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109-681: The mid-11th century, spanning from the end of the Western-Xia wars in 1045 to Emperor Shenzong's ascension in 1068, was a period of remarkable innovation in Chinese political thought and institutions. Emperor Renzong, known for his openness and tolerance, fostered a spirit of progress that included a significant dialogue on the roles of sovereign and ministers. For the first time, a substantial number of Confucian literati held influential bureaucratic positions gained through civil examinations, who were involved in making and effecting policies. Lastly,

218-556: A 'sense of right and wrong' ( 耻 ; chǐ ), 'gentleness' ( 温 ; wēn ), 'kindheartenedness' ( 良 ; liáng ), 'respect' ( 恭 ; gōng ), 'frugality' ( 俭 ; jiǎn ), and 让 ; ràng ; 'modesty'). Ren (仁 ) is the Confucian virtue denoting the good feeling a virtuous human experiences when being altruistic . Internally ren can mean "to look up" meaning "to aspire to higher Heavenly principles or ideals", It

327-428: A conversation between Confucius and his disciple Zeng Shen , is about how to set up a good society using the principle of xiao . In more general terms, filial piety means to be good to one's parents; to take care of one's parents; to engage in good conduct not just towards parents but also outside the home so as to bring a good name to one's parents and ancestors; to perform the duties of one's job well so as to obtain

436-399: A counterweight to subservience to authority. The famous thinker Huang Zongxi also strongly criticised the autocratic nature of the imperial system and wanted to keep imperial power in check. Many Confucians also realised that loyalty and filial piety have the potential of coming into conflict with one another. This may be true especially in times of social chaos, such as during the period of

545-523: A decrease in government expenditures, since the local population was responsible for its own protection. The general and troops law ( jiangbingfa ), also known as the creation of commands law ( zhijiangfa ) targeted improving the relationship between high officials and common troops. The army was divided into commands units of 2,500 to 3,000 men that incorporated a mixed force of infantry, cavalry, archers, as well as tribal troops, instead of each belonging to their own individual unit. This did not include

654-453: A deity, it is primarily an impersonal absolute principle like the tao or the Brahman . Most scholars and practitioners do not think of tian as a god, and the deities that many Confucians worship do not originate from orthodox Confucianism. Confucianism focuses on the practical order that is given by a this-worldly awareness of tian . The worldly concern of Confucianism rests upon

763-460: A disciple who asked whether it is better to sacrifice to the god of the stove or to the god of the family (a popular saying), in 3.13 Confucius says that in order to appropriately pray to gods, one should first know and respect Heaven. In 3.12, he explains that religious rituals produce meaningful experiences, and one has to offer sacrifices in person, acting in presence, otherwise "it is the same as not having sacrificed at all". Rites and sacrifices to

872-492: A form of tax service with hired labor. Each prefecture calculated the funds needed for official projects in advance so that the funds could be distributed appropriately. The government also paid a premium of 20 percent in years of crop failures. Effectively, it transformed labor service to the government into a monetary payment, increasing tax revenue. However, people who were previously exempt from corvée labor were forced to pay taxes for labor on official projects, and thus protested

981-591: A long official career serving various regional posts until the early 1040s. Before appointed the Vice Grand Chancellor in 1043 by Emperor Renzong, Fan entered central politics only briefly, including serving as the prefect of Kaifeng (the imperial capital ) in 1035. His outspoken demeanor and bold criticism against Emperor Renzong , regent Empress Liu , and the Chief Chancellor often ended in his demotion to regional posts. Fan embraced

1090-490: A national Confucian Church ( 孔圣会 ; 孔聖會 ; Kǒngshènghuì ) in China to unify the many Confucian congregations and civil society organisations. Strictly speaking, there is no term in Chinese which directly corresponds to "Confucianism". The closest catch-all term for things related to Confucianism is the word ru ( 儒 ; rú ). Its literal meanings in modern Chinese include 'scholar', 'learned', or 'refined man'. In Old Chinese

1199-540: A person may know the movements of tian , and this provides with the sense of having a special place in the universe. In 17.19 Confucius says that tian spoke to him, though not in words. The scholar Ronnie Littlejohn warns that tian was not to be interpreted as a personal God comparable to that of the Abrahamic faiths, in the sense of an otherworldly or transcendent creator. Rather it is similar to what Taoists meant by Dao : "the way things are" or "the regularities of

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1308-475: A provincial exam graduate. In 1104, the prefectural examinations were abolished in favor of the three-colleges system, which required each prefecture to send an annual quota of students to the Taixue. This drew criticism from some officials who claimed that the new system benefited the rich and young, and was less fair because the relatives of officials could enroll without being examined for their skills. In 1121,

1417-405: A two-year period on which the students were graded. Those who achieved the superior grade on both exams were directly appointed to office equal to that of a metropolitan exam graduate. Those who achieved an excellent grade on one exam but slightly worse on the other could still be considered for promotion, and having a good grade in one exam but mediocre in another still awarded merit equal to that of

