confucianism was confucianism a faith research

Eastern Religious beliefs, Chinese Philosophy, Philosophy Of faith, Taoism

Research from Analysis Paper:

In the previously mentioned quotation Tucker has obviously stated the concept of imminence and transcendence, which are regarded as essential areas of the Traditional western definition of religious beliefs, are not very easily discernable inside the philosophy of Confucianism. On the other hand Tucker makes a valid point, in that there may be many different landscapes of what religion is and how it truly is experienced by different ethnicities may differ as well. It is from this sense that Tucker goes on to substantiate her claim to get the religious nature of Confucianism simply by stating that, “Thus, We am suggesting instead the idea of cosmology and farming as a mutually interacting dialectic at the heart with the Confucian custom. This dialectic occurs in the threefold romance of paradise, earth, and human beings. inch

4. Confucianism as a Practical Philosophy

Much less convulsed and complex is the more approved view that Confucianism is rather a form of ethical and pragmatic philosophy. Approximately this point we have seen just how many scholars have labeled Confucianism like a philosophy rather than religion. The main reason for this is that it does not tension the values of great imminence and transcendence which can be integral to traditional Traditional western views of faith.

Many scholars and commentators see a marked difference between religion and philosophy in this philosophy bargains essentially with existential and human-centered inquiries, while faith deals with these types of questions although firstly concentrates on the unnatural and non-humanistic reality. Confucianism therefore has a tendency to fall into the category of logical and moral philosophy.

The view outside the window that Confucian is a practical philosophy that is certainly mainly worried about social and individual honnête and integrity can be seen in the views of pragmatic philosophers like Dewey. Stephens says in a examine entitled CONFUCIANISM, PRAGMATISM, AND SOCIALLY EFFECTIVE PHILOSOPHY there is a close likeness between philosophical pragmatism and Confucianism.

This may lead to the 1st relevant similarity between Confucianism and pragmatism: The idea that beliefs and expertise must be concerned with the sensible conditions of human your life. Much like Dewey, Confucius sees that philosophic pursuits must not be simply ends in themselves, but rather a method toward setting up a more favorable community

This perspective in effect take into account a very diverse view of Confucianism than that proposed by Tucker. This view links Confucianism with the idea of a philosophy that deals with the “practical circumstances of man life. “

Stephens goes on to state that; “According to Confucius, the purpose of philosophic thought and knowledge was your improvement with the human condition through the farming of the individual. inch

This is very very much in line with the pragmatic, humanistic philosophy of Dewy and others.

In this regard we could refer to Dewey’s understanding of religious beliefs. As Hall and Ames (2003) take note, “Dewey’s understanding of religion begins from cultural practices which in turn, when they achieve a certain width and depth of that means, reveal a spiritual sensibility that connects a cultured man community more profoundly to the natural community. “

Quite simply, the view of faith that Dewy has, and which can be linked to Confucianism is that;

Dewey’s feeling of religion needs no perception in a unnatural supreme staying: “Nature, since the object of knowledge, is capable penalized the source of constant very good and a rule of life, and thus has every one of the properties and the functions that the Jewish-Christian traditions attributed to God. “

This is certainly a informing reference and leads Situasi, and Ames to suggest that, “The core of Confucianism is humanism”

This would mean that Confucianism would be seen as a pragmatic philosophy or maybe a form of seglar religion, which in turn would be out of line with more classic conceptions of religion.

5. Bottom line

In conclusion, it is very difficult to decide to provide virtually any definitive solution to this query. As has been demonstrated in this conversation, the comprehension of whether Confucianism is a philosophy or a religious beliefs is obscured and problematized by different perceptions and interpretations with the meaning and nature of religion that have that must be taken into account; for instance , Tuckers look at that there have been a possible contortion of model of Confucianism by American critics. This is certainly countered by others who also state clearly and categorically that Confucianism is a pragmatic philosophy and never a religion per se. This also is linked by some college students to the style of pragmatic seglar religion which has been popularized by Dewey and others. In a more contemporary and postmodern context we now have the view that critiques most modern humanistic religions since not being true to the view of faith as essentially transcendent.

Based on the materials one could generate a case for Confucianism while both a philosophy and a religion – but yet again this would depend on the definition of terms.

Inside the final analysis you should take pay attention to of authorities like Liu Shu-hsien, Ruben Berthrong and Leonard Swidler (2003). They refer to good aspects of this kind of debate because they notice it as opening a much required dialogue among Western and Eastern points-of-view. “there may not be new dialogues with no new techniques joining record of more mature debating among Confucians and Western philosophers and theologians. “

Consist of word, the debate regarding whether Confucianism is a religious beliefs or a philosophy open up aspects of potentially fruitful discussion and forces all of us to reexamine and issue our preconceptions and interpretations about religious beliefs and beliefs.

Works Mentioned

“Confucianism. inch Columbia Electric Encyclopedia, sixth Edition, 2009

Hall, David L., and Roger Capital t. Ames. “Chapter 5 A Pragmatist Knowledge of Confucian Democracy. ” Confucianism for today’s world. Ed. Daniel A. Bell and Hahm Chaibong. ( Cambridge, England: Cambridge School Press, 2003): 124-160.

McMurrin, Sterling M. Religion, Purpose, and Truth: Historical Essays in the Idea of Religion. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1982. Questia. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.

Shu-hsien Liu, Berthrong Ruben and Leonard Swidler. CONTEMPORARY

CONFUCIANISM AND WESTERN LIFESTYLE. Leonard, Log of Cooperative Studies, 45. 1 . ( 2003)

Stephens D. “CONFUCIANISM, PRAGMATISM, AND SOCIALLY USEFUL

PHILOSOPHY, “Journal of Chinese Philosophy thirty four. 3 (2009): 53-67.

Tucker, Mary Evelyn. “Religious Measurements of Confucianism: Cosmology and Cultivation. ” Philosophy East West forty eight. 1 (1998): 5-45.

“World Religion: Variety of Faith. inch The New Catastrophe Nov. -Dec. 1999: thirty-three.

Yu, Bingyi, and Zhaolu Lu. “Confucianism and Modernity-Insights from an Interview with Tu Wei-Ming. inch China Assessment International 7. 2 (2000): 377..

“World Religion: Range of Faith. inch The New Turmoil Nov. -Dec. 1999: 33.

Confucianism. Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Model, 2009

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Bingyi Yu, Bingyi, and Zhaolu Lu. “Confucianism and Modernity-Insights coming from an Interview with Tu Wei-Ming. ” China and tiawan Review Worldwide 7. a couple of (2000): 377.

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David L. Hall, and Roger