Confucianism Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Confucianism - Term Paper Example Confucianism is a corner stone of Chinese life, and has been for thousands of years, yet during the Mao years, there was a stringent purging of this learned man’s teachings. For the people of China, Mao’s ferocious campaign against the teachings of Confucius are bewildering to say the least. However, when one reads the teachings of Confucius, it is not surprising that Mao thought all Confucian scholars were counter revolutionaries. Mao admired the political philosophy of Legalism, expounded by Han Fei, a rival of Confucius. Mao’s derision of the teachings of Confucius was because they clashed with the teachings of Han Fei. An authoritarian government like Mao’s would emphasize the absolute power of the state over its subjects, punishing everyone except for the ruler, and would consider law as a tool to keep its people under control. During the period of the cultural revolution, Mao wanted complete control. Absolutism was the way he saw for China to go forw ard. Mao believed that the government was all powerful and people were there to serve the government. This however was not what Confucius taught. Although Confucius believed that the Government was important, his view was that the government existed for the good of the people. An authoritarian system of governance believes that the system of severe punishments is necessary in order to run the state and avoid chaos, where Confucius believed in benevolence, humanity and tolerance. The political philosophy of Confucius is rooted in his belief that a ruler should learn self-discipline, and should lead by example treating his people with love and concern. â€Å"The relation between superiors and inferiors is like that between the wind and the grass. The grass must bend, when the wind blows across it." (The Analects By Confucius Section 3 Part 12) Confucius believed that what characterized a good ruler was the possession of de or ‘virtue† which was a kind of moral power that attracted followers without the need to resort to force. "He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it.†(The Analects By Confucius Section 1 Part 2) These beliefs are totally opposite to what an authoritarian regime believes , hence would not be possible for governments such as Mao’s to adopt. Another dimension of the teachings of Confucius relate to education. He does not believe in intuition and adheres to the principle that the only way to really understand a subject is to study it minutely. He said, "Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous." (The Analects By Confucius Section 1 Part 2) Confucius also emphasizes the importance of integrity and disparages sycophancy. The Mao years in China, bred a contempt for intellectuals and a dislike for learning. Mao’s Red Guards were ordered to destroy all old habits customs and think ing in society. Hence the wise teachings of Confucius were buried till the time was ripe to resurrect them once again. As China stands at the crossroads today, there is a conscious effort to reverse the effect of Mao’s hatred of intellectuals and his contempt for traditional forms of learning. The sudden turnaround in China’s policy of restoration of Confucian philosophy hint at both domestic as well as international reasons. In its effort to make the nation richer, Chinese people are being encouraged to focus on education. The number of Chinese students enrolled in universities the world over is a telling example of how China is reverting to the teachings of