1526-414: A view to succoring the working classes and preventing them from being ground into the dust by the rich." Wang proposed that "to manage wealth the ruler should see public and private [wealth] as a single whole." Wang believed that it was wealth that united the people and if wealth could not be administered properly, then even the lowliest men who did not possess political power would rise to take advantage of

1635-465: Is a Chinese philosophical term often translated as " gentleman " or "superior person" and employed by Confucius in the Analects to describe the ideal man. Wang Anshi Wang Anshi ( [wǎŋ ánʂɨ̌] ; Chinese : 王安石 ; December 8, 1021 – May 21, 1086), courtesy name Jiefu ( Chinese : 介甫 ), was a Chinese economist, philosopher, poet, and politician during

1744-515: Is exemplified by a normal adult's protective feelings for children. It is considered the essence of the human being, endowed by Heaven, and at the same time the means by which someone may act according to the principle of Heaven and become one with it. Yan Hui , Confucius's most outstanding student, once asked his master to describe the rules of ren and Confucius replied, "one should see nothing improper, hear nothing improper, say nothing improper, do nothing improper." Confucius also defined ren in

1853-486: Is identified as patriarchy, which is expressed in the worship of ancestors and deified progenitors in the male line, at ancestral shrines . Confucian ethical codes are described as humanistic. They may be practiced by all the members of a society. Confucian ethics is characterised by the promotion of virtues, encompassed by the Five Constants, elaborated by Confucian scholars out of the inherited tradition during

1962-569: Is minister; when the father is father, and the son is son." Particular duties arise from one's particular situation in relation to others. The individual stands simultaneously in several different relationships with different people: as a junior in relation to parents and elders, and as a senior in relation to younger siblings, students, and others. While juniors are considered in Confucianism to owe their seniors reverence, seniors also have duties of benevolence and concern toward juniors. The same

2071-399: Is not merely Confucian but shared by many Chinese religions , "the universe creates itself out of a primary chaos of material energy" ( hundun and qi ), and is organized through the polarity of yin and yang that characterises any thing and life. Creation is therefore a continuous ordering; it is not creation ex nihilo . "Yin and yang are the invisible and visible, the receptive and

2180-474: Is to say self-cultivation and world redemption—synthesised in the ideal of "sageliness within and kingliness without". Ren , translated as "humaneness" or the essence proper of a human being, is the character of compassionate mind; it is the virtue endowed by Heaven and at the same time the means by which man may achieve oneness with Heaven comprehending his own origin in Heaven and therefore divine essence. In

2289-462: Is true with the husband and wife relationship where the husband needs to show benevolence towards his wife and the wife needs to respect the husband in return. This theme of mutuality still exists in East Asian cultures even to this day. The Five Bonds are: ruler to ruled, father to son, husband to wife, elder brother to younger brother, friend to friend. Specific duties were prescribed to each of

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2398-478: Is variously translated as ' rite ' or ' reason ', 'ratio' in the pure sense of Vedic ṛta ('right', 'order') when referring to the cosmic law, but when referring to its realisation in the context of human social behaviour it has also been translated as ' customs ', 'measures' and 'rules', among other terms. Li also means religious rites which establish relations between humanity and the gods. According to Stephan Feuchtwang, rites are conceived as "what makes

2507-479: The Datong Shu  [ zh ] , it is defined as "to form one body with all things" and "when the self and others are not separated   ... compassion is aroused". "Lord Heaven" and " Jade Emperor " were terms for a Confucianist supreme deity who was an anthropromorphized tian , and some conceptions of it thought of the two names as synonymous. Tian , a key concept in Chinese thought, refers to

2616-406: The tao , and/or gods from Chinese folk religion . These movements are not a part of mainstream Confucianism, although the boundary between Chinese folk religion and Confucianism can be blurred. Other movements, such as Mohism which was later absorbed by Taoism, developed a more theistic idea of Heaven. Feuchtwang explains that the difference between Confucianism and Taoism primarily lies in

2725-688: The Chinese philosopher Confucius (551–479 BCE), during a time that was later referred to as the Hundred Schools of Thought era. Confucius considered himself a transmitter of cultural values inherited from the Xia (c. 2070–1600 BCE), Shang (c. 1600–1046 BCE) and Western Zhou (c. 1046–771 BCE) dynasties. Confucianism was suppressed during the Legalist and autocratic Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE), but survived. During

2834-635: The Ever-Normal Granaries who were managing the program were evaluated based on the revenue they could generate, this resulted in forced loans and lack of focus on the disaster relief, which was the original task of the Ever-Normal Granaries. In 1074, a famine in northern China drove many farmers off their lands. Their circumstances were made worse by the debts they had incurred from the seasonal loans granted under Wang's reform initiatives. Local officials insisted on collecting

2943-499: The Five Classics which were the basic texts of Confucianism, all edited into their received versions around 500 years later by Imperial Librarian Liu Xin . The scholar Yao Xinzhong allows that there are good reasons to believe that Confucian classics took shape in the hands of Confucius, but that "nothing can be taken for granted in the matter of the early versions of the classics". Yao suggests that most modern scholars hold

