Confucianism

Confucianism includes philosophical, social, political and religious dimensions. It developed over many centuries and should not be reduced to one fixed doctrine or solely to the historical teachings of Confucius.

Confucius

Ethical thinker · Traditionally 551–479 BCE · Ethics, moral cultivation, education, ritual, government and social relationships

Confucius was an ancient Chinese teacher and thinker whose teachings became foundational to Confucian ethics, education and political thought.

Mencius

Ethical thinker · Traditionally c. 372–289 BCE · Confucian ethics, human nature, moral psychology and political philosophy

Mencius was an influential Confucian philosopher who argued that human beings possess natural beginnings of compassion and moral virtue that require cultivation.

Mencius and the Child at the Well

Mencius · Mencius 2A:6

Does spontaneous compassion show that human nature is fundamentally good?

The People Are More Important Than the Ruler

Mencius · Mencius 7B:14

Does a ruler lose legitimacy when government seriously harms or abandons the people?

Government Through Virtue

The Analects · Analects 2.3

Can good leadership replace enforceable laws and institutional accountability?

Learning and Repeated Practice

The Analects · Analects 1.1

Does education produce virtue, or can knowledge remain separate from ethical conduct?

Reciprocity and Treatment of Others

The Analects · Analects 15.24

Is personal preference a sufficient guide for deciding how other people should be treated?