Confucius: An Argument To The Rise Of Confucianism

K’ung Fu-tzu (Confucius) was a Chinese philosopher that was born in the 6th century B.C. (Bio). During his lifetime China was in complete disarray. The dynasty that ruled at the time (Zhou Dynasty) was overtaken with states fighting against each other (China Highlights). The morale of the country was at an all-time low. However, along came Confucius and, with his teachings, helped transform an entire country with his beliefs. His message helped restore harmony and stability to a country that desperately needed it. Confucianism played a tremendous role in Chinese history. The Analects are a written collection of the teachings of Confucius and helped pave the way for the rise of Confucianism. These were not written by Confucius himself (since he was illiterate), but rather by his disciples/students after his death (Cummings Study Guide). The three most important values that were inherent to the Confucian school of thought were Ren, Li, & Xiao. Ren represented being kind to one another, “Zi Zhang asked Confucius about fundamental human goodness. Confucius said, “If you can practice these five things with all the people, you …show more content…
During the inception of Confucianism, China was in the Spring and Autumn Period (China Highlights). Several small states were warring against each other, but there was also a rise in the number of schools of thought. For example, along with Confucianism, there was Legalism and Taoism (China Highlights). Nevertheless, after the Han Dynasty took over, Emperor Han Wudi stated that China was going to be a Confucian state (Totally History). This expansion of Confucianism eventually lead to what is known as the Exam System. The Exam System was an oral exam about Confucian texts that lasted six months and, of all the students that participated, only 8% passed (Encyclopedia Britannica). Even so, for those who did pass, they were labeled “Mandarins” and were officially