Definitions for "Confucianism"
The political morality taught by Confucius and his disciples, which forms the basis of the Chinese jurisprudence and education. It can hardly be called a religion, as it does not inculcate the worship of any god.
A social philosophy based on the teachings of Confucius (c. 551-479 B.C.) and his disciples and interpreters. Confucianism stresses hierarchy and harmony in human rela-tions, deference to one's superiors, benevolence to one's inferi-ors, and the primacy of the group (family, state, and society) over the individual. Confucianism, which still exerts a strong influence on the cultures of East Asia, was the core of the ideol-ogy that legitimized imperial China's autocratic political order and its patriarchal and highly stratified society.
A religion based on the teachings of Confucius which seeks to delineate the nature of a life-worth-living. It emphasizes the importance of human relationships, those within the family, between friends, and those between governments and their citizens. Confucius' ideas set out the desired ethical character of human beings and how that person relates to others. Confucianism had very powerful, widespread and long-lived influence in China, forming the basis for government service and public relationships for over two millenia, weakening only in the twentieth century.