Saturday, May 26, 2007

Confucianism & Confused Students – Part One

Confucius was the most influential person in the past two thousand years of Chinese history. He was a philosopher and an educator. His father died when he was young, so he had to climb the ladder as a government employee. He never wrote or published anything when he was alive. It was his students who recalled and recorded his words after his death, and the collection became the Chinese equivalent of the Bible. Confucianism, however, is a way of life, not a religion.

According to what was recorded, Confucius was extreme and fastidious. He could lose sleep and forget to eat because he was touched by the beauty of a piece of music, but he wouldn’t eat unless it was prepared right. He only ate delicate, well-prepared food at the appropriate time of the day. If the ingredients were not cut properly, he wouldn’t eat it. If a meal was not served in the time he considered appropriate for dining, he’d rather starve until the next appropriate time to dine. He was a jock too; and like most jocks, he didn’t think much of women. He enjoyed sports, and was very skillful at archery, hunting, fishing, driving (?), and horseback riding. He did marry once, but his wife left him and he never bothered remarrying. Well, who could blame her, really.

According to Confucianism, a country is like a big family, with the Emperor as the head. In this hierarchical society, everyone should know his place and no one should ever challenge the authority. A person’s name and title represent his class in the society; hence everyone needs to know how to behave around other people. Manners are therefore important. The subordinate should always kowtow to the superior; a son must never disobey his father. One should always adjust the language one uses, both verbal and behavioral, based on the social class of the person one is talking to. It shouldn’t be surprising why it became a huge hit as soon as it was published: Based on this hierarchical pyramid, everyone must listen to the Emperor and no one else. Moreover, the absolute power an Emperor possesses is undeniable and indisputable because it’s determined by fate.

Confucianism quickly became the book to read for anyone who ever dreamed of becoming somebody one day in ancient China.

Back then, working for the government was a noble job, and millions of people each year applied for the few positions available. An Emperor in Tung Dynasty came up with the idea of establishing a selection process in which scholars from all over China would have a chance to express their interpretation of Confucianism. The rationale behind it is simple: people who thoroughly understand Confucianism are the best government employees. Such brilliance took the society by storm and it lasted for at least 1,200 years after that Emperor himself was long gone. That was the very first entrance exam in Chinese history.

According to the history textbook, Dr. Sun Yet-Sen demolished this selection system when he successfully overthrew the last Ching Emperor and established the Republic of China. However, anyone who knows a little bit about Chinese culture knows that the system still exists. This system has become a goal of life in ancient China and modern Asia. This system is the rotting core of Asian education. This system is the very reason that Asian students are good at memorization, not at invention and innovation. This system is why I’m getting up at 6 in the morning on a Saturday.


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