Narrative

Confucianism acts as a way of life that promotes self-cultivation and virtue as the path to self-fulfillment and a harmonious society. To achieve these two goals, Confucianism emphasizes the importance of relational roles, propriety, education, and compassion. Confucianism says that in society, people have a role in five different relationships. If each person works to realize his or her potential within each of these relationships, the collective effort will lead to an overall improved, orderly, and peaceful community. An individual can best fulfill his or her role by developing propriety, that is, the wisdom and discipline to do the right thing at the right time. The keys to developing propriety are education and compassion. Through learning and compassion, an individual may understand and empathize with another human being, and align his or her actions to best serve others accordingly.

Confucianism has a long history dating back to the Chinese sages who lived thousands of years before the time of Confucius himself. It rose to prominence under the Han dynasty. Under the Hans, Confucianism became the basis for Chinese society and spread to other Eastern Asian countries as well. Confucianism continued to exert influence in Eastern Asia for thousands of years up until the 20^th century with the dawn of Communist China. Led by Mao Zedong, communists saw Confucianism as backwards and antiquated and blamed it for China’s lack of modernization as well as its victimization at the hands of Western superpowers. Subsequently, Confucianism fell under persecution, with the purge reaching its apex in the Cultural Revolution. With its fall from grace in Chinese society, Confucianism lost much of its long-held prominence.

Today, China has transformed into a modernized economic superpower. However, many scholars in the global intellectual community say that the Chinese people lack a vital moral and ideological grounding in this new economically competitive and westernized society. Leading Chinese figures have responded to this need with a revival of Confucianism. They believe that the humanism in Confucian principles would best complement their society’s extremes. This revival has hope for ultimately, the Confucian tradition remains in the Chinese cultural DNA and continues to quietly reflect itself in their everyday lives.