Confucianism
Confucianism is the system of ethics, education, and statesmanship taught by Confucius and his disciples, stressing love for humanity, ancestor worship, reverence for parents, and harmony in thought and conduct. Rather than a religion such as Christianity and Buddhism, Confucianism is more a philosophy of living.
A man by the name of Kung Fu Tzu (pronounced as Confucius in English) developed the way of thinking that is Confucianism. He was born in 551 B.C in Lu, China of a poor family. At age 15, he dedicated himself to studying with his heart set on politics. Although he didn't succeed in that area of expertise, he had great accomplishments as a teacher and philosopher. Confucius dedicated his life to preaching good moral conduct. He traveled through China and gave advice to different rulers in charge of different states. His teachings and writings dealt with one's morality and ethics, and the proper exercise of political power. While traveling, Confucius accumulated followers of his teachings. Confucius is said to be the most influential Chinese in the history of China.
Confucius' beliefs and practices are different than a religion. It is a philosophy of life. In religions such as Christianity and Buddhism, there is belief of the worship of God/gods, and the belief of life after death. On the other hand, Confucius has no such teachings. There is no church or clergy with the teachings of Confucius.
The beliefs of Confucianism are as follows: It views family as the basic unit of society, and all other relationships and responsibilities outside of family must be observed closely to preserve ...