Confucianism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius. The Confucian canon is the core foundation of Confucianism and is composed of the Four Books and Five Classics. The Four Books include the Great Learning, Analects, Mencius, and Doctrine of the Mean which contain Confucius' teachings and discussions. The Five Classics include historical texts such as the Book of Documents, Book of Odes, Book of Rites, Book of Change, and Spring and Autumnal Annals. Confucianism focuses on self-cultivation, virtue, ethics, and proper social relationships and rituals rather than personal salvation. Perspectives on Jesus

1. Confucianism
By Francine Cayanan

2. Side Note - Dao (“the Way)
“The Way” refers to the moral path taken to achieve
harmony that is brought upon by living a virtuous life.
道(the Way)

3. “Sage-kings”
Rulers in ancient China that exemplified the
combination of virtue and wisdom that were also
judicious leaders.
Left to right:
Yu; Shun; Yao

4. Sacred Texts
ANALECTS: most revered
sacred scripture in the
Confucianism traditionCONFUCIAN CANON: created
the foundation of
Confucianism.

5. Confucian Canon
• Composed of the Four Books (si shu) and the Five Classics (wujing)
• The Four Books are traditionally attributed to Confucius, it has been established that he did not write a
single word of them; they were written down by his students after his death
• The Analects are the closest representation of his philosophy
Excerpt from the Confucian Canon: “【第一章】
【一節】子曰、 學而時習之、不亦說乎。【二節】有朋自遠方來、不亦樂
乎。【三節】人不知而不慍、不亦君子乎。
CHAPTER I. 1. The Master said, 'Is it not pleasant to learn
with a constant perseverance and application?
2. 'Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant
quarters?'
3. 'Is he not a man of complete virtue, who feels no
discomposure though men may take no note of him?‘ “
(Confucius)
(TranslationofConfucianclassics)

6. Confucian Canon: Four Books
ConfucianCanon
Four Books
Great Learning
Analects
Mencius
The Doctrine of
the Mean

7. Four Books: Great Learning
• Came from a chapter in the Classic of Rites
from the Classics
• Consists of a short main text attributed to
the teachings of Confucius and then ten
commentary chapters accredited to one of
Confucius' disciples
• Guide for moral self-cultivation
• States that the key to moral self-cultivation
is learning, or the investigation of things
• Through learning about things, one comes
to understand the principle in all things,
which allows them to better comprehend
the world
• Through this moral self-cultivation, one's li
(principle) and qi (psychophysical state) are in
harmony, leading to consistent moral behavior
• The message would lead scholars to think of
the value of their studies.
Excerpt from the Great Learning:
致知在格物。
Extension of knowledge consists of the investigation of things.
物格而后知至。
When things are investigated, knowledge is extended.
知至而后意誠。
When knowledge is extended, the will becomes sincere.
意誠而后心正。
When the will is sincere, the mind is correct.
心正而后身脩。
When the mind is correct, the self is cultivated.
身脩而后家齊。
When the self is cultivated, the clan is harmonized.
家齊而后國治。
When the clan is harmonized, the country is well governed.
國治而后天下平。
When the country is well governed, there will be peace throughout the land.

8. Four Books: Analects
• Collection of Confucius’ teachings and
discussions with his students and disciples.
• Includes twenty books, each generally
featuring a series of chapters that
encompass quotes from Confucius, which
were compiled by his disciples after his
death.
• Emphasized learning as well as good
governance, virtue, and ritual.
• One of the most widely read and studied
books in China for the last 2,000 years and
continues to have a great influence on
Chinese and East Asian thought and values.
“The man who moves a
mountain begins by carrying
away small stones.”

9. Four Books: Mencius
• Collection of conversations
Mencius had with Confucius
• Mencius places a strong
emphasis on the responsibility of
the emperor to practice good
governance through following the
Way
• Also believes that humans are
inherently good
• Emphasizes the idea that we are
all born with righteousness and
goodness, but must learn how to
nurture and cultivate those traits

10. Four Books: the Doctrine of the Mean
• The Doctrine of the Mean is attributed
to Zisi, Confucious’ grandson, and deals
with how to maintain perfect balance
and harmony in one's life
• Focuses on following the Way and acting
through what is right and natural, but
also acknowledges that people often do
not act properly
• So, people are encouraged to engage in
moral self-cultivation to act properly
• Also emphasizes the fact that good
governance relies on the men and that
rulers who maintain balance are not
only more effective, but also encourage
the Way in others
Excerpt from the Doctrine:
天命之謂性。率性之謂道。修道之謂教。
1. What Heaven confers is called “nature.”
Accordance with this nature is called the
Way. Cultivating the Way is called
“education.”
道也者、不可須臾離也、可離非道也。是
故君子戒愼乎其所不睹、恐懼乎其所不聞。
That which is called Way cannot be
separated from for an instant. What can be
separated from is not the Way. Therefore
the Superior Man is cautious in the place
where he is not seen, and apprehensive in
the place where he is not heard.

