Read pages 123-132 in your textbook before answering this question: Is Confucianism a religion or a philosophy? Read & think before you answer! (This Blog will open on Wednesday 4/14)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
The Future of Religion
Click here
Future of American Catholicism
Click on the picture
Watch this video!
Click on this picture
Happy Easter!
The Sophomore Class Blog is Here!
Click on this picture!
Slum Dog
Click on the picture
Slum Dog Millionare Dance
Click on the Picture
Islamic Woman in Arabia
The Trial of Jesus
Jesus Christ Superstar Play
Take the Jerusalem Temple Youtube Tour!
Click here!
The Media Club Link is Here!
Click on this picture!
Mr. Bauer as a Sophomore!
Too Cool! Click on picture to see CBA-SYRACUSE
SYRACUSE CRUSH! SU 95, Villanova 77.
34,641 watch SU set a new NCAA record for attendance!
About Me
- Mr. J. Bauer
- My name is Joseph "Jay" Bauer, I am a major advocate for "online education" and technology in student education.
I personally think that Confucianism is a philosophy rather than a religion. I think it can somehow be a religion because a religion is defined as a set of beliefs and Confucius did have a set of beliefs. But personally I think its a philosophy because it doesn't have a god or something to worship. Its like Buddhism. But I do understand how its interpreted as a religion.
ReplyDeleteI also think Confucianism is a philosophy.They have no God. Confucius never mentioned that he was doing anything for a "God" in his teachings. His main goal was to promote a social system based on "good conduct" and virtue. Confucianism main beliefs are humaneness and benevolence. For a relgion your beliefs should be focused on a God. I can see why people consider it a relgion but for a religion to be a religion there needs to be a God to worship.
ReplyDeleteI think Confucianism is more along the lines of a philosophy than a religion, even though it contains the requirements to be both. Mainly when you think of a religion you think of having a god and worshiping that god. Confucius didnt worship a god but he instead spreaded his beliefs and some of his facts about life which shoves Confucianism more toward being a philosophy rather than a religion in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Judi and Victoria that Confucianism is only a philosophy. Philosophies are a system of principles for guidance in practical affairs. Meaning to say that Confucius created theories to improve society. For example, he believed people should develop their talents through "wen", the cultural arts. Wen consists of various hobbies, such as music, poetry, calligraphy, math, and sports. If a person practices wen, in the long run it will help him develop a moral character through appreciating other individuals. As you can see, these are just little tips to help you become a better person. These are not teaching that people have to concisely and seriously follow. Unlike Christianity, where we actually have to perform good deeds in order to attain eternal happiness: heaven. Religion is based on a set of beliefs and practices that is agreed by a number of persons. Also, according to Victoria, Confucians do not believe and worship any god. Therefore, Confucianism is not a religious practice.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of the above :D. Confucianism is most deffenitly a philosophical matter. The ideas and terms to abide by for Confucaists(?) are great for any walk of life. I almost think of these words of wisdom as fortunes from a fortune cookie they are very insiteful to the human's life. They also describe the "golden rule" from the Catholic's. This is a great way to live but is honostly not a religion.
ReplyDeleteAs Victoria mentioned above, Confucianism has no god, which makes it hard to classify it was a religion, only because when I think of religion I incorporate it with having a god. Even though Buddhism has no god and is regarded as a religion, I can see why Confucianism would be considered a religion. But in my eyes its a philosophy, because its main teachings is to think in a whole new way into the lives of people, instead of preaching about god.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Confucianism is primarily a philosophy as this is what it seems Confucius intended it to be. Confucius's ideas were not introduced in order to establish another religion, yet were general studies on bettering government and humans in general. However, people who have took his thoughts after his death then used them and expanded them to form the basis of a religion that is generally applicable to anyone. People always find solace in the idea of a "religion" when generally all they are doing is attempting to reach their personal connection and grasp on concepts beyond human explanation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Caitlin that Confucius's studies are concepts that can easily be noted as great ideas for all of humanity. Therefore, it seems odd that anyone can practice and abide by these philosophical concepts established by Confucius, yet not even necessarily refer to themselves as a Confucian.
Clearly, Confucianism is a philosophy that all can follow but has gradually developed into a formal religion based on wise thoughts and concepts of living. Religion itself, however, is generally a philosophy. So my answer is that Confucianism is a philosophy that others began to use as a basis for a prominent religion, yet the ideas of it remain such noble and applicable ideals that everyone can clearly find use in them.
I believer Confucianism like everyone else is more a philosophy than a religion. Confucius proclaimed his teachings a philosophical way in saying to learn means to discover what it is to be human. He believed all men and women should have the ideal knowledge to become a chun-tzu meaning a "mature" person with a perfect moral character. He also encourages proper behavior "li" by encouraging people to have respect and integrity to represent one's place in society. Confucianism has a primary goal in creating a good government for society. It is important to have a unified society r by commiting to understand the nature of learning. It does not relate to any spiritual practices in trying to find your inner self or worshiping other gods.
