Author Question: What is Confucianism? How did it influence the Chinese state and society? Indicate whether this ... (Read 59 times)

asan beg

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 570
What is Confucianism? How did it influence the Chinese state and society?
 
  Indicate whether this statement is true or false.

Question 2

It is estimated that about 500,000 illegal immigrants make their way into Europe each year.
 
  Indicate whether this statement is true or false.



akudia

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 347
Answer to Question 1

Confucius (Kongzi) was a scholar who lived from 551 to 479 BCE, during a time of civil war. He and his followers looked back to a mythical Golden Age when China was imagined to have been unified and free of conflict. Confucius advocated a way to return to such a situation of stability. His teachings advocated maintenance of a society in which people were not equal; rather, each individual was part of a status network set according to family, profession, or other attributes. An individual's relationships to superiors and subordinates were governed by a complex set of obligations and responsibilities. Superiors could expect subordinates to fulfill obligationsbut they also had to discharge their own clearly mandated responsibilities to their subordinates.
Confucianism held that social stability would be maintained by upholding particular codes of conduct towards one's superiors, one's subordinates, and to the community at large. For example, a particularly effective institution was the baojia system, in which family members were collectively held responsible for all members' behavior. If one family member was accused of violating the law or behavioral norms, the punishmenteven executioncould be meted out to a specified number of generations of the individual's family, including several degrees of cousins. In the absence of extensive central government involvement in local affairs, this and other Confucian measures effectively overcame the potential for political chaos in Imperial Chinaeven though it clearly came at the cost of suppressing individual freedom.
The Confucian system went far beyond the family: the very same sets of obligations and responsibilities extended to the relationship between the emperor and his subjects, as well as between the Middle Kingdom and its vassal states. As long as the emperor and his dynasty remained strong and cohesive, the idea of social hierarchy that was central to Confucian cultural identity generated tremendous political cohesion throughout the empire. As a result, China exhibited far less social and political unrest than was the case in Europeeven though the Chinese state was not strong, according to our modern definition of state strength. This form of cultural identity directly shaped Chinese politics for almost 3,000 years, from the midseventh century BCE until 1911.

Answer to Question 2

True



Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question
 

Did you know?

Blastomycosis is often misdiagnosed, resulting in tragic outcomes. It is caused by a fungus living in moist soil, in wooded areas of the United States and Canada. If inhaled, the fungus can cause mild breathing problems that may worsen and cause serious illness and even death.

Did you know?

Earwax has antimicrobial properties that reduce the viability of bacteria and fungus in the human ear.

Did you know?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released reports detailing the deaths of infants (younger than 1 year of age) who died after being given cold and cough medications. This underscores the importance of educating parents that children younger than 2 years of age should never be given over-the-counter cold and cough medications without consulting their physicians.

Did you know?

It is believed that humans initially contracted crabs from gorillas about 3 million years ago from either sleeping in gorilla nests or eating the apes.

Did you know?

An identified risk factor for osteoporosis is the intake of excessive amounts of vitamin A. Dietary intake of approximately double the recommended daily amount of vitamin A, by women, has been shown to reduce bone mineral density and increase the chances for hip fractures compared with women who consumed the recommended daily amount (or less) of vitamin A.

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library