Kogi State University Anyigba, P.M.B 1008
Faculty: Arts and Humanity,
Department: Philosophy and Religious Studies.
Name: HASSAN YAHAYA
Matric No.: 12PR 1294
Course Code: Phil 410
Course Title: Oriental Philosophy
Assignment Question: Discuss the basic tenets of Confucianism. In which ways has it Contributed to the Chinese society?
Lecturer: Dr. John I. Ebeh

Introduction:
Confucianism is the traditional philosophy of the Chinese people and also a religion, mainly an ethical system or moral philosophy, named after its founder, Confucius (K’ung-Fu-Tzu), who was born in 551 B.C and died 479 B.C. it is not based on any metaphysical concept like the Taoism; it is the least metaphysical and the more practical of the Eastern philosophies considered. Confucius was a contemporary philosopher and also a contemporary Buddha. Below are the basic tenets of Confucianism; 1. Confucius never aimed at teaching anything new or founding anything new to the system; his aim was to simply give a re-interpretation and transmit to posterity the wisdom of the ancients. Thus he says and I quotes;
“I communicate and do not invent. I have faith in antiquity and consecrate all my efforts to its cause”. The center of Confucius teaching is the concept of Jen, which has variously translated as human-heartedness (Derk Bodde, Fung Yu-lan), that by which a man is to be a man(Chan), the virtue of perfect humanity (Wei), compassion (Lin Yutang), and man – to – manness (E.R. Hughes). Jen is that which distinguishes man from animas and all the virtues, like reciprocity, loyalty, trustworthiness and courage, are expressions of it. 2. Confucius was a great lover of tradition and have great reverence for the wisdom of the ancients 3. Confucianism liberates china from the period of socio-political upheaval and moral degeneration. This he achieved after devoting sometime to the study of antiquity and after a period of political career then become an itinerant teacher of moral philosophy. 4. Traditional morality and respect for the wisdom of the ancients were discarded and Confucius was a moral reformer who felt that the remedy for the moral degeneration was a revival of the traditional morality.
Confucian moral philosophy is embodied in the type of person he imagined as the ideal man, the perfect gentleman or the “the superior man”. This (imaginary) ideal man is the man in whom all the qualities of Confucian moral philosophy are embodied. He is a man of principle who knows how to respond to every situation in life and how to adapt himself to various circumstances like a perfect gentleman. He maintains his inner tranquility and remains undisturbed b the vicissitudes of life. He is a man who embodied fidelity, diligence, and modesty in his character, h is not proud but humble, and simple. He exemplifies piety and generosity and sees the good parts in other people. He is egoistic, not self centered, but sensitive to the needs and wellbeing of others. He is not biased, but broadminded, and the motivating force of his actions is not what will pay, but what is right. He is a man of many words but a man of action who is slow to speak but quick to act. He is worm in manner, dignified in comportment, faithful in his speech, and delight in his works and amiable in his relations with other people. If he makes any mistake, he admits his error. He is above all a man who loves his fellow men. Love, according to him, should be prized above all other virtues. Love, he says, is the test of greatness and wisdom. “Short of love, is superior man worthy of name? Not for one moment may he sin against love, neither under provocation nor in excitement, nor even when utterly opposed”. “A heart set on fire will do no wrong”. Thus, Confucianism gives love a central place in his ethics. (Omeregbe 69) 5. Like Aristotle in the west, and Buddha, his Indian contemporary, Confucius also maintains that virtue lies in the midway between two extremes. A virtues man, says Confucius, avoids extremes and maintains a balance in his actions. “He does what is right in the situation he finds himself, he does not exceeds this “. Both excess and defect are vices; a virtues man neither exceeds nor falls short of what is the right and proper thing to do in any given situation. 6. Confucianism has as optimistic view of human nature. Man is good by nature, human nature is intrinsically good, he said. All men are endowed by nature with tendency towards goodness and a feeling of goodness. All men have virtues within them, for virtues are innate in men. Hence, virtues do not come from outside men but are within him. He also taught the golden rule: “what you do not want others to do to yourself do not do to others”. “Wishing to stand yourself, help others to stand”. (Omoregbe 7o).
The contribution of Confucianism to the Chinese society
Confucianism has contributed to the Chinese philosophy and society immensely; these contributions are out listed below; 1. Confucianism attempted to organize the wisdom of the ancient time into a more orderly system around the sixth century B.C. 2. Confucianism sought to restore peace and harmony among men and order of nature during the period of unrest and confusion. 3. Confucianism revised and systematized the earlier classics. He was an able teacher and administrator, with a practical turn of mind, more interested in helping his people live well than in considering speculative questions. The teachings of Confucius were affirmed by Mencius (Meng-Tzu), a Chinese philosopher who lived in a century later. 4. Confucianism was known as the Chinese ideals for twenty five centuries and has been influential in the development of Chinese culture. 5. Examinations in the Confucian classics were the basis of appointment to the civil services until 1905.
Conclusion
In the above write-up, the basic tenet of Confucianism has contributed immensely to the Chinese philosophy and tradition intellectually, socially, politically, economically and otherwise.
WORK CITED 1. Omoregbe Joseph. Knowing Philosophy, A General Introduction ; Lagos, Joja Press Limited Maryland, (1990). 2. Harold H. Titus. Living Issues In Philosophy: An Introductory Textbook; Fifth Edition: New York, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company.