3052-460: The Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), Confucian approaches edged out the "proto-Taoist" Huang–Lao as the official ideology, while the emperors mixed both with the realist techniques of Legalism. Confucianism regards principles contained in the Five Classics , the key tenets that should be followed to promote the harmony of the family and the society as a whole. A Confucian revival began during

3161-512: The Han dynasty . The Five Constants are: These are accompanied by the classical four virtues ( 四字 ; sìzì ), one of which ( Yi ) is also included among the Five Constants: There are many other traditionally Confucian values, such as 'honesty' ( 诚 ; chéng ), 'bravery' ( 勇 ; yǒng ), 'incorruptibility' ( 廉 ; lián ), 'kindness', 'forgiveness' ( 恕 ; shù ),

3270-543: The Ming-Qing transition . In Confucian philosophy, "filial piety" ( 孝 ; xiào ) is a virtue of respect for one's parents and ancestors, and of the hierarchies within society: father–son, elder–junior and male–female. The Confucian classic Xiaojing ("Book of Piety"), thought to be written during the Qin or Han dynasties, has historically been the authoritative source on the Confucian tenet of xiao . The book,

3379-977: The Song dynasty . He served as chancellor and attempted major and controversial socioeconomic reforms known as the New Policies . These reforms constituted the core concepts of the Song-dynasty Reformists, in contrast to their rivals, the Conservatives, led by the Chancellor Sima Guang . Wang Anshi's ideas are usually analyzed in terms of the influence the Rites of Zhou or Legalism had on him. His economic reforms included increased currency circulation, breaking up of private monopolies, and early forms of government regulation and social welfare. His military reforms expanded

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3488-609: The Song dynasty . The project was discontinued in 1085. Emperor Huizong of Song (r. 1100–1125) tried to revive it but the implementation was too impractical and gave up after 1120. The system of taxation for mining products ( kuangshi difen zhi ) was a similar project to the equal tax law, except for regulating mining projects. The green sprouts law ( qingmiaofa ) was a loan to peasants. The government loaned money to buy seeds, or seeds themselves from state granaries, in two disbursements at an interest rate of 2 percent calculated at an average of ten years. Recollections occurred in

3597-465: The Tang dynasty (618–907 CE). In the late Tang, Confucianism further developed in response to the increasing influence of Buddhism and Taoism and was reformulated as Neo-Confucianism . This reinvigorated form was adopted as the basis of the imperial exams and the core philosophy of the scholar-official class in the Song dynasty (960–1297). The abolition of the examination system in 1905 marked

3706-419: The "pragmatic" view that Confucius and his followers did not intend to create a system of classics, but nonetheless "contributed to their formation". The scholar Tu Weiming explains these classics as embodying "five visions" which underlie the development of Confucianism: Confucianism revolves around the pursuit of the unity of the individual self and tian ("heaven"). To put it another way, it focuses on

3815-623: The God of Heaven, the northern culmen of the skies and its spinning stars, earthly nature and its laws which come from Heaven, to 'Heaven and Earth' (that is, "all things"), and to the awe-inspiring forces beyond human control. There are so many uses in Chinese thought that it is impossible to give a single English translation. Confucius used the term in a mystical way. He wrote in the Analects (7.23) that tian gave him life, and that tian watched and judged (6.28; 9.12). In 9.5 Confucius says that

3924-538: The Han and Tang dynasties, that they were only a tool for irredentism. The pro-New policies faction regained power when Emperor Zhezong came of age in 1093. The policies largely continued under the reign of Emperor Huizong until the end of the Northern Song dynasty in 1126. In addition to his political achievements, Wang Anshi was a noted poet. He wrote poems in the shi form, modeled on those of Du Fu . He

4033-557: The Imperial University was created as part of the reforms for the education of the children of commoners and low-ranking officials, which was the only institution that survived the reversal of the reforms. The Qingli Reforms was the dynasty's first Confucian political movement, highlighting a revival of Confucian ideas and the rise of regional elites who gained advanced social status through learning, civil exams, and government services. While traditional scholarship attributed

4142-527: The Qingli Reforms, with the exception of some reforms to the examination system, this reform effort similarly met a dead end. Confucianism Confucianism , also known as Ruism or Ru classicism , is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China , and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy ( humanistic or rationalistic ), religion , theory of government, or way of life. Confucianism developed from teachings of

4251-539: The Song bureaucracy as a secretary ( qianshu ) in the office of the assistant military commissioner ( jiedu panguan tinggonshi ) of Huainan ( Yangzhou , Jiangsu province). He was then promoted to district magistrate ( zhixian ) of Yinxian ( Ningbo , Zhejiang province ), where he reorganized hydrological projects for irrigation and gave credits to the peasant. Later he was promoted to controller general ( tongpan ) of Shezhou ( Qianshan , Anhui province). In 1060, he

4360-593: The ability to cultivate and centre natural forces. Li embodies the entire web of interaction between humanity, human objects, and nature. Confucius includes in his discussions of li such diverse topics as learning, tea drinking, titles, mourning, and governance. Xunzi cites "songs and laughter, weeping and lamentation   ... rice and millet, fish and meat   ... the wearing of ceremonial caps, embroidered robes, and patterned silks, or of fasting clothes and mourning clothes   ... spacious rooms and secluded halls, soft mats, couches and benches" as vital parts of

