Confucianism

Confucianism refers to the teachings of Confucius (559–479 BCE), a philosopher, ritualist, and political advisor who lived in eastern China. Confucius and his disciples stressed the importance of filial piety, ritual correctness, moral governance, and propriety in human relationships. In the Song Dynasty (960–1279), a version of Confucius’s teachings called “Neo-Confucianism” became the dominant ideology in China, and government officials were selected based on competitive exams on Neo-Confucian philosophy until 1905. At a popular level, “Confucianism” often refers to Chinese traditions of filial piety and ancestor veneration, many of which blended elements of Daoism and Buddhism.