7/21/2019 Confucius

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Confucius

Confucius (551–479 B.C.E.) was one of several intellectuals who started questioning the eaning of life! and the role of the gods and the s"irits.

#uring the $arring %tates &eriod! Confucius develo"ed a s'ste of ethics and "olitics that stressed five virtues charit'! ustice! "ro"riet'!

 wisdo! and lo'alt'. *is teachings were recorded +' his followers in a +oo, called Analects, and fored the code of

ethics called Confucianis that has +een the cornerstone of Chinese thought for an' centuries.

Confucius-s guiding +elief was that of the  "hiloso"h'  Tien Ming (or the influences of fate and ission). ien /ing states that all things are under

the control of the regulator' echanis of heaven. his includes life and death! wealth and "overt'! health and illness. Confucius +elieved that

understanding ien /ing was his life-s ission. *e encouraged "eo"le to acce"t whatever ha""ened to the! including death.

Confucius affired that if "eo"le do not 'et ,now a+out life! "eo"le a' not ,now a+out death (%oothill 1910). $ithout ,nowledge of how to live!

a "erson cannot ,now a+out death and d'ing. *owever! Confucius was criticied for avoiding discussions of death. *e did not encourage his

followers to see, eternal life! nor did he discuss death! gods! ghosts! and the un,nown future or afterlife in detail. *e aintained that ghosts were

s"irits and were not eas' to understand. Confucius concluded that these issues were co"licated and a+stract! and that it was +etter to s"end tie

solving the "ro+les of the "resent life than to loo, into the un,nown world of death and afterlife. *e wanted to conve' the i"ortance of valuing

the e2isting life and of leading a orall' correct life according to one-s ission fro heaven.

Confucius considered righteousness to +e a +asic requireent of a good "erson! stating that such a "erson would not see, to sta' alive at the

e2"ense of inuring virtue. *e encouraged "eo"le to u"hold these oral "rinci"les and care for each other until death. *is followers were

e2horted to +e lo'al and dutiful toward fail'! ,in! and neigh+ors! and to res"ect their su"eriors and the elderl'.  3ilial "iet'  to "arents and

ancestors is fundaental to these +eliefs. 3ar fro +eing characteried +' fear! the attitudes of the l iving toward the de"arted e+ers of the

fail' or clan are one of continuous ree+rance and affection.

hese +eliefs a' "artiall' e2"lain wh' u uen and other students ,illed in the 1969 iananen %quare assacre in Beiing! China! were

"re"ared to give u" their lives to advocate the values of ustice and goodness for their countr'. hose who follow such +eliefs would have no regret

 when confronted with their own death and would acce"t death readil'. his is regarded as a high level of oral +ehavior of fail' or social virtue.

 lthough Confucius did not e2"ress it e2"licitl'! to die for righteousness is an e2a"le of a good death for the individual as well as the nation.

8ead ore htt"www.deathreference.coCe:#aConfucius.htl;i2<t%=5lo