The intellectual response to this instability of the governments produced the forms of government and the emerging philosophies that came to shape the future Chinese government and civilization. .
Confucianism was one of the philosophies of government that emerged during the warring states period. Confucius lived from 551 to 479 BC, and was part of a new class of government administrators and advisers that were needed to help the feudal aristocracy administer their own states and deal with the other states. Subsequently he was essentially a political philosopher with ideas deeply rooted in the traditions of China's past and in respect for the wisdom of China's ancestors. Over the centuries, his philosophy has been interpreted and extended from a political philosophy too apply it's self too the common man dealing with everyday issues. Consequently, Confucius appealed to the most deep rooted beliefs of the Chinese people. Founded on the recognized traditions of our people, his teachings and ideals gave our customs and beliefs the much needed ideological fortification.?(Wang, 15) Wang describes Confucius? teachings very briefly by saying:.
?With the human heart as the origin of the good, Confucius proposed a three point program for the individual to follow: toward the self, the moral goal of a person is to be a chun-tzu or gentleman; toward the family, to be a well fitting member working for its prosperity and happiness; toward humanity at large, to be an active participant in a world society dedicated to the realization of the Golden Rule.? (Wang 17).
Although Confucianism became the official ideology of the Chinese state, it never existed as a religion and Confucius was never regarded as a god. The reason Confucianism never developed into a religion was its lack of metaphysical elements. Its main teachings concerned the proper relationship between the ruler and the people and the day-to-day way of how people should live together in a civilized manner.
The attitudes of the children towards the sacrifices they had to make were addressed in the Ba Chin's "Family". ... They regarded Confucianism as an enemy of progress; they felt that filial piety was unsuited to modern life and thought. China was attacked by the British in 1839, and invaded by France, Russia, Germany, and Japan later in the nineteenth century. ...