ReplyDeleteWhen considering if Confucianism is a religion, it depends on what your definition of "religion" is. Religion has many different definitions but is mainly defined as having a set of beliefs, then following and sticking to those beliefs. There aren't many definitions that say religion HAS to have a god. People who follow Confucianism don't believe in heaven or hell and just concern themselves with their lives, not what happens after death. Confucianism is just concerned with moral values. I honestly think it's split in the middle, they do have characteristics that puts Confucianism as a religion, but it can also easily be a philosophy. It all depends on opinions, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteConfucianism - "The political morality taught by Confucius and his disciples, which forms the basis of the Chinese jurisprudence and education." That is a/one definition of Confucianism.
ReplyDeletePhilosophy - the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language, or
doctrine: a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school
the rational investigation of questions about existence and knowledge and ethics
any personal belief about how to live or how to deal with a situation
I believe that Confucianism is a philosophy more than a religion. If you look up some Confucianism quotes, they deal with life in general. The human mind. His quotes deal with topics like friendship, humility, anger, faith, respect,crimes, etc.
I.E: "Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes." - Crimes
"When anger rises, think of the consequences." - Anger
"Have no friends not equal to yourself." - Friendship.
As mostly everyone said, Confucianism does not worship a god, but who's to say that we make the criteria for a religion? Supposedly the IRS made a criteria for a religion.
I.E.: a distinct legal existence, a recognized creed and form of worship,ordained ministers selected after completing prescribed studies,etc.
Obviously Confucianism doesn't meet that criteria. But like I said, who's to say that we make a criteria to religion?
I think I wrote too much but this was an interesting topic.
In my opinion, Confucianism is a philosophy, but I can see why people would call it a religion.
I also think Confucianism is a philosophy. Confucius never talked about doing anything for God or anything spiritual at all in his teachings . Although Buddhism didnt follow a God it was focusing on a persons spiritual being. Confucius' main goal was to creatsocial system based on morale and virtue.
ReplyDeleteAs pretty much everyone else has already said, i believe Confucianism is a philosophy for people to live by rather than a religion. Religions have philosophies in them, and i think philosophies are just a part of what a whole religion is. In my opinion a religion is the belief in a God and the philosophies that the God wants his people to live bye. That is why i believe Confucianism is a philosophy rather than a religion.
ReplyDeleteI say Confucianism is a religion. Religion based on what you beleive and how you choose to live by. You don't need to have a god in order to have a religion. Religions focus on how you should live, and try to instruct it by saying thats what god would want. So in a way, all religions can be philosophy since it gives us a moral code. So I think that if everything else can qualify as a religion, then Confucianism should too.
ReplyDeleteOk, let me start off by saying that I have very little window of understanding on how Confucianism operates. However, through my little window I can see many of the essential elements of Confucianism. One basic fact is that Confucianism is essentially composed of many brief proverbs that cover almost every aspect of human life. Although this may seem contradictory to many of the comments stated before me, I believe that Confucianism CAN IN FACT be considered a religion, and in my eyes it IS a religion.
ReplyDeleteWhy? You may ask. I can provide you with a simple answer.
The definition of "Religion" varies from person to person. However, one aspect remains the same, all religions provide a "code of conduct" that humans should live by.
Take a look at Catholicism and Christianity. They are the two most widely practiced religions in the entire world, yet when looked at from a distance, it is essentially a guide for living life. The stories within the Bible all have their own morals, many of the stories in the old testament can be interpreted to have a morals. For example, the story of Joseph is a story of forgiveness. Even though Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, he still forgave them in their time of need. The moral of the story is that to move forward, we must not let past events consume us. The entire New Testament that can be broken down into three simple words. The Golden Rule.
Now let's take a look at Confucianism. Confucianism at its very core is an attempt to dissect and improve on humanity. This is why Confucianism covers such diverse topics. One proverb can provide words of wisdom in economics, while another could speak of friendship.
All-in-all, religions all strive for the betterment of Humanity, and Confucianism is no exception.
phew... finally, took me forever to think of a way to get my thoughts into words... hopefully I didn't confuse you :P
btw justin i was actually about to start my post the same way you started yours xD by stating definitions for stuff. thank god i didn't xD i would've looked like a copycat. great minds think alike :]
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nicole. I think that Confucianism is due to the fact that its followers do have a certain beliefs. Who are we to tell somebody that their religion is not valid? I think the fact that Confucianism does not concern itself with an afterlife is somewhat strange to us today and that is why we look at it differently. Also like Nicole said, the definition of religion has nothing to do with a gods. It all centers around something that Confucianism has, a strong set of beliefs.
ReplyDeleteSteven P, I agree with you with the moral of stories and how Confucianism is an attempt to dissect and improve humanity.
ReplyDeleteBut I don't see how the moral of stories have to do anything with religion? I don't want to be a hypocrite and say something that I might regret. I guess I'm one of those people who have the mindset that you need a "god" to be considered a religion. I hate believing in that, but I can't lie.
So, if you will, please explain how morals connect with religion, and can I get your views on your definition of a religion?
