Sometimes viewed as a philosophy, sometimes as a religion, Confucianism is perhaps best understood as an all-encompassing humanism that is compatible with other forms of religion.
Confucianism concerns itself primarily with ethical principles and does not address many traditional religious beliefs. These are generally provided by Chinese religion, Taoism, Buddhism, or other religion which Confucians follow.
However, Confucius regarded Heaven (T'ien) as a positive and personal force in the universe; he was not, as some have supposed, an agnostic or a skeptic. He also taught a highly optimistic view of human nature and potential.
The primary purpose of Confucianism is to achieve harmony, the most important social value. It strongly emphasizes:
- Mercy
- Social order
- Fulfillment of Responsibilities
This is achieved by everyone having well defined roles and acting towards others in a proper way.
“Ren” is the central ethical principle, and is equivalent to the concepts of love, mercy, and humanity. It is best explicated by Confucius in the following statement: “Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.” This ethical principle is further strengthened by the Buddhist tradition that merit is accumulated by doing merciful acts, which leads to a better next life through reincarnation.
In Confucianism, social harmony is the ultimate goal of every follower. This means that everyone must know their place in the social order. Relationships among different groups of people, is key in Confucianism. The five cardinal relations include: Ruler and subject; father and son; husband and wife, elder and younger brother, friend to friend. These bonds are categorized in ways that show respect and obedience from one group to the next. It is greatly emphasized that family is the center of everything and comes before the individual person.
There are five virtues taught in Confucianism.
- Ren, which is humaneness; Humaneness can be defined as the quality of compassion for others, which can include both people and animals.
- Yi, which means honesty and righteousness.
- Li, which means propriety and correct behavior.
- Zhi, which stands for wisdom or knowledge.
- Xin, which stands for fidelity and sincerity.
These five virtues teach the followers of Confucianism the basic ideas about how a person should behave. In Confucianism, the acts of everyday life can be considered practices/rituals.
Sources:
http://www.ibiblio.org/chinesehistory/contents/02cul/c04s04.html#Relationships
https://geriatrics.stanford.edu/ethnomed/chinese/fund/beliefs.html
http://www.religionfacts.com/a-z-religion-index/confucianism.htm