Confucianism as a Religion
How does one define religion? What characteristics does a view need to have in order to be considered a religion? Questions similar to these have been asked many times, and no concrete answer has been universally accepted. Some characteristics have been found common in most world religions: an afterlife, a notion of sacred, rules or guides for behavior (i.e. how to lead a "good" life), and almost universally, an explanation or rationalization for death. There is a debate, nevertheless, on whether Confucianism should be considered one of the world's religions. Confucianism lacks significant explanation of either death or an afterlife and is behaviorally hard to distinguish from a mere ethical institution. It is possible that some of these shortcomings in the Confucian viewpoint can be explained, and perhaps a better understanding of religion may be gained in the process. The criticism that a given religion must have some notion of salvation is ambiguous if not unwarranted. The Christian sense of the term salvation deals generally with deliverance from sin and the effects of sin. Definitions like this cannot be applied cross-cultural
ly because many of the world's religions have no notion of sin yet they are still considered religions. It seems necessary to modify the definition of sin to fit a broader range of religions; salvation as a way or means to lead the full (good) life appears to satisfy this. If this is the case, it would seem that Mencius does describe how one can achieve salvation. "Mencius said, '"Benevolence" means "man". When these are conjoined, the result is "the Way".'" (Mencius 197) "The Way" is the term for the general pattern or order in the universe. One who lives his life according to "the Way" is said to be a gentleman, or the normative ideal for a human being. Humans, according to Mencius, are also born with l! ere said to have a complete cosmic understanding. Mencius uses the example of the "village honest man" to draw this particular distinction between the religious (Confucian) man and the man whose outward behavior may be ethical. This distinction between the Confucian model for behavior and an ethical one is a counterexample to the criticism that Confucianism is merely a moral view. "Kung-tu Tzu asked, 'Though equally human, why are some men greater than others?' atent inclinations on how to behave and act. When these inclinations, or "seeds/sprouts", are properly "cultivated" the individual is said to be living according to the Way. Regardless of what any religion states will occur in death or the afterlife, a religion is a device that directly impacts an individual's behavior and decision-making methods while they are still alive. Mencius' account of death may appear to be of no great concern, but this account underscores an important difference between Confucianism and popular religious thought. Confucianism, unlike most religions, is not as concerned with death, and instead is focused on how individuals lead their lives. Motivation is that which separates an ethical view and a religious one as a basis for behavior. A man who obeys all the moral rules in an ethical institution is not said to be a religious man. However, it is quite possible that a man who obeys all the rules (most religious rules are ethical ones) a particular religion adopts can be called a moral man. Most individuals, religious or not, would agree that what makes an action or behavior ethical is that it is right or good (not just a good feeling). Where the two di
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1604
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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