4469-425: The active, the unshaped and the shaped; they characterise the yearly cycle (winter and summer), the landscape (shady and bright), the sexes (female and male), and even sociopolitical history (disorder and order). Confucianism is concerned with finding "middle ways" between yin and yang at every new configuration of the world." Confucianism conciliates both the inner and outer polarities of spiritual cultivation—that

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4578-543: The aims of the three-colleges was to provide a more balanced education for students and to de-emphasize Confucian learning. Students were taught in only one of the Confucian classics, depending on the college, as well as arithmetics and medicine. Students of the Outer College who passed a public and institutional examination were allowed to enter the Inner College. At the Inner College there were two exams over

4687-399: The belief that human beings are fundamentally good, and teachable, improvable, and perfectible through personal and communal endeavor, especially self-cultivation and self-creation. Confucian thought focuses on the cultivation of virtue in a morally organised world. Some of the basic Confucian ethical concepts and practices include ren , yi , li , and zhi . Ren is the essence of

4796-491: The capital in the 1040s where he was appointed a policy critic. Fan Zhongyan and Fu Bi submitted to the emperor a joint ten-point memorial in 1043 outlining reform agendas. They can be largely divided into the following categories: The first measure undertaken was to allow competent officials to stay in one post for more than three years and for unable or treacherous officials to be removed more easily. Sons and relatives of state officials were banned from automatically inheriting

4905-527: The cardinal moral values of ren and yi . Traditionally, cultures and countries in the Chinese cultural sphere are strongly influenced by Confucianism, including China , Taiwan , Korea , Japan , and Vietnam , as well as various territories settled predominantly by Han Chinese people , such as Singapore . Today, it has been credited for shaping East Asian societies and overseas Chinese communities , and to some extent, other parts of Asia. Most Confucianist movements have had significant differences from

5014-446: The construction of dykes and canals to improve irrigation. Troops garrisoned around the capital were to engage in agriculture and be trained in a more effective way. Service corvée was to be reduced. Proclamations and edicts issued by the court were to be followed by imminent implementation, with greater control over their implementation. Many of these reforms were put into effect in the two-year period from 1043 to 1045. However, without

5123-406: The dichotomy between religion and humanism, considering the ordinary activities of human life—and especially human relationships—as a manifestation of the sacred, because they are the expression of humanity's moral nature ( 性 ; xìng ), which has a transcendent anchorage in tian ( 天 ; tiān ; 'heaven'). While the Confucian concept of tian shares some similarities with the concept of

5232-406: The empire. One of the prominent victims of the political rivalry, the famous poet and statesman Su Shi (1037–1101), was jailed and eventually exiled for criticizing Wang's reforms. Sima and his allies opposed the reforms based on fiscal grounds, but also because they believed that the local elite families rather than the state should be the pillars of society. Fiscally, Wang made it clear that he

5341-641: The end of official Confucianism. The intellectuals of the New Culture Movement of the early twentieth century blamed Confucianism for China's weaknesses . They searched for new doctrines to replace Confucian teachings; some of these new ideologies include the " Three Principles of the People " with the establishment of the Republic of China , and then Maoism under the People's Republic of China . In

5450-401: The entire network of social relations, even the respect for rulers. This is shown in the story where Duke Jing of Qi asks Confucius about government, by which he meant proper administration so as to bring social harmony: 齊景公問政於孔子。孔子對曰：君君，臣臣，父父，子子。 The duke Jing, of Qi , asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied, "There is government, when the prince is prince, and the minister

5559-474: The eyes and ears of the state in the country. The Green Sprouts program and the baojia system were not conceived as revenue-generating policies but soon were changed to finance new state initiatives and military campaigns. Within a few months of the start of the Green Sprouts program in 1069 the government started to charge an annual interest of 20–30% on the loans it made to farmers. As the officials of

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5668-468: The fabric of li . Confucius envisioned proper government being guided by the principles of li . Some Confucians proposed that all human beings may pursue perfection by learning and practising li . Overall, Confucians believe that governments should place more emphasis on li and rely much less on penal punishment when they govern. Loyalty ( 忠 ; zhōng ) is particularly relevant for the social class to which most of Confucius's students belonged, because

5777-578: The fact that the former focuses on the realisation of the starry order of Heaven in human society, while the latter on the contemplation of the Dao which spontaneously arises in nature. However, Confucianism does venerate many aspects of nature and also respects various tao , as well as what Confucius saw as the main tao , the "[Way] of Heaven." The Way of Heaven involves "lifelong and sincere devotion to traditional cultural forms" and wu wei , "a state of spontaneous harmony between individual inclinations and

5886-406: The failure of the reforms to the strong opposition from the conservative faction and the career bureaucrats, recent studies have highlighted that the underlying cause of the defeat was the power struggle between the emperor and the emerging literati class in a novel attempt to "co-rule" the empire. While Emperor Renzong temporarily allowed scholar-officials to participate in central decision-making, he

