Explanation:
A statue of an old man with a long beard and a blue sky China.Confucius was a great teacher, philosopher and politician. Photo by ErikaWittlieb / CC BY
Whether Confucianism actually is a religion or not is debatable, since it does not have any priests or churches. Nevertheless, it has continued to affect the lives of Asian people to this day. The system gives advice on how societies should be run, how people should live their lives and how relationships should be maintained. It stresses hierarchy, social harmony, group orientation and respect for elders – all aspects of Chinese, Japanese and Korean culture that are still very much alive.
The teachings of Confucianism consist of several principles or virtues, and some of the most notable ones are ren, li, zhong, and xiao. Ren deals with humaneness and kindness to others, li, rites, focuses on politeness and understanding everybody’s correct place in the social hierarchy, zhong deals with loyalty to one’s superiors and xiao, filial piety, promotes respect towards your elders, both the living and the dead. Together these virtues govern people’s everyday lives