11. Confucian Canon: Five Classics
Confucian
Canon
Book of
Documents
Book of Odes Book of Rites Book of Change
Spring and
Autumn Annals
Five Classics

12. Five Classics: Book of Documents
• Compilation of 58 chapters about
the events of ancient China
• Tells the deeds of the early sage-
kings Yao and Shun
• Influential in developing an
understanding of a Sage (person
of profound wisdom)
• Also includes the history of the
Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties
(to the right: map of ancient China)
• Often considered the first
recording of the history of
ancient China

13. Five Classics: Book of Odes
• Also known as the also Book of
Songs or Book of Poetry
• 305 poems dealing with a range
of issues, including love and
marriage, agricultural concerns,
daily lives, and war
• contains different categories of
poems, including folk songs and
hymns used in sacrifice
• It is believed that Confucius
selected the 305 poems from a
much larger collection.

14. Five Classics: Book of Rites
• Described the social norms,
governmental organization, and
the ritual conduct during the
Zhou dynasty
• Believed to have been compiled
by Confucius
• Became the foundation of many
ritual principles that arise in later
imperial China
• States that proper ritual conduct
would maintain harmony in the
empire, as well as emphasize the
importance of piety
(image from Book of Rites)

15. Five Classics: Book of Change
• contains a system of divination, which is
centered largely around the principles of yin
and yang
• collection of linear signs to be used as oracles
• Some practices are still used to this day
• "Yes" was indicated by a simple unbroken
line (___), and "No" by a broken line (_ _).
• To each of these combinations a third line was
then added. In this way the eight trigrams were
made. These eight trigrams were seen as
images of all that happens in heaven and on
earth.
• They represented certain processes in nature
corresponding with the character and a family
member that had different meanings

16. Five Classics: Spring and Autumnal Annals
• Longest of the Five Classics
• Historical chronicle of the State of
Lu
• appear to have been created
specifically for annalistic
purposes
• At first thought to be written by
Confucius, but modern scholars
believe the text was actually
written by various chroniclers
from the State of Lu
(Image of Spring and Autumnal Annals)

17. Confucian Canon and the Salvation Doctrine
Rather than any kind of personal salvation, Confucius emphasized the
salvation of the social order by encouraging people to respect one another.
The entire purpose of his teaching was to change society from one which
was chaotic to one which was ordered.
Confucian texts universally refer to ancestor worship and commend it as a
means of cultivating the virtue of filial piety as well as creating harmonious
interactions and relations in society.
What happens to human beings after they die is less important to Confucian
thinkers than how the living fulfill their obligations to the dead which is
shown mainly though the Four Books of the Confucian Canon.

18. Perspectives on Jesus
Confucian
• Does not offer a god or a set of gods
• Confucius’s importance to
Confucians is that he was in part a
‘divine’ figure. This does not imply
he was a god - he achieved
transcendence.
• Confucius rarely claimed anything
for himself. The divine attributes
associated with him are ones that
have been made out of respect for
someone who led a truly virtuous
life.
Catholic
• Sees God through Jesus
• Jesus lived as a man, and died as
a man. He may have been the Son
of God, but he was still in some
way human.
• a Christian need not be worried
about adhering to the teachings
of a man who might be a ‘false
prophet’

19. Perspectives on Jesus cont.
Confucian
• Confucius taught self-cultivation,
the arts, politics and ethics to his
disciples
• Confucius taught an
understanding of humanity by
the Transcendent
Catholic
• Jesus taught the way to the
Kingdom of God
• Jesus taught an understanding of
the Transcendent by humanity

20. Perspectives on Jesus cont.
Confucian
• Confucius did not ever claim he was
in some way the Son of Tian (higher
being). Confucius remains a perfect
human and teacher, rather than
some form of deity
• Confucius’s being human provides a
goal to which theoretically any
human being can attain
• Confucius taught the fulfilment of
human potential
Catholic
• the Gospels record Jesus
frequently expressing that he was
the Son of God
• Jesus’s existence as the Divine as
well as the Man makes him only a
goal since we can only try to
follow his example
• Jesus taught to live in accordance
with God

21. Perspective on Jesus and Confucius
But they were connected in a way that both were men
with a mission, one that had been transcendentally
appointed for them.