5995-450: The family and society to create a harmonious community. Joël Thoraval studied Confucianism as a diffused civil religion in contemporary China, finding that it expresses itself in the widespread worship of five cosmological entities: Heaven and Earth ( 地 ; dì ), the sovereign or the government ( 君 ; jūn ), ancestors ( 親 ; qīn ), and masters ( 師 ; shī ). According to the scholar Stephan Feuchtwang , in Chinese cosmology, which

6104-553: The following way: "wishing to be established himself, seeks also to establish others; wishing to be enlarged himself, he seeks also to enlarge others." Another meaning of ren is "not to do to others as you would not wish done to yourself." Confucius also said, " ren is not far off; he who seeks it has already found it." Ren is close to man and never leaves him. Li ( 礼 ; 禮 ) is a word which finds its most extensive use in Confucian and post-Confucian Chinese philosophy . Li

6213-526: The full support of the emperor, there never was complete implementation of the reforms. Not long after they began, backlash from groups of officials, large land owners, and the wealthy in general resulted in the dismissal Fan Zhongyan and Fu Bi in 1045. Changes in the school and the examination system endured to the extent that local schools at prefecture levels were enhanced; the ancient style of writing focusing on plain prose and statecraft discussions were given preference over ornamental literature. Further more,

6322-406: The gods have an ethical importance: they generate good life, because taking part in them leads to the overcoming of the self. Analects 10.11 tells that Confucius always took a small part of his food and placed it on the sacrificial bowls as an offering to his ancestors . Some Confucian movements worship Confucius, although not as a supreme being or anything else approaching the power of tian or

6431-465: The government and stored for later sale at a lower price, disrupting price manipulation by merchant monopolies. Merchant guilds that cooperated with the market exchange bureau were allowed to sell goods to the government and buy commodities from government storehouses using money or credit at an interest rate of 10 percent for six months. Small or mid-sized companies and groups of five merchants could provide guarantee with their assets for credit. After 1085,

6540-517: The human being which manifests as compassion. It is the virtue-form of Heaven. Yi is the upholding of righteousness and the moral disposition to do good. Li is a system of ritual norms and propriety that determines how a person should properly act in everyday life in harmony with the law of Heaven. Zhi ( 智 ; zhì ) is the ability to see what is right and fair, or the converse, in the behaviors exhibited by others. Confucianism holds one in contempt, either passively or actively, for failure to uphold

6649-564: The hundred things coming into being. What does Tian say?") as implying that even though Tian is not a "speaking person", it constantly "does" through the rhythms of nature, and communicates "how human beings ought to live and act", at least to those who have learnt to carefully listen to it. Duanmu Ci , a disciple of Confucius, said that Tian had set the master on the path to become a wise man (9.6). In 7.23 Confucius says that he has no doubt left that Tian gave him life, and from it he had developed right virtue ( de ). In 8.19, he says that

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6758-420: The invisible visible", making possible for humans to cultivate the underlying order of nature. Correctly performed rituals move society in alignment with earthly and heavenly (astral) forces, establishing the harmony of the three realms—Heaven, Earth and humanity. This practice is defined as "centering" ( 央 ; yāng or 中 ; zhōng ). Among all things of creation, humans themselves are "central" because they have

6867-543: The late twentieth century, the Confucian work ethic has been credited with the rise of the East Asian economy . With particular emphasis on the importance of the family and social harmony , rather than on an otherworldly source of spiritual values, the core of Confucianism is humanistic . According to American philosopher Herbert Fingarette 's conceptualisation of Confucianism as a philosophical system which regards "the secular as sacred ", Confucianism transcends

6976-455: The letter he blamed the downfall of previous dynasties on the refusal of their emperors to deviate from traditional patterns of rule. He criticized the imperial examination system for failing to create specialized workers. Wang believed that there should not be generalists but that people should specialize in their roles and not study extraneous teachings. His letter was ignored for ten years until Emperor Shenzong of Song (r. 1067–1085) succeeded

7085-496: The lives of the sages are interwoven with Tian . Regarding personal gods ( shen , energies who emanate from and reproduce Tian ) enliving nature, in the Analects Confucius says that it is appropriate ( yi ) for people to worship ( 敬 ; jìng ) them, although only through proper rites ( li ), implying respect of positions and discretion. Confucius himself was a ritual and sacrificial master. Answering to

7194-505: The loans as the farmers were leaving their land. This crisis was depicted as being Wang’s fault. Wang still had the emperor's favor, though he resigned in 1076. With the emperor's death in 1085 and the return of the opposition leader Sima Guang, the New Policies were abolished under the regency of Dowager Empress Xiang . With Sima back in power, he blamed the New Policies' implementation on Shenzong's wish to extend Song borders to match

7303-436: The local administration, Wang Anshi gained an understanding of the difficulties experienced by local officials and the common people. In 1058, he sent a letter ten thousand characters long ( Wanyanshu ; 万言书 / Yanshishu ; 言事书 / Shang Renzong Huangdi yanshi shu ; 上仁宗皇帝言事书 ) to Emperor Renzong of Song (r. 1022–1063), in which he suggested reforms to the administration in order to solve financial and organizational problems. In

