Much of Eastern thought has been influenced by the teachings of Confucius. The philosophical views of Confucius are similar to the teachings of western religion in the area of philosophical ethics.
There are certain beliefs in Confucianism that set the ground work for understanding right from wrong. To better understand the beliefs of Confucius, we must first examine the basic premises. The first concept is that of Jen. Jen is the virtue of humanity, so to speak. The five things that make Jen up are the levels of respect for relationships within a community or household. First of all, there must be respect for ruler and minister, father and son, husband and wife, elder and younger brother, and friend and friend. By examining the way in which personal relationships work, Confucius set the ground work for a successful society. Confucius wanted to redefine the beliefs that the Chinese people had by creating a moral template to follow. By changing the way the Chinese people viewed their relationships with the world and one another, he could build a better society and government. The problem for China was that the government was ruled largely by the elite who came to power because of heredity. Confucius wanted a humane government ruled by compassion and fairness. The way to achieve this was through education and the unification of beliefs. If a culture could educate its people in the ways of morality and justice there would be a better society. In a feudal system, there is a great social stratification. The elite get an education and the poor must struggle to become educated. The concept of Li is that mankind should better itself as a whole. The definition of Li is rational social order. What makes these concepts similar is that you have a better society when everyone gets along. Confucius believed that by respecting authority and one another you would have a stronger society.
