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Confucianism: A Very Short Introduction
(Very Short Introductions #395)
by
Daniel K. Gardner
3.83 · Rating details · 94 Ratings · 14 Reviews
First formulated in the sixth century BCE, the teachings of Confucius came to dominate Chinese society, politics, economics, and ethics. In this Very Short Introduction, Daniel K. Gardner explores the major ideas of the Confucian tradition, showing their profound impact on life in China over the last twenty-six centuries. Gardner focuses on two of the Sage's most crucial philosophical questions—what makes for a good person and what constitutes good government—and traces how the great thinkers within the Confucian tradition responded, often quite differently, to these questions. As Gardner makes clear, Confucianism is still very much alive even today. The current Chinese government invokes Confucian political ideals to promote its policies, and the Chinese people are again looking to its teachings for moral direction in a time of rapid socioeconomic change. (less)
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Paperback, 136 pages
Published August 26th 2014 by Oxford University Press, USA (first published January 1st 2014)
ISBN
0195398912 (ISBN13: 9780195398915)
Edition Language
English
URL
http://www.veryshortintroductions.com/
Series
Very Short Introductions #395
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September 15, 2018 – Shelved as: to-read
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Feb 23, 2015Riku Sayuj rated it really liked it
Shelves: china, china-history, religion, confucius, philosophy, vsis, philosophy-eastern,history-civilizations, history, history-of-thought
The Adaptive Disciples
Robert Bellah has said that "every religion tries to remake the world in its own image, but is always to some extent remade in the image of the world." This is true of most religions, but how they are remade reflects also the extent to which, and the manner in which, they themselves actually try to remake the world.
In this VSI, Gardner takes us through the beginnings of the Confucian movement where we see Confucius transmit an idealized sociopolitical vision from the early Zhou past to a select group of followers, who then keep the light alive even though the Master did not get much popular acclaim in his own day. Then we follow along as the faithful followers and their disciples, over the centuries, elaborate on this vision, some emphasizing one aspect, others another, such as Mencius and Xunzi — sometimes even managing to take a common tradition in entirely opposite directions.
Later we encounter the Neo-Confucian movement, now almost a millennium after the Master’s time, reacting to new developments by interpreting his core ideas from the stand point of new metaphysical concepts (such as qi, li, yin and yang, among others) — converting the original practical vision into a universal vision that is meant to explain the how and why of the original thoughts… and to explain everything else too since they are at it, all with the help of philosophical terms and concepts that would have meant little to Confucius himself.
Gardner maintains a firm focus on this realm of ideas, showing us how the original vision of the Master has been adapted into such a variety of interpretative shapes over the centuries. And this adaptability is the primary reason why confucianism has managed to stay relevant for such an astoundingly long time. It is a religious/philosophical tradition that has managed to continuously adapt and remain relevant over time.
And I would venture that while Confucius himself deserves our respect for creating a philosophy with such an encompassing vision so suited to his people, no small credit is due to the fact that the keepers of the tradition were the very top brass of this wide country -- and it was their capacity for innovation and creative adaption that has allowed the tradition to reinvent itself so elegantly and relevantly every time. They have shown a unique capacity to hold fast to tradition without slipping into a dogmatic slumber that would let modernity pass them by, and even if they did occasionally they have been alert enough to pick up on it and take positive action in defense of their philosophy, shaping its message to address the pressing issues of the day.
If only every religious and philosophical tradition was in such capable hands, we would have fewer dogmatic religions and more enlightened ones. And a less dangerous world. (less)
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Jun 14, 2017jzthompson rated it it was amazing
Shelves: asia, environment, history, law, non-fiction, politics, religion-and-philosophy,written-by-a-dude, vsi
This one was really good, exactly the right level of detail for an introduction and as pacey and involving as a thriller. At times I found it hard not to draw lazy parallels with more familiar territory; 'Oh so he's kind of like the Chinese Hobbes' I thought when reading the chapter on Xunzi, but Gardner steers the reader past that, and the even lazier temptation of just shrugging 'oh man, it's just so different,' with ease. Really recommended.
