In the late second millennium BCE, we find the earliest evidence of traditional Chinese history within the Shang Dynasty. During this time, many fundamental elements of what would eventually become Confucianism such as virtue, filial piety, and sacrificial ritual become prominent facets of society, manifesting in the form of politics. To legitimize the form of soft power characterized by the Shang Dynasty, it was essential that the government used this pre-Confucian approach to establish a sense of trust between the people and the king. By maintaining social norms of selflessness and traditions of paying respect towards ancestors, the political system in the Shang Dynasty grew so powerful that it became innate for the people living under it
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In his teachings, Confucius associates three kinds of conduct with moral nobility: filial piety, humaneness or virtue, and observance of ritual, and all three practices are evident in government and society throughout the Shang Dynasty. The religious sacrifices and rites of this time period provided commoners with a sense of predictability, which inadvertently made them more accepting of their passive roles when it came to governmental issues. By establishing predictable societal roles, everyone knew what was expected of them. Within the family, the norm was to display the utmost respect and devotion to serving one’s ancestors while in their daily lives, it was expected that people always act with true virtue. The deep-rooted desire to attain perfect virtue paired with a blind obedience towards ancestors and figures of authority worked in perfect unison to mold and justify the authoritative political system at the origin of traditional Chinese history: the Shang Dynasty.
For the most part, the Shang Dynasty foreshadowed early ideals of Confucianism, but several other religious principles begin to emerge as the role of government continuously shifts over time. Specifically, the Daodejing, the Yuandao, and the writings of Han Fei offer political strategies which oppose the soft power strategy adopted by Confucianists. Renowned Chinese texts such as those listed directly reflect the state of the government at the time they were written, which serves to highlight the clear, complementary relationship between religion and politics throughout Chinese
In his teachings, Confucius associates three kinds of conduct with moral nobility: filial piety, humaneness or virtue, and observance of ritual, and all three practices are evident in government and society throughout the Shang Dynasty. The religious sacrifices and rites of this time period provided commoners with a sense of predictability, which inadvertently made them more accepting of their passive roles when it came to governmental issues. By establishing predictable societal roles, everyone knew what was expected of them. Within the family, the norm was to display the utmost respect and devotion to serving one’s ancestors while in their daily lives, it was expected that people always act with true virtue. The deep-rooted desire to attain perfect virtue paired with a blind obedience towards ancestors and figures of authority worked in perfect unison to mold and justify the authoritative political system at the origin of traditional Chinese history: the Shang Dynasty.
For the most part, the Shang Dynasty foreshadowed early ideals of Confucianism, but several other religious principles begin to emerge as the role of government continuously shifts over time. Specifically, the Daodejing, the Yuandao, and the writings of Han Fei offer political strategies which oppose the soft power strategy adopted by Confucianists. Renowned Chinese texts such as those listed directly reflect the state of the government at the time they were written, which serves to highlight the clear, complementary relationship between religion and politics throughout Chinese