7412-474: The local three-college system was abolished but retained at the national level. The reforms created political factions in the court. Wang Anshi's faction, known as the "Reformers", were opposed by the ministers in the "Conservative" faction led by the historian and Chancellor Sima Guang (1019–1086). As one faction supplanted another in the majority position of the court ministers, it would demote rival officials and exile them to govern remote frontier regions of

7521-538: The market exchange bureau and offices became profit making institutions, and bought cheap goods and sold at higher prices. The system stayed in place until the end of the Northern Song dynasty in 1127. The baojia system , also known as the village defense law or security group law, was a project to improve local security and relieve local government of administrative duties. It ordered groups of ten, fifty, and five hundred men security groups to be organized. Each

7630-422: The material means to support parents as well as carry out sacrifices to the ancestors; not be rebellious; show love, respect and support; the wife in filial piety must obey her husband absolutely and take care of the whole family wholeheartedly. display courtesy; ensure male heirs, uphold fraternity among brothers; wisely advise one's parents, including dissuading them from moral unrighteousness, for blindly following

7739-580: The metropolitan and palace army. The system continued until the end of the Song dynasty . The three college law ( sanshefa ), also called the Three Hall system, regulated the education of future officials in the Taixue (National University). It divided the Taixue into three colleges. Students first attended the Outer College, then the Inner College, and finally the Superior College. One of

7848-509: The military in the north. To do this, Wang advocated for policies intended to alleviate suffering among the peasantry and to prevent the consolidation of large land estates which would deprive small peasants of their livelihood. He called social elements that came between the people and the government jianbing , translated as "engrossers." By "engrossers" he meant people who monopolized land and wealth and made others their dependents in wealth and agriculture. Wang believed that suppressing jianbing

7957-459: The most important way for an ambitious young scholar to become a prominent official was to enter a ruler's civil service. Confucius himself did not propose that "might makes right", but rather that a superior should be obeyed because of his moral rectitude. In addition, loyalty does not mean subservience to authority. This is because reciprocity is demanded from the superior as well. As Confucius stated "a prince should employ his minister according to

8066-512: The new law. Although officially abolished in 1086, the new labor recruitment system existed in practice until the end of the Northern Song dynasty in 1127. The balanced delivery law ( junshufa ) was meant to curb the prices of commodities purchased by the government and to control the expenditures of the local administration. To do this, circuit level financial institutions in southeast China were made responsible for government purchases and their transport. The central treasury provided funds for

8175-456: The original Zhou -era teachings, and are typically much more complex because of their reliance on "elaborate doctrine " and other factors such as traditions with long histories. In the past few decades, there have been talks of a "Confucian Revival" in the academic and the scholarly community, and there has been a grassroots proliferation of various types of Confucian churches . In late 2015, many Confucian personalities formally established

8284-419: The parents' wishes is not considered to be xiao ; display sorrow for their sickness and death; and carry out sacrifices after their death. Filial piety is considered a key virtue in Chinese culture, and it is the main concern of a large number of stories. One of the most famous collections of such stories is " The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars ". These stories depict how children exercised their filial piety in

8393-434: The participants in these sets of relationships. Such duties are also extended to the dead, where the living stand as sons to their deceased family. The only relationship where respect for elders is not stressed was the friend to friend relationship, where mutual equal respect is emphasised instead. All these duties take the practical form of prescribed rituals, for instance wedding and death rituals. The junzi ('lord's son')

8502-454: The past. While China has always had a diversity of religious beliefs, filial piety has been common to almost all of them; historian Hugh D.R. Baker calls respect for the family the only element common to almost all Chinese believers. Social harmony results in part from every individual knowing his or her place in the natural order, and playing his or her part well. Reciprocity or responsibility ( renqing ) extends beyond filial piety and involves

8611-472: The penalties as he believed a good official shall fear no blames as a setback to his honest suggestion to the sovereign. In 1040, when the Western Xia threatened Song security, Fan was dispatched to the border to organize a strong defense. By 1043, Fan's defence strategy started to show some success, and he was summoned back to central court to lead the Qingli Reforms. Following the defeat, Fan Zhongyan

8720-399: The post of their father. The importance of poetry in the imperial examinations was reduced in favour of essays and the Confucian classics . Supervision over officials in the provinces responsible for the transport of tax grains was increased and appointed directly by the central government. Land allotted to officials was redistributed more adequately. Agricultural productivity was enhanced by

8829-459: The principles of humaneness and righteousness at its core. In the Western world, the character for water is often used as a symbol for Confucianism, which is not the case in modern China. However, the five phases were used as important symbols representing leadership in Han dynasty thought, including Confucianist works. Traditionally, Confucius was thought to be the author or editor of

8938-749: The purchase of low cost goods wherever they were available, their storage, and transport to areas where they were expensive. Critics claimed that Wang was waging a price war with merchants. The market exchange law ( shiyifa ), also called the guild avoidance law ( mianshangfa ), targeted large trading companies and monopolies. A metropolitan market exchange bureau was set up in Kaifeng and 21 market exchange offices in other cities. They were headed by supervisors and office managers who dealt with merchants, merchant guilds, and brokerage houses. These institutions fixed prices for not only resident merchants but also itinerant traders. Surplus commodities were purchased by

