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Bible Dictionaries
Confucianism
1910 New Catholic Dictionary
or
The complex system of moral, social, political and religious teaching built up by Confucius on the ancient Chinese traditions, and perpetuated as the racial and national religion. Confucius (551-478 B.C.) is the latinized form for K'ung-tze or K'ung-fu-tze; born and died Shan-tung. Of good birth, with zeal for virtue and wisdom, he opened a school at twenty-two. Later as minister of justice he raised the State to unprecedented prosperity. Upon resignation with a band of disciples he went about teaching. He is venerated by his followers as the greatest of men. His main shrine is at the Imperial College, Pekin. The sacred Confucian texts consist of six "King" (classics) dating from an unknown period down to A.D. 100, and of the four "Shuh" (Books), about 475-400 B.C. To Confucius are attributed appendices to the "Y-King," thc "Ch'un-ts'ew," and the "Hiao-Kfng." His teachings are described by disciples in parts of the "Li-ki," and in all the "Shuh." The religion of ancient China approved by Confucius is a form of nature worship approaching monotheism. The supreme god is T'ien, Ti, or Shang-ti, with numerous ministering spirits of nature. T'ien rules by a benign providence; he confines punishment to this life. The human soul enjoys a conscious though undefined existence after death. To perfect self is the one end of life. Virtue is cultivated by purely natural means, with knowledge as an indispensable aid. The cardinal virtues are: sincerity, benevolence, filial piety, and propriety. Polygamy is permitted. Sacrifices are of supreme importance, consisting of food offerings to departed ancestors, public benefactors, spirits, or T'ien. There is no priesthood. The officials were heads of families, feudal lords, or the king. "Ancestor-worship" was that of the people. Each home had its ancestral shrine with the names of the deceased. Food-offerings were there made as refreshment. There were also offerings to Confucius, other benefactors and lower spirits. Offerings to the higher spirits were reserved to the feudal lords and king. Confucius extolled the monarchical government extended to a patriarchal system as the ideal. Prevalent Taoism and Buddhism are regarded as mere accretions to Confucianism. There are about three hundred million Confucianists.
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Entry for 'Confucianism'. 1910 New Catholic Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ncd/c/confucianism.html. 1910.
