Confucius’ relevance in 21st century

Confucianism is a methodology of behaviour and thought, which originated in ancient China. Throughout history, it has been coined as a tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a political ideology, or simply a way of life. It has submerged the domain of Eastern philosophy to this day. This poses the question- Why is the influence of a scholar who died nearly 3,000 years ago still experienced in the boardrooms, and classrooms of the world’s most populous country. In order to explore the relevance of this philosophical denomination, we must pay heed to the eponymous figure Confucius.

Little is known about this philosopher whose golden nuggets of wisdom formed the basis of China’s handbook on government and its code of individual morality for many millennia. The sparse knowledge that we do have is brimming with contradiction and myths.

Confucius was said to have been born in China in 551 B.C. He began government service through various roles, one of which was Minister of crime. A fallout with the current Duke, due to thinking the Duke’s actions heavily crossed the brink of impropriety, led to Confucius leaving court. He tried for years to re-enter public service in order to improve it from within, but he found far greater success as a teacher instead. Confucius broke with tradition in his belief that all human beings could benefit from education. He espoused lifelong learning “for the sake of the self,” meaning self-knowledge and self-improvement. His students composed his works and teachings into ‘The Analects’- a collection of ethical concepts. These were the collection of teachings recorded by his followers. One of these notable teachings was his version of the golden rule ‘Do not do unto others what you don’t want one to yourself.’

Confucius stated that the act of ceremony is important. He valued ritual propriety (Li). Traditionally Li denoted court rites that were performed to safeguard cosmic and social order. Followers of Confucianism, however, reinterpreted it to mean formal social roles and institutions that, in their view, the ancients had abstracted from cosmic models to order communal life. From customary patterns, li came to mean conventional norms, yielding a new concept of an internalised code of civility that defined proper human conduct. Nowadays this may be seen through western eyes, as a very conservative and obsolete idea. Though many of us may unconsciously long for rituals, such as a yearly birthday outing or even wedding vows. We understand that certain premeditated, meticulous, and deliberate gestures stir our emotions deeply. Rituals improve the clarity of our intentions and help us conduct behaviour.

Confucianism also heavily reinforces the idea of filial piety- it is a highly important and central Confucian virtue in social ethics. This refers to treating parents with reverence, honour and respect. The message is to obey them when young, care for them when old, and mourn them when they pass away. Confucius advocated the idea that that moral life begins within the family.

In addition,Confucius was adamant about the universal wisdom that comes from years of hard work and reflection. He strenuously felt that cultivated knowledge is more significant than quick bursts of ideas. He names benevolence (Rei), ritual propriety (Li), Righteousness ( Yi), Wisdom (Zhi) and integrity (Xin) as five constant virtues that must be constantly cultivated. A burst of inspiration is the seed sown, yet commitment must be watered in order for our habitual changes to grow.

Now, to tackle his relevance in the 21st century. One could state that the Chinese Communist Party have greatly benefited from their version of Confucianism. Yet many ponder over whether the version of Confucius utilised by them is the same character depicted in The Analects.

Confucius believed that we must be obedient to honourable people. He famously said ‘Let the ruler be a ruler, a subject the subject’ insinuating that is important to recognise that there are people worthy of our deep veneration. We, as individuals, must be modest enough to recognise people whose accomplishments/experience outweighs our own. Bending in obedience isn’t a sign of weakness but humility and respect. It has been noticed that Beijing places special emphasis on the values of obedience and loyalty to the state. The Communist Party has outgrown the older Maoism rhetoric and has now returned to Confucianism, following the path of many previous emperors. It presents the perfect uniquely Chinese philosophical custom that advocates certain aspects of their arbitrary style of government.

By reinstating certain aspects of Confucius’ ideals, they are cementing the fact that the Chinese political culture’s foundations have derived from its own personal philosophical history. China, therefore, does not have to formulate the concept of democracy through Western modelling and history. The party enjoys using similar words to Confucius such as ‘harmonious’ and ‘harmony’ often. In Confucian thinking, this refers to members of society fulfilling their responsibilities and where communities/families prosper. In contrast, the Communist party are indicating a society lacking dissent of party rule.

However, one must acknowledge that many scholars feel that Confucian ideals are the healing salve to China’s ‘moral crisis.’ The country’s high levels of accumulated wealth may not be helpful when dealing with matters such as counterfeiting, corruption etc and issues regarding climate change and pollution. Mundane civilians are slowly returning to scavenging for the spiritual nourishment they now lack.

Confucius passed away in 479 B.C., he left behind approximately 3,000 students, who devoted themselves to preserving and propagating their master’s precepts. After his demise, his students created schools and temples in his honour across east Asia passing teachings along over two thousand years. Many still follow him as a spiritual and religious discipline. His teachings still have a significant influence on eastern political ideals about leadership and morality. His teachings are needed as corrections to the modern world’s excesses. So we may not be conversely at risk of becoming impulsive thoughtless and irreverent.