Generally speaking, Confucianism is a theory about the moral and ethical norms of human society.
Its most basic theoretical basis is "the theory of good nature".
As the author pointed out in The Theory of Good and Evil in Human Nature, the first sentence in Sanzi Jing, a popular godson song in ancient China, is "At the beginning of life, human nature is good.
The same nature varies from upbringing to upbringing.
"That is to say, human nature (nature) is good and good.
Moreover, this property is similar and universal.
It is only because of the change of living habits and environment that all kinds of behaviors are different, which leads to the phenomenon of deviating from "goodness".
There is nothing wrong with Confucianism at this point.
There is a good side in human nature, and it is the mainstream.
On the basis of the theory of good nature, the main idea of China's Confucian culture governing the country is moral education.
This thought holds that since human nature is good and bad habits are only infected later, social governance should start with moral education and persuade people to give up bad habits and return to the innate "good" situation, so that society will be peaceful.
In ancient times, China emphasized "educating the world", that is, educating ordinary people.
So Confucianism despises the legal system and values morality.
Confucianism believes that if people are taught by morality and etiquette, they will respect themselves and be completely convinced.
The Confucian theory of benevolence is very important.
Confucianism does not rely on force, emphasizing benevolence and morality as the only way to compete for and manage the world.
In the past thousands of years, this idea has been proved to be correct countless times.
Whoever can follow this law will succeed.
Anyone who violates this law is doomed to failure.
Moreover, this idea can be used not only for governing the country, but also for leaders at any level.
Even in modern society, it is completely applicable.
It will also apply in the future.
This is the crystallization of thousands of years of experience and wisdom in human history.
The Confucian theory of benevolence and virtue will never be out of date.
The core of Confucian ethics is a word "ceremony".
Since human nature is good, rulers should let people know self-control and return to that polite social state.
It is the so-called "self-denial."
This gift includes etiquette, etiquette, courtesy and rules and regulations.
Therefore, Confucianism requires people to know how to control themselves, restrain their desires, observe etiquette and eliminate violence in order to achieve a peaceful social environment.
It is this Confucian thought of "ethical code" that makes China a state of etiquette universally recognized.
There is nothing wrong with the concept of propriety, justice and shame.
Just change the part that is too rigid.
Therefore, Confucianism has formulated many specific etiquette for the society, which is embodied in the "three cardinal guides and five permanent members".
Mr. Li's concept of respecting the elderly is contained in this general ethics.
The three cardinal guides and the five permanent members have always been the object of criticism by anti-Confucianism.
From the perspective of modern society, these social norms do have many places that are not suitable for modern values.
However, these principles are only some manifestations of the application of Confucian moral thought to social norms.
People can say that these forms of expression are too rigid and inflexible; Or some forms have not adapted to the needs of modern society.
This is all understandable.
However, we must pay attention to the difference between form and content.
An idea can affect many aspects, and there will be countless forms of expression.
Just because a certain aspect is not applicable or a certain form is unreasonable, we can't think that this kind of thought has so much content in other occasions. Since Confucianism has so much content (this article is incomplete), people can't draw the conclusion that Confucianism is outdated just by one incident and one aspect.
If evaluated from an objective and historical standpoint, the historical contribution of Confucianism to the development and prosperity of China is indelible. Even today, some of its thoughts still exist places that should be inherited and carried forward.
Of course, Confucianism was formed more than two thousand years ago and developed in feudal society. It has historical limitations and is bound to have dross, which we must abandon and criticize.