Historical Significance

Confucius advocated his philosophy to create social order and to encourage leaders to be more effective.

Confucianism and government remained entwined for much of China's history.

After Confucius died in 479 BCE, a variety of people claimed to be "true students" (and therefore the next generation of teachers) of his ways. According to Berling, those rulers were Mencius and Xunzi.

Mencius

389 - 305 BCE
political advisor, teacher
believed all humans were essentially good
encouraged rulers to be more benevolent to subjects

Xunzi

c.300 - c.230 BCE
writer, philosopher, government minister
believed all humans are born without morality
a king who rules by ritual and morality can unite all

Confucianism became the official state ideology under the Han Dynasty (206B BCE - 220 CE) under Emperor Wu (141 BCE - 47 BCE).

From that time on, the imperial state promoted Confucian values to maintain law, order, and the status quo" -Asia Society

Confucian Education

Emperor Wudi set up universities to train all state officials in Confucian beliefs and rituals. Government, education, and philosophy became inextricably linked.

Towards the end of the Han Dynasty, Buddhism traveled to China (from India) along the Silk Roads.

Song Dynasty

960 - 1279 CE

mixing of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism

Neo-Confucianism

Qing Dynasty

1644 - 1912 CE

return to older values and beliefs

Confucian Revival

Chairman Mao

1949 - 1976

Communist Party

Cultural Revolution, eliminate the old ways, end of Confucianism

Today

1980s - present

After Mao, and the end of Marxism, the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has revitalized Confucianism to create a sense of nationalism and secure their rule (Wu 2015).