Consequently a modern, broadly educated Confucianist finds himself in an anomalous position. Confucius reached ultimate wisdom by the study of the best that had been attained before his day. Another element of weakness is its excessive dependence upon the past. The spirit of democracy is a deadly foe to Confucianism. The essential weaknesses of the Confucian system of ethics lie in its sectional and personal loyalties and its monarchical basis. These ethics have grown out of a long and, in some respects, a sound experience. In writings which are virtually the scriptures of the Chinese people Confucius and his successors have set forth the principles which should govern the life of a people who recognize this spiritual universe and system. Viewed from another angle, Confucianism is an elaborate system of ethics. So thoroughly has this idea been adopted by the Chinese people that every one joins in forcing an individual, however reluctant or careless, to perform his part of each ceremony as it has been ordered from high antiquity.
If any one failed to do his part, the whole universe would suffer. These duties and rights, as they affected the individual, were not only expressed in law but were embodied in ceremony and music, in daily religious life and practice in such a way that each individual had reason to feel that he was a functioning agent in this grand Confucian universe. Each of the deities in the various ranks had duties to those above and rights with reference to those below. Under Shang Ti were the five cosmic emperors, one for each of the four quarters and one for heaven above, under whom were the gods of the soil, the mountains, rivers, seas, stars, the sun and moon, the ancestors and the gods of special groups. This hierarchy was developed along the lines of the organization mentioned above. Just as Confucianism related the family to the village, the village to the district, and the district to the state, so it organized the spiritual world into a hierarchy with Shang Ti as its head. It took for granted this spiritual-unspiritual background of animism, ancestor-worship and Taoism, but reshaped and adapted it as a whole so that it might fit into that proper organization of the state and nation which was one of its great objectives. Thus surrounding the average Chinese peasant there is a densely populated spirit world affecting in all kinds of ways his, daily existence.Ĭonfucianism brought organization into these hazy conceptions of life and duty. There are spirits which are mere animations, occasional spirits, associated with objects crossing the interests of men, but not constant enough to attain a definite, independent life as spiritual beings.
Some of them may have been incarnated in the lives of great leaders. There are other spirits which mirror the ideals of the groups by which they are worshipped. These spirits to the Chinese mind, of today are a projection, a sort of spiritual counterpart, of the many sided interests, practical or otherwise, of the groups and communities by whom they are worshipped. There are spirits which are guardians of the soil, tree spirits, mountain demons, fire gods, the spirits of animals, of mountains, of rivers, seas and stars, of the heavenly bodies and of many forms of active life. The Chinese believe in a surrounding-world of spirits, whose origin is exceedingly various. The high religious ideals of the earlier Taoist mystics were abandoned for a search after the elixir of life during fruitless journeys to the isles of the Immortals which were supposed to be in the Eastern Sea. At the same time Taoism had become a veritable jumble of meaningless and superstitious rites which served to support a horde of ignorant, selfish priests. Confucianism lost its hold as the complete solution of the problems of life. The sigid Confucian regulations became burdensome to the people who ceased to respect their leaders. The great increase of wealth and power under this dynasty led to a gradual deterioration in the character of the rulers and officials. It reproduced the classics destroyed in the previous dynasty and encouraged their study it established the state worship of Confucius it based its laws and regulations upon the ideals and principles advocated by Confucius.
D.) established a government founded on Confucianism. The introduction and spread of Buddhism were hastened by the decline of Confucianism and Taoism.
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