6 Discussion: Confucianism and Workplace Ethics

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Confucius

  • With no CLERGY or GODS - Confucianism is not a religion in the TRADITIONAL sense
  • ETHICAL system provides direction for personal behavior
  • Practiced mostly in CHINA – about 6.3 million followers
  • Based on the teachings of Chinese scholar CONFUCIUS
  • Confucius (551–479 BC)- teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher
  • Born at a time of CRISIS and VIOLENCE in China
  • Hoped his beliefs and teachings would restore order to society

CONFUCIANISM

  • Philosophy of Confucius emphasized personal and governmental morality - correctness of social relationships -justice and sincerity
  • Confucius's principles - based on common Chinese tradition and belief
  • Believed in: strong family loyalty - ancestor worship -respect of elders by their children and of husbands by their wives
  • His principle "Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself", an early version of the Golden Rule

CONFUCIUS

  • Confucius believed order, harmony, good government could be restored if society were organized around the:

FIVE KEY RELATIONSHIPS

  • 1. RULER - SUBJECT
  • 2. FATHER - SON
  • 3. HUSBAND - WIFE
  • 4. OLDER BROTHER – YOUNGER BROTHER
  • 5. FRIEND - FRIEND

FIVE KEY RELATIONSHIPS

  • Except for FRIENDSHIPS – none of the relationships were EQUAL
  • OLDER superior to YOUNGER
  • MEN superior to WOMEN

{Were not supposed to take

advantage of position but serve as a

guide or role model}

FIVE KEY RELATIONSHIPS

  • FILIAL PIETY is respect for one's parents and ancestors:

*to be good and take care of parents

*show love, respect, courtesy and support

*display sorrow for their sickness and death

  • Filial Piety emphasized in Confucianism because devotion to one's parents was associated with one's devotion to the state; it also meant honoring their parents’ memories after death

FILIAL PIETY

  • ANALECTS: the collection of writings, sayings and ideas of Confucius

ANALECTS

*

China before Confucius

  • The “Yellow Emperor”
  • Xia and Shang Dynasties
  • 2070 B.C. - 1046 B.C.
  • Zhou Dynasty
  • 1046 B.C. - 256 B.C.
  • “Spring and Autumn” period
  • 770 B.C. - 476 B.C.

Confucius

  • Born in 551 B.C.
  • died in 479 B.C.

Confucianism

  • Concerned primarily with restoring social stability and order
  • What is the basis of a stable, unified, and enduring social order?
  • a system of social and ethical philosophy
  • “only when character is cultivated are our families regulated; only when families are regulated are states well governed.”

Confucianism

  • li
  • rituals, norms, institutions, or mores
  • the outer, conforming aspect of Confucianism
  • ren
  • humaneness, love, kindness, benevolence, or virtue
  • the inner, reforming aspect of Confucianism

Li

  • Rites, ceremonies, proper behavior, and good manner
  • performed in good faith, with everyone keeping to his or her proper role
  • universal harmony
  • no need for physical sanctions, laws, or punishment

Ren

  • Relationship between "two persons”
  • extension of filial piety to all human beings
  • each role in the hierarchy of social relations had clearly defined duties
  • reciprocity or mutual responsibility

Five relationships

  • father-child
  • ruler-subject
  • husband-wife
  • elder brother-younger brother
  • friend-friend

Confucianism

  • Persecuted in Qin Dynasty
  • 221 B.C. - 206 B.C.
  • promoted by later rulers

Confucianism

  • reinforced by the civil examination system
  • “keju”: civil examination
  • from 605 to 1905