Confucius Life Philosiphy

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state followed ideology during the Han dynasty.1
When studying the religion and philosophy of Confucius, one must have a clear understanding of the books he wrote. The Five Classics were from the period preceding the Warring States Period. They were brought together and edited by the members of Confucius’ original school. Once Confucianism was made China’s official philosophy, a person had to study these five books in order to gain a prized governmental position. Saying that there are only five classics is a bit of a misstatement. There are five classics and an extra book written by Confucius that is usually lumped in with the traditional Five Classics. That book is Lunyu, or The Analects. The Analects is a collection of little bits of wisdom that Confucius gave his disciples. However, the book is not a comprehensive “bible” of Confucianism. It is a collection of quotations, anecdotes, and wisdoms. Due to this fact, Confucianism, at least according ...

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Documents. The Shu Jing is a collection of documents that allegedly go back to the Shang dynasty, the first historical dynasty of China. This can be disputed, but that is not the most important fact about the book. The reason Shu Jing is important is that it is the first work of history and political science in the history of China. It shows history taking place due to the process of changes. It treats history as a tool with which mankind can reflect on past events and learn from past mistakes or triumphs. This book also introduced the Mandate of Heaven. The Mandate of Heaven states that Heaven chooses who it wants to rule according to his virtue. Even though it was usually ...

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