Let's have some fun
darn... i guess my explanation wasn't good enough.
ReplyDeleteVery well Justin, I will try to explain more thoroughly. When i hear the word religion I immediately think "morals" (well... that and Jesus) because isn't that what almost every religion in the world emphasizes? Christianity and Catholicism share the same sacred text, the Bible. But when you think about it... what is the Bible? Why was it written? Why do people still read it (other than for entertainment)? And why, out of every other book in the world, was this book chosen as the sacred text.
Well, I'll try to explain it in as few words as possible. There is one reason, off the top of my head, as to why the Bible was written. The main purpose of the Bible is to provide the reader with a sense of Justice, Kindness, Humility and all the essential human emotions that can positively influence society's disposition towards the reader.
Doesn't Confucianism accomplish the same purpose?
Hmm, that is also very true.
ReplyDeleteI forgot about the Bible and it's sacredness(?)
But (all in my opinion) religion isn't just morals. Look at the Bible again, it talks about Jesus' life and how the world was created. I know that Jesus spoke in parables and it had a deeper meaning, and it is very true about the Golden Rule.
But isn't all that just philosophical? It deals with the life; that is a very vague (and general) statement, but it is very true. Confucianism deals with life, humility, respect, (scroll up because I'm not retyping this) and Christianity, I think, deals how God and Jesus will save us all. That may not be entirely true but you know what I mean.
I'm just saying that stories about justice, kindness, forgiveness, etc. has more of a philosophical point of view.
Like everyone else, I also believe that Confucianism is more of a philosophy than a religion. The reason being is that Confucius was not concerned with religion while he was creating his teachings. He was thinking more in terms of a way to better oneself and the community. He created a set of guidelines on how to live a humble and peaceful life. While Confucius may have made an extremely motivating and even revolutionary set of guidelines on how to live a humble life, I would not personally consider it to be a religion.
ReplyDeleteSorry, my blogs are always late. And after Steven P.'s too haha
ReplyDeleteI did the reading, and I think that Confucianism is a philosophy more than a religion. I am still at the borderline, since I am confused, but here are some reasons why:
1. There's nobody to worship. What is a religion without a God? It's understandable to have multiple, but this religion doesn't have any.
2. The teachings of Confucianism seems like it's just a law of morality, and how to treat others. It mostly relates to kindergarteners, politicians, parents, workers, etc to worship.
3. A religion is "a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.", stated by dictionary.reference.com. And Confucianism is basically a ethical system that demonstrates how you should act toward others, and why you should love each other. Both are somewhat different from the other's definition.
I personally believe that it depends on the person and how they observe it. For an example, if you are atheist and don't believe in a God, you might look at Confucianism for "well-being". But, if you worship the teachings of Confuscus (sp?), and memorize the details, and do it on a daily lifestyle, then it can be considered a religion. But to me, it's definitely a philosophy. No questions asked.
Oh, I guess I took too long to write that out. And oops, I didn't see Justin's post! Sorry I didn't mean to copy. =X
ReplyDeletewell it wasn't copying if you didn't know it was copying! - steven p
ReplyDeleteBut don't do it again!
"But isn't all that just philosophical? It deals with the life; that is a very vague (and general) statement, but it is very true. Confucianism deals with life, humility, respect, (scroll up because I'm not retyping this) and Christianity, I think, deals how God and Jesus will save us all. That may not be entirely true but you know what I mean."
ReplyDeleteI think i just beat you at your own game :] You stated that the stories about justice, kindness, forgiveness, etc. has more of a philosophical point of view. You also stated that Christianity deals with how God and Jesus will save us all.
But... what is God? I know that sounds rather paradoxical but I'll try to explain my point of view.
In my opinion the Christian/Catholic view of God is somewhat... misguided? (I don't know if that's the right word, but anyway, listen carefully to what I'm about to say.) In the Bible it states that God loves you, but if you don't act morally Just He will utterly forsake you at the end of time and you will be sent to hell for eternity. Wow, that sounds really intense right? I think that's what was intended.
Listen to why. I think that the writers of the Bible had written a "code of conduct" because they realized that the world was in a state of disarray and in need of intervention. However, if you simply posted a set of guidelines on the town wall for people to follow who would follow it? That's where God comes in, God is the enforcer, he is the figure that is able to instill fear into people to the point where they WANT to follow those rules. Simply look at all the "God Fearing People" they all believe that if they don't do good things they won't be accepted into Heaven.
Then again, it's just a theory I came up with. (or at least... i think I came up with it)
sorry justin.. i knda tiptoed around the question. i would get back on track and actually answer the question but as of right now... i'm too tired. so i'm going to bed :P goodnight all!
ReplyDeleteas everyone said, confucanism; in my opinion is a philosophy not a religion. To have a religion, you kind of need a leader or a God. Also, Confucius never really shared about religion. But after reading all the great answers, I am staring to think that it could be a religion too. it is true, that a religion is a belief that you live by. I honestly think it could go either way. :)
ReplyDelete