Jeff Jackson November 20, 2008 Dr. Shapiro Impact of Confucianism “At fifteen, I set my heart on learning. At thirty, I was firmly established. At forty, I had no more doubts. At fifty, I knew the will of heaven. At sixty, I was ready to listen to it. At seventy, I could follow my heart's desire without transgressing what was right.” (Analects, 2:4) Confucius thought China could be saved if the people would seek for the good of others, a practice of their ancestors. The impact Confucianism has had on China can hardly be over-estimated. History thus far possesses no clearer support for this thesis than the work of Confucius. For over two thousand years, his teachings have deeply impacted the Chinese social system. In creating Confucianism, Master Kong did not aim to create a new religion, but to interpret and renew the nameless religion of the Zhou dynasty; because many people felt the ancient system of religious rule was morally bankrupt. He believed the answers to many of the burning questions of the day lie in the ritual aspect of the Zhou religion. Master Confucius believed these not as sacrifices asking for the blessings of the gods, but as ceremonies carried out by people symbolizing the civilized and cultured types of behavior developed through generations of wisdom. For Confucius they embodied the ethical core of Chinese society. Additionally, he applied the term "ritual" to further mean social rituals. These "rituals" encompassed actions beyond formal sacrifices and religious ceremonies to further include social rituals. These new rituals were intended to include normal interaction with others; it required people to treat others as they wanted to be treated. He saw these traditional rituals as the basis of human civilization, and he felt that only a civilized society could have an unwavering, united and lasting social order. Confucianism consists of two sides; First, conformity and the acceptance of social roles, and second, development of one’s...