BASIC IDEAS OF CONFUCIANISM
| BASIC WORLD VIEW | The universe
is a unity under heaven, of which humans are an integral part; for humans,
family and society are the most important links to the universe.
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| ULTIMATE REALITY | T'IEN,
the universal moral principle or force, sometimes translated as Heaven
or God.
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| ORIGIN of the WORLD | Vague,
but world originates from heaven and proceeds through interaction of Yin
and Yang and the five "principles" or elements.
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| ORIGIN OF HUMANS | Vague;
ultimately from heaven and earth.
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| DESTINY OF HUMANS | No stress
on afterlife except in terms of ancestrism, ideally to live a good life
in this world through family and society.
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| ULTIMATE PROBLEM | Social
disorder and anarchy
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WHAT TO DO |
Observe
official and ancestral rites; to honor parents and meet other ethical obligations;
to work for a good society by exercise of benevolence
and practicing mutuality with others.
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