9047-550: The reforms of Wang Anshi as either principled and measured or misguided and disastrous. The twentieth-century Chinese warlord Yan Xishan cited the reforms of Wang Anshi to justify his use of a limited form of local democracy in Shanxi . Yan believed that the focus and intent of Wang's reforms was to strengthen the Song dynasty by persuading ordinary Chinese to give the dynasty their active support, instead of merely serving it. The system of "democratic" government that Yan justified via

9156-414: The relationship between humanity and heaven. The principle or way of Heaven ( tian li or tian tao ) is the order of the world and the source of divine authority. Tian li or tian tao is monistic , meaning that it is singular and indivisible. Individuals may realise their humanity and become one with Heaven through the contemplation of such order. This transformation of the self may be extended to

9265-540: The ruled to the ruler, and less on the ruler's obligations to the ruled. Like filial piety, loyalty was often subverted by the autocratic regimes in China. Nonetheless, throughout the ages, many Confucians continued to fight against unrighteous superiors and rulers. Many of these Confucians suffered and sometimes died because of their conviction and action. During the Ming-Qing era, prominent Confucians such as Wang Yangming promoted individuality and independent thinking as

9374-416: The ruler is incompetent, he should be replaced. If the ruler is evil, then the people have the right to overthrow him. A good Confucian is also expected to remonstrate with his superiors when necessary. At the same time, a proper Confucian ruler should also accept his ministers' advice, as this will help him govern the realm better. In later ages, however, emphasis was often placed more on the obligations of

9483-455: The rules of propriety; ministers should serve their prince with faithfulness (loyalty)." Similarly, Mencius also said that "when the prince regards his ministers as his hands and feet, his ministers regard their prince as their belly and heart; when he regards them as his dogs and horses, they regard him as another man; when he regards them as the ground or as grass, they regard him as a robber and an enemy." Moreover, Mencius indicated that if

9592-483: The sacred Way". Kelly James Clark argued that Confucius himself saw Tian as an anthropomorphic god that Clark hypothetically refers to as "Heavenly Supreme Emperor", although most other scholars on Confucianism disagree with this view. As explained by Stephan Feuchtwang, the order coming from Heaven preserves the world, and has to be followed by humanity finding a "middle way" between yin and yang forces in each new configuration of reality. Social harmony or morality

9701-638: The situation, take control of the economy, monopolize it, and use it to advance their unlimited greed. Under such a situation, Wang considered any claim that the emperor had control of the people to be just words. Wang Anshi was promoted to vice counselor in 1069. He introduced and promulgated a series of reforms, collectively known as the New Policies/New Laws. The reforms had three main components: 1) state finance and trade, 2) defense and social order, and 3) education and improving of governance. The equal tax law ( junshuifa ), also known as

9810-403: The square field law ( fangtianfa ) was a land registration project meant to reveal hidden land (untaxed land). Fields were divided into squares 1,000 paces in length on each side. The corners of the fields were marked by earth piles or trees. In the autumn, an official was dispatched to supervise the surveying of the land and to place the soil quality in one of five categories. This information

9919-410: The state to [warrant] enjoying such a good salary? According to Wang, "good organization of finance was the duty of the government, and the organization of finance was nothing else than to fulfill public duties." American historian Mary Nourse describes the philosophy of Wang's government that, "The state should take the entire management of commerce, industry, and agriculture into its own hands, with

10028-570: The summer and winter. Public officials abused the system by forcing loans on the peasants or extracting more than 2 percent interest. The hydraulic works law ( shuilifa ) was meant to improve local organization of irrigation works. Instead of using corvée labor, each circuit was supposed to appoint officials to loan money to the people using the local treasury, so that they could hire laborers. The government also encouraged planting mulberry trees to increase silk production. The labor recruitment law ( muyifa ) aimed at replacing corvée labor as

10137-403: The term has been "burdened   ... with the ambiguities and irrelevant traditional associations". Ruism, as he states, is more faithful to the original Chinese name for the school. The term "Traditionalist" has been suggested by David Schaberg to emphasize the connection to the past, its standards, and inherited forms, in which Confucius himself placed so much importance. This translation of

10246-545: The throne. The new emperor faced declining taxes and an increasingly heavy burden of taxation on commoners due to the development of large estates , whose owners managed to evade paying their share of taxes. This led him to seek advice from Wang in 1069. Wang was first appointed vice counsellor ( can zhizheng shi ; 参知政事 ), a key position for general administration, and a year later was made chancellor ( zaixiang ; 宰相 ). The primary objectives of Wang Anshi's New Policies ( xinfa ) were to cut government expenditure and strengthen

10355-497: The use of local militias, and his government reforms expanded the education system and attempted to suppress nepotism in government. Although successful for a while, he eventually fell out of favor with the emperor. Wang Anshi was born on 8 December 1021, to a family of jinshi degree holders in Linchuan ( Fuzhou , Jiangxi province). He placed fourth in the palace exam and obtained a jinshi degree in 1042. He began his career in

