紀元前6世紀に成立した儒教の教え。人間愛と規範に基づく理想社会の実現を説いた孔子の思想の伝統は、2600年もの間中国に影響を与え続けてきました。19-20世紀には近代化の進む西洋と日本の間で、中国の封建主義や発展の遅れの原因として糾弾され、改革や脱却が試みられたこともあります。中国人の日常に密接に関わり続けてきた儒教の思想と歴史に加え、今日の儒教再生の動きが、中国の政府と人にとってどんな意味を持つのかについても考えます。
　　　

• A lucid and concise introduction to the philosophical tenets of Confucianism
• Gives serious consideration to Confucianism in practice and the profound impact it has had, and is having, in Chinese political and social realms
• Analyzes the major philosophical ideas of the Confucian tradition, beginning with the original vision
• Traces the influence of Confucianism from its origins to the present day

 
To understand China, it is essential to understand Confucianism. First formulated in the sixth century BCE, the teachings of Confucius would come to dominate Chinese society, politics, economics, and ethics. In this Very Short Introduction, Daniel K. Gardner explores the major philosophical ideas of the Confucian tradition, showing their profound impact on state ideology and imperial government, the civil service examination system, domestic life, and social relations over the course of twenty-six centuries. Gardner focuses on two of the Sage's most crucial philosophical problems-what makes for a good person, and what constitutes good government-and demonstrates the enduring significance of these questions today.
  
This volume shows the influence of the Sage's teachings over the course of Chinese history—on state ideology, the civil service examination system, imperial government, the family, and social relations—and the fate of Confucianism in China in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as China developed alongside a modernizing West and Japan. Some Chinese intellectuals attempted to reform the Confucian tradition to address new needs; others argued for jettisoning it altogether in favor of Western ideas and technology; still others condemned it angrily, arguing that Confucius and his legacy were responsible for China's feudal, ''backward'' conditions in the twentieth century and launching campaigns to eradicate its influences. Yet Chinese continue to turn to the teachings of Confucianism for guidance in their daily lives.
 
In addition to a survey of the philosophy and history of Confucianism, Gardner offers an examination of the resurgence of Confucianism in China today, and explores what such a revival means for the Chinese government and the Chinese people.