千年来，孔子和儒家思想对中国的影响不仅体政治、经济、文化，也体现在中国人的行为和思维方式之中。本书从孔子的生平着手，回顾孔子以及儒家学派的基本思想、发展历程，介绍儒学是怎样逐渐成为古代中国的主导思想；反思近现代儒学遇到的艰巨挑战，经历的现代变革，总结儒学对中国与世界所产生的深远影响，以及如何型塑中国人的行为规范、思维方式和价值取向。For thousands of years, the influence of Confucius and Confucianism on China has not only been reflected in politics and culture, but also in Chinese peoples own behavior and way of thinking. The foundation of Chinese culture is Confucianism. It is Confucianism that has established the public order and good customs of Chinese society, and has also become the Chinese code of conduct. It is Confucianism that has shaped what it is to be Chinese. This book begins with the life of Confucius, provides an overview of the basic thought and development of Confucius and the Confucian school, and clarifies how Confucianism gradually became the dominant system of thought in ancient China. Giving profound consideration to the huge challenges and reform of modern Confucianism, it demonstrates the far-reaching influence of Confucianism on contemporary China and the world.

PrefaceWith the passing of time, traditional Chinese culture has once again begun to attract attention. Confucianism, the ancient Chinese belief system that has been passed down over generations in China, has once again started to gain interest.Confucius (551-479 BCE), revered as the founder of Confucianism, was an arduous learner for his whole life, and especially good at obtaining knowledge from different masters. He was also an excellent teacher, and a pioneer given that he established the first private school in China. Advocating benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness, Confucius always showed a great concern for the welfare of the state and its people. In order to fulfill his political aspirations, he traveled to many other states outside of his own with his disciples for a period of 14 years. In his later years, he revised the Six Classics, namely The Book of Songs, The Book of History, The Book of Rites, The Book of Music, The Book of Changes, and The Spring and Autumn Annals. According to legend, Confucius had 3,000 disciples, 72 of whom were regarded as persons of virtue. After Confucius passed away, his disciples and their own disciples recorded all of the words, deeds and thoughts of Confucius and his disciples compiled them into the Confucian canon, The Analects of Confucius.Confucius made tremendous contributions to Chinese literature, historiography, philosophy and education, having a huge and far-reaching influence on the formation and development of Chinese culture. More recently he has also been ranked as one of the Top 10 Cultural Celebrities of the World.Confucianism has a deep influence on the Chinese nation and Chinese culture, laying a foundation for public order and the customs of Chinese society, as well as the behavioral norms of the Chinese people. Confucianism emphasizes the continued improvement of an individuals moral integrity, a form of patriotism that merges the family and the state, the principles of peace and harmony between people, and the ideal of equality in society at large.Confucianism has not only played an important role in China, but also in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Like the Chinese writing system, laws and decrees, Confucianism spread to Chinas neighboring countries early on, and had an important impact on local thought and culture. For instance, in South Korea and Japan, ethics and decorum were influenced by the Confucian ideas of benevolence, righteousness and propriety, which are still very popular today.Although in South Korea, people believe in a variety of religions, the countries moral principles are rooted in Confucianism. And in Japan, Confucianism became an important factor in shaping its own traditions, and has permeated every aspect of Japanese society. Likewise, it has also impacted Vietnamese culture as some Confucian moral principles and beliefs still exist in Vietnamese society and peoples lives today.The contribution ancient Chinese culture has made to the world civilization is not limited to the four great inventions, but also the Confucian classics represented by the Four Books, including The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, The Analects of Confucius and The Mencius, and the Five Classics, namely The Book of Songs, The Book of History, The Book of Changes, The Book of Rites, and The Spring and Autumn Annals. The thought and culture contained within these works have also made a positive contribution to human civilization in modern times. In the 17th and 18th centuries during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, European Christians endured untold hardship and suffering to open up communication between Chinese and Western cultures, introducing Chinese Confucianism to Europe, where a craze for Chinese culture took place lasting a hundred years. Confucianism combined with the new thinking of the Renaissance in Italy became the dominant spirit of Europe during its historical development in the modern periodan important source of inspiration for ideas during the Enlightenment.In todays world, the relationship between human beings and nature is strained, conflicts occur frequently and wars are unceasing. It seems that peaceful coexistence is merely wishful thinking. Under these circumstances, the Confucian view that man and nature are one and mans benevolence-centered spirit advocating respect, kindness and benefiting others, respecting popular opinion, and being concerned about the state and its people deserve examination by the world. Its inclusiveness calls for peaceful coexistence between nations and states. Its concepts of peace and harmony among states serves as the spiritual foundation for peaceful coexistence between countries, and should also serve as the consensus in the world today.

Zhang YuhuiNow a university teacher, graduated from the School of History and Culture of Southwest University. She is mainly engaged in world history,Middle East history and ideological history research, and has done a lot of research on Confucianism.Wei WeiNow a university teacher, graduated from the School of Humanities of Shanghai Normal University, is mainly engaged in social history and ideological history research. He has a deep understanding of ancient Chinese history and the development of traditional thoughts.

ContentsPreface.......................................................................................01Chapter I Who was Confucius?Section 1 Peculiar Signs of the Sage.........................................................002Section 2 From Devotion to Studying to Tireless Learning.....................005Section 3 Top Scholar Aims at Officialdom................................................013Section 4 Travelling to Other States to Pursue His Dream...........................027Section 5 The Great Master and His 3,000 Disciples ................................041Section 6 The Birth of the Confucian Canon The Analects of Confucius.....048Chapter II The Origins and Evolution of ConfucianismSection 1 Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Wisdom and Trustworthiness..054Section 2 From the Contending of All Schools of Thought to Venerating Confucianism Alone ................................................061Section 3 The Syncretism of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism..............071Section 4 Neo-Confucianism of the Song Dynasty and the Culmination of Confucian Development............................................................078Section 5 Confucianism During the Ming and Qing Dynasties....................091Chapter III The Inheritance and Development of ConfucianismSection 1 The Tortuous Development of Modern Confucianism..................104Section 2 The Rise of Confucianism Fervor................................................111Section 3 Grand Activities in Memory of Confucius....................................115Section 4 Reviewing the Classics by Removing the Dross and Retaining the Essences...................................................................................121Chapter IV The Chinese View of ConfucianismSection 1 The Prevalent Decorum Culture.................................................126Section 2 Outer Round and Inner Square Social Behavior..........................133Section 3 Chinese Patriotism....................................................................136Section 4 The Chinese Peoples Sense of a Native Hometown....................141Section 5 Social Ideal of Universal Peace..................................................148Chapter V Oriental Wisdom Shining Around the WorldSection 1 The Influence of Confucian Culture on Asia................................154Section 2 China Fever in the Modern West................................................165Section 3 Within the Four Seas, All Men Are Brothers...............................173Section 4 Inheritance of Confucianism by Overseas Chinese .....................180Appendix A Brief Chinese Chronology......................................................188