10464-463: The war with Western-Xia and the budget deficit of the empire prompted the urgency for changes that were not called for at stable times. The reforms were led by a group of same-minded scholars headed by Fan Zhongyan, along with his young associate Han Qi, Fu Bi , and Ouyang Xiu. Fan Zhongyan was the leading figure of the Qingli Reform. He passed the imperial examination in 1015, followed by

10573-526: The word ru is followed by e.g. Yuri Pines. According to Zhou Youguang , ru originally referred to shamanic methods of holding rites and existed before Confucius's times, but with Confucius it came to mean devotion to propagating such teachings to bring civilisation to the people. Confucianism was initiated by the disciples of Confucius, developed by Mencius ( c. 372–289 BCE) and inherited by later generations, undergoing constant transformations and restructuring since its establishment, but preserving

10682-525: The word had a distinct set of meanings, including 'to tame', 'to mould', 'to educate', and 'to refine'. Several different terms, some of which with modern origin, are used in different situations to express different facets of Confucianism, including: Three of them use ru . These names do not use the name "Confucius" at all, but instead focus on the ideal of the Confucian man. The use of the term "Confucianism" has been avoided by some modern scholars, who favor "Ruism" and "Ruists" instead. Robert Eno argues that

10791-410: The world", which Stephan Feuchtwang equates with the ancient Greek concept of physis , "nature" as the generation and regenerations of things and of the moral order. Tian may also be compared to the Brahman of Hindu and Vedic traditions. The scholar Promise Hsu, in the wake of Robert B. Louden, explained 17:19 ("What does Tian ever say? Yet there are four seasons going round and there are

10900-416: Was a core function of the government or that it was in their best interests to help those dependent on the rich. He saw that as the breakdown of social order which would cause the eventual downfall of the state. Sima did not even like the imperial examinations and argued that only candidates recommended by court officials should be able to sit the examinations. Essentially, Sima Guang believed that government

11009-508: Was deported to Dengzhou. Ouyang Xiu was posted to Kaifeng four years after passing his jinshi examination in 1030. He began his association with Fan from this time in Kaifeng. Following Fan's demotion in 1036, Ouyang criticized Fan's principle critic, resulting in himself being sent to a minor post in Hubei . When Emperor Renzong decided to launch reforms, Ouyang Xiu was brought back to

11118-484: Was hesitant to fully entrust the reformers or to dismantle entrenched imperial protocols. Fan Zhongyan, the leader of Qingli Reforms, was considered a "teacher for an entire generation" by later reformer Wang Anshi. Fan and his ideals served as an inspiration for subsequent political reforms. Wang Anshi would take up the banner of reform in the 1070s, not only pushing for many of the Qingli Reforms, but going even further. However, while they remained in place longer than

11227-702: Was later ranked number seven among the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song ( 唐宋八大家 ). He was an adherent of the Classical Prose Movement championed by Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan , first and second of the Eight Masters of the Tang and Song respectively. His poetry often included social themes along with the traditional observations of nature. Chinese politicians and historians have continued to look back on

11336-438: Was not concerned about deficits and promised the emperor that revenues would be adequate even without increasing taxes. Sima did not agree and did not believe that the economy could grow faster than the population. Wang was also in favor of more aggressive foreign policy such as recovering territory and assimilating people to the northwest while Sima preferred a more balanced foreign policy. Sima did not believe that managing wealth

11445-518: Was one of the most important goals. Included in the category of jianbing were owners of large estates, rural usurers, large urban businessmen, and speculators responsible for instability in the urban market. All of them had ties to bureaucrats and had representatives in the government. Today in every prefecture and subprefecture, there are jianbing [engrossing] families that annually collect interest amounting to several myriad strings of cash without doing anything... What contribution have they made to

11554-614: Was sent to Kaifeng as assistant in the herd office ( qunmusi panguan ) and then prefect ( zhizhou ) of Changzhou, commissioner for judificial affairs ( tidian xingyu gongshi ) in Jiangnan East, assistant in the Financial Commission ( sansi duzhi panguan ), and finally editor of imperial edicts ( zhi zhigao ). Wang's mother died and he observed a mourning period from 1063 to 1066. In 1067, he became governor of Jiangning ( Nanjing ). During his time in

11663-462: Was the domain of the pre-existing elite and only the elite. He argued that the empire would be better off if rich families kept more of their wealth. "If (wealth) is in the hands of the state then it is not in the hands of the people," Sima said in a debate with Wang before the emperor. Other officials argued that the baojia system would prevent local gentry from serving in their traditional roles as military commanders, raising private militias and serving

11772-402: Was to be led by a headman. Initially each household with more than two male adults had to provide one security guard, but this unrealistic expectation was decreased to one per five households later on. The security groups exercised police powers, organized night watches, and trained in martial arts when no agricultural work was required. Essentially it was a local militia with the main effect being

11881-427: Was written in a ledger declared legally binding for the purposes of sale and purchase, and the taxation value assessed appropriately. The law was highly unpopular with land owners, who complained that it restricted their freedom of distribution and other purposes (avoiding tax). Although the square field system was only implemented around the region of Kaifeng , the land surveyed made up 54 percent of known arable land in

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