The next section of the book is about Confucius and it left me feeling shorted.  The contributer of that section, Pamela Gray, starts off with the observation that under Confucius the most important aspect is how people relate to each other.  The view is that it doesn’t matter if you are a good person or a bad person, all that matters is whether your relationships are proper and everyone does their duty according to their station.

The big problem I have with this article is she spends almost all of it giving the history of the individual and very little on why he is so important as to merit being included in the book as a great thinker.  As such, she gives Confucius short shrift.

Confucianism is essentialy ethics without a deity.  It has fundamental virtues of integrity, righteousness, loyalty, etiquette and knowledge.  These virtues in combination with social harmony (relationships) form the basic foundation of this belief system.  Confucius and his disciples added rituals and reverence for ancestors making almost appear as a religion.  In this manner it seems to serve the function as a religion but fits more in concept to a non-theistic ideology.

In the eventual influence of his belief system upon Chinese politics and society, his influence can be seen on Chinese civilization.  What is left unsaid is the support this “philosophy” gave to deists in the West.  Voltaire pointed out how Confucius brought about a meritocracy of virtue instead of might.

As such, these beliefs actually have gained some resurgence while not under the name of Confucianism.

Next time, Plato.