What are the core values of Confucianism?

Respect for elders, filial piety, and benevolence.

How did Confucianism influence East Asia?

Spread through education and political philosophy.

Essential for societal harmony and prosperity.

Emphasized hierarchical relationships and family values.

Path for social advancement and governance.

Confucianism, a comprehensive belief system in Chinese history, encompasses values, politics, and religion, with rituals and ancestor veneration being integral components practiced by all societal members, not just the elite.
The civil service exam in pre-modern China, based on Confucian classics, was a vital route for social advancement, emphasizing Confucian texts and values, shaping the bureaucracy and political philosophy during the Han Dynasty, spreading its influence to Korea and Japan, impacting societal structures and values in these regions.

What are the core values of Confucianism?
Respect for elders, filial piety, and benevolence.
How did Confucianism influence East Asia?
Spread through education and political philosophy.
What role did rituals play in Confucianism?
Essential for societal harmony and prosperity.
How did Confucianism impact social structure?
Emphasized hierarchical relationships and family values.
What was the significance of the civil service exam in Confucianism?
Path for social advancement and governance.

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Confucianism is a multifaceted concept encompassing values, a way of life, political theory, and religion, prevalent in Chinese history.
The five Confucian classics formed the core curriculum for civil service exams in pre-modern China, crucial for entering the state bureaucracy.
Rituals described in classic texts were believed to be essential for the state's prosperity and were performed by the imperial household.
Ancestor veneration, a key aspect of Confucianism, was practiced by all members of society, not just the educated elite.
Confucius, born in 551 BCE, lived during the chaotic Warring States period, marked by civil war and social disintegration.
Confucius emphasized education, moral self-cultivation, and a hierarchical code of conduct in his doctrine.
Confucianism values respect for elders, filial piety, and a hierarchical societal structure based on family relationships.
Ren, or benevolence, is a core Confucian value emphasizing empathy, reciprocity, and humane treatment of others.
Confucius believed in the importance of ritual as social etiquette, a set of cultural practices that foster harmony in society.
Confucianism evolved into a prominent political philosophy during the Han Dynasty, with the educated elite preserving and spreading its teachings throughout East Asia.

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The civil service exam, initiated by the brightest, tested students on classics through memory recitation, essay writing, and poetry, serving as a key path for social advancement and power for officials until the 20th century, emphasizing Confucian texts and values.
Confucianism's influence spread to Korea and Japan, with the former mandating Confucian studies for officials by the 14th century, while Japan saw the establishment of nationwide Confucian academies by the Tokugawa shoguns in the 16th century, leading to the widespread acceptance of Confucian values like harmony and duty in Japanese society.