Confucianism

Confucianism, like Taoism, is considered more as a philosophy rather as a religion. In fact, it forms the most influential collection of thoughts in traditional China. It literally dominated ancient Chinese life. Most of those who had positions of power (i.e., in the government), for example, studied classical Confucian thought in school and scored high on these examinations. After the Cultural Revolution of Mao, however, an anti-Confucianism campaign arose blaming the philosophy for China's backwardness.

Confucius courtesy Confucius Page

Yet, the philosophy that dates from ca. 500 B.C. with the sage Confucius (K'ung Fu-tzu) would survive in its persisting popularity in the areas of politics, psychology, and human thoughts. It endures today as a collection of diverse schools of thought closely associated with, and affected by, centuries of Chinese historical development. The school has seen its share of heady ascents and steep declines, but it has never faded completely from the scene.

Along with China, Confucius thought is also extremely influential in Hong Kong, and Taiwan, as well as in the cultures of Korea, Japan, and Indochina.