confucianism: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

It is debated. Scholars classify it as both a philosophical system and a religious tradition ('religious humanism'). It has temples, rituals, and a spiritual dimension concerning Heaven (Tian), but lacks a central god or concept of an afterlife, focusing instead on earthly ethics and social order.

Ruler and subject, father and son, husband and wife, elder brother and younger brother, friend and friend. Each involves mutual, though hierarchical, obligations.

Its influence remains strongest in cultural practices and values in China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and among diaspora communities, though not as a formal, organized religion with regular congregational worship for most.

A major revival and reinterpretation of classical Confucianism that began in the late Tang dynasty and flourished during the Song dynasty. It incorporated metaphysical elements from Buddhism and Daoism to address philosophical questions about human nature and the cosmos that original Confucianism did not deeply explore.

The system of philosophical, ethical, and social teachings founded by Confucius in 5th–6th century BCE China, emphasizing moral character, filial piety, righteousness, and proper social relationships.

Confucianism is usually formal, academic in register.

Confucianism: in British English it is pronounced /kənˈfjuː.ʃə.nɪ.zəm/, and in American English it is pronounced /kənˈfjuː.ʃə.nɪ.zəm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.