Confucius
If one seeks to understand China, and the Chinese way of thinking, it is advisable to go through the teachings of Confucius, which in many ways, have laid the foundation for their society and Government.
His name is a Latinized version of his Chinese honorific Kong Fuzi, literally meaning Master Kong. Believed to be a descendant of the Shangi kings, his family and personal name together was Kong Qiu.
He belonged to the Shi class, in China, which lay between the common masses and the aristocracy, most of the civil servants were drawn from this particular class. Confucius himself is believed to have worked as a shepherd, a book keeper and a clerk.
He belonged to the Lu state, now located mostly in Shandong province, and he first came into prominence during 501 BC, when after expelling the rebel Yang Hu, the 3 major families in that region-the Jis, the Mengs and the Shus began to seek his advice. He first started out as the governor of a minor town in that province, and later became the Minister of Crime.
His greatest contribution however has been the founding of an entire ethical and philosophical system, Confucianism, that was based on his teachings. The 4 books and the 5 classics are considered the authoritative books on his philosophy, containing his teachings.
The 4 books or the Si Shu, illustrate the core values of Confucianism, and were selected by scholar Zhu Xi of the Song dynasty, and during the Ming, Qing dynasties, they were made the official curricula for the civil service examinations. The 4 books were as follows
Da Xue or Great Learning- It primarily has chapters on achieving a state of balance, the values of harmony, relationship and moral cultivation, importance of hard work and collaboration and the value of teachers, elders in Chinese society.
Zhong Yong or Doctrine of the Mean-This 33 chapter book, focuses on the golden mean, to gain perfect virtue.
Lunyu or Analects- Believed to have been written by his followers, it is primarily a collection of his sayings and discourses.
Mengzi or Mencius- This basically is a collection of the conversations and anecdotes, he had with fellow philosopher Mencius.
The 5 classics or Wu Jing, were a set of books, compiled and edited by Confucius himself.
Shih Ching or the Classic of Poetry- Believed to be compiled by Confucius himself, it is considered the oldest collection of Chinese poetry with around 305 poems and songs.
Shujing or Book of Documents- Compilation of speeches and major records of events in China.
Li Ji or Book of Rites- This describes the various social norms, administration and ceremonial rites followed during the Zhou dynasty.
Yi Jing or Classic of Changes- It contains exhaustive details about a diviniation system, similiar to the geomancy in the West.Also description of a binary sequence.
Spring and Autumn annals- This is a historical record of Confucius native state of Lu, the various feudal alliances, as well as the natural disasters, change of seasons.
He propagated the 5 principles of Humanism known as the Wuchang which were Ren( Humaneness), Yi( Justice), Li(Ettiquette), Zhi( Knoweldge) and Xi(Integrity). He also propagated the 4 virtues of Zhong( Loyalty), Xiao( Fillial Piety), Jie( Continency) and Yi( Righteousness).
Ren which is considered one of the very basic virtues taught by Confucius, mandated altruism and humaneness to other individuals. In other words, it was an enunciation of the Golden principle "Do unto others as others would unto you".
Confucius laid a lot of emphasis on social harmony, which to date forms the basis for Chinese society, in spite of all the development. As per Confucius every individual has a place in the social order, and they need to play their part well. And this relation has to be mutual, so while the wife has to respect her husband, the husband needs to be benevolent towards his wife. Similiarly while the ruled must show unquestioned obedience to the ruler, the ruler must be humane towards his subjects. While the juniors needed to show reverence to seniors, they in turn must reciprocate with benevolence towards them.
One major influence of Confucian teachings was the concept of meritocracy, where a person is rated high or low based on his qualities rather than birth. His ideas led to the introduction of the Imperial Examination System in China, that allowed any one who had passed it to become a Government Officer, irrespective of their birth or background.