seek a reconstruction of technological diffusion, modernization and economic growth. The above would occur due to increased moral renewal brought about by the philosophy. The integration of Confucianism into the education system of China would serve as a moral guide to the students. Confucianism deals with practical morality. Those in support of the teaching of Confucianism note that it will generate harmony in the societal order. People will be taught how to behave according to their ranks; this will create harmony. With such, students will learn to respect their elders, even at the family level. In the national level, the people will learn to respect the authority in place. It is imperative to note that Confucianism teaching in schools will lead to increased scrutiny and critical analysis of life. It will enable the education of children that are vulnerable in society. It will also enable the teaching of those that are unable to obtain a quality education. Confucian teachings have received acceptance in many places across China, and in many education institutions. It is worth noting that such a move to integrate Confucian teaching in the institutions will receive support from various factions in the Chinese government. In the past Chinese education system, the students that performed well ended up in the civil service and government offices. Because of the substantial benefits they received from the education obtained from the Confucius church, they were keen to ensure that the National Confucius Church got acceptance. These have drummed up support for the introduction of this system into the Chinese education institutions (Yao 34). Conclusion It is clear that Confucianism has many teachings and laws that govern the people if China. The morals taught in such philosophy are imperative when it comes to the society. Over time, the old Confucius methods and teachings changed. There was the adaption of newer cultural concepts and philosophy. These influenced the New Confucius philosophy in a substantial manner. The popularity of the New Confucianism has declined over time. Most of the impact was felt after the China Communist Party took over the governance of China. Therefore, there was the integration of the western concepts, including Marxism. However, people still believe in the traditional teachings and culture of the Confucian philosophy. This is as exhibited by an establishment of movements such as the National Confucius Church. These have gone a long way in preserving the traditions of China. Their integration into China’s education system has been viewed as beneficial by some. Works Cited Makeham, John. New Confucianism: a critical examination. New York: Palgrave Macmillian, 2003. Print. Yao, Xinzhong. An Introduction to Confucianism. Cambridge: Cambridge University. 2000. Print. Read More