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Apr 09, 2015Jo rated it it was amazing
Shelves: asia, china, culture, political, philosophy, confucius
Wow. I found this book riveting. It was concise and well written. It didn't cover everything, but it certainly whetted my appetite for more. It gave a basic introduction to Confucius' ideas, the developments of Mencius and Xunzi, the philosophies of Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism, and the practical realities for Confucianism through the twentieth and twenty first centuries. The story made connections and made all sorts of pennies drop into place for me. Is it too nerdy to say it was exciting?! So many 'ah!' moments that made my heart race. I can't wait to learn more. I thoroughly recommend it as a first toe into the subject. Sigh, there is not enough time in one lifetime to read all the books I want to read! (less)
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May 24, 2018PvOberstein rated it really liked it
Confucianism: A Very Short Introduction, by Daniel K. Gardner, is something I picked up in the hopes of filling some of those gaps in my knowledge of world philosophy (which, if we’re being honest, is not stellar to begin with). At 120 easy-to-read pages, Gardner work was a very enjoyable primer on one of the most important worldviews in world history.
The book begins with an overview of Confucian himself and his life. Apart from the Master’s own somewhat suspect historicity, Gardner walks us through how many of Confucianism’s major works, such as the Analects, were not the transcribed speeches of a great sage but synthesized over centuries, in a manner not dissimilar to how the Old and New Testaments gradually composed their canonical contents.
There’s an overview of the teachings of Confucianism – what I can only assume is a good if broad survey – touching on everything from filial piety to proper governance. There are indeed many elements of Confucian tradition I found cause to admire – self-cultivation through education, the value placed on helping others, meritocracy, the will of the people expressed through the Mandate of Heaven, etc. – and plenty not to, including an overemphasis on hierarchy and devotion (doubly so with regards to women), a distaste for commerce, etc. One cannot help but be disheartened by the soul-crushing effect of the Imperial examination system, whose meritocratic intentions reduced learning to rote memorization and repetition. Gardner goes on to describe some of the later debates within the school of Confucius (I find myself siding with Xunzi over Mencius, and unfortunately backed the wrong horse), as well as Neo-Confucianism, which had the misfortune of tossing in a qi-centric metaphysical system to a perfectly serviceable philosophical tradition.
There’s a brief overview of the ‘downfall’ of Confucianism in the 20th century – both at the hands of the early republicans and later the Maoist purges – as well as its pseudo-rehabilitation in the post-Deng era (you’ll need to read elsewhere for the details, though). The bibliography is better than expected. (less)
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Jun 29, 2018Actually-A -Badger rated it really liked it
A great introduction to this often misunderstood belief system. I appreciate this book for going into Xun Zi, a successor to Confucius, who isn't well known in the West but holds some fascinating insight in his own works.
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Feb 12, 2018Sarah rated it really liked it
Informative and clear. It's not really a four-star book, except by comparison to some of the other books in the VSI series. It does exactly what it's supposed to do--give the key elements of the thing in an accessibly introductory way.
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Jan 28, 2018Cheri rated it really liked it
Shelves: professional-education
I am taking a course on East Asia and this is one of the many books they gave to me. I learned so much about Confucianism. I wish that the print were a little larger on this book, older-aged eye complaints. :) I have several other books related to this class that I hope to complete this week!
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Oct 12, 2014Peter rated it liked it
I enjoy this series and will definitely read others in fields outside my own traditional interests. I understand the necessary limitations for a short introduction, but I wish the author gave a little more attention to Wang Yangming as well as how Confucianism evolved to be a religion beginning with the widespread construction of temples devoted to Confucius through China during the Tang Dynasty. Bibliography is good (mainly Western scholarship).
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Aug 21, 2015Jackson Cyril rated it really liked it
Shelves: ancient-chinese-works, philosophy-religion
A superb book that explains how Confucianism came to be in the distant past, how the philosophy's flexibility lent it self to contending schools of thought (retaining its vitality and relevance throughout "ten thousand generations"), how it affected many, if not all, aspects of Chinese life and how it manages to be relevant today-- after the Cultural Revolution.
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Oct 27, 2016Rob Dequeecker rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Extremely explanatory
Condensed but impressive introduction to Confucianism. Clear and very readable. My insight of the Chinese culture and his people changed profoundly during lecture.
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Jul 06, 2016Sara rated it really liked it
Interesting, comprehensive and easy to read. An intro to a whole new world, in my case.
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Oct 26, 2016AJ rated it really liked it
Easy to read. Required for UW HIST103 Introduction to the History of China
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