Confucian Thought

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the history of Confucian thought. The paper explains Confucius' theory that advocated the creation of a common community of moral teaching, rather than stressing the individual in isolation. It suggest that his influence is felt in the modern educational system today and describes ways in which this is true. The paper also explains the background of many of the cliches about Confucian thought that we have in society today.

From the Paper:

"According to the Confucian scholar Tu Wei-ming, Confucius even has a great deal to say to persons involved in the modern debates revolving around multiculturalism. Despite Confucius' place in his own Chinese tradition as a transmitter of culture and a teacher of long-shared values, Wei-ming stresses that "to truly find one's roots, to find inspiration in one's ethnicity and cultural tradition, one must go beyond a closed ethnocentrism or a narrowly conceived culturalism," because cultivation of li, or right teaching is never mere-navel gazing. It is locating the immediate and ancestral family and tradition as part of a greater world community. (Wei-ming, 2006) Knowing family history alone is not enough. Rather, a student must know the collective history of the nation and the world, to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, and to replicate the right moral teachings of his or her ancestors. This is underlined in every good civics class in America today, even if avoiding historical mistakes can be difficult."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Wei-ming, Tu. "Core Values in Confucian Thought." Lecture to Trinity College. [22 Oct 2006] <http://www.trinity.edu/rnadeau/FYS/Tu%20Wei-ming.htm>

More papers on Confucian Thought:

• Analytical Essay # 136059 : "Confucian Thought"
• Analytical Essay # 141349 : "On Confucian Ethics For The 21st Century"
• Analytical Essay # 140310 : "Family in Confucian Thought"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: