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This paper focuses on the impact of Confucianism on Chinese politics and foreign policy. In the field of international relations (IR) and foreign policy analysis, it is well known that ideas are always critical to any changes of a country’s foreign policy. That is to say, a country’s politics and foreign policy would be heavily influenced not only by the changes of tide in contemporary world politics, but also heavily influenced by its traditional thinking and heritage. In this paper, I will examine the influence of Confucianism on Chinese domestic politics and foreign policy. The analysis will cover recent arguments about the role of Confucianism from several leading contemporary thinkers. It will also make some brief comparisons between China and other East Asian societies, including Japan and Korea.
Historical and philosophical legacies
One should first trace back the historical and philosophical legacies of Confucianism. Throughout history, the merits of Confucianism have been debated, weighing the pros against the cons. On the one hand, Confucianism was regarded as useful to maintain social order and stability; on the other hand, it was criticized as opposing the spirit of democracy.
Historical development
Confucianism as an ethical, social and political philosophy grew out of the teachings of Confucius, a Chinese philosopher (551–479). It gained popularity during the Han Dynasty, evolving into a metaphysical set of teachings. With the end of the Han Dynasty, Confucianism was replaced by Taoist and Buddhist philosophy as the focus of intellectual pursuits and social structure (Miller, 2014). Confucianism experienced a revival during the Tang Dynasty, becoming more secular and adopted for use in the imperial examinations for bureaucrats. This institutionalization of Confucianism over such a long period made it an integral part of the Chinese national identity. However, with the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911 and the end of the imperial examination system, Confucianism began to lose its official standing, though its long history meant it was still a commonly held philosophy among the average Chinese (Miller, 2014). Confucianism’s remaining hold on Chinese ideas of social order and ethics earned it the attention of Communist leadership, who sought to eradicate the remaining vestiges of Confucian thought as it was seen as backward, obsolete and against the modern spirit.
Impact on Chinese society