Neo-Confucianism Essay -- Chinese Philosophy, Ming

Neo-Confucianism, with a goal of keeping unobscured the inborn bright Virtue true goodness of all men throughout the empire1 and thus establishing a affectionate harmony, was a complex ethical political system governing the golf club in late Ming China. Adopting the philosophy as their ideological legitimacy, Choson kingdom and Tokugawa tyranny applied it in different settings due to their structure of government and cultural background. However, they both inherited the main elements of the philosophy the notion of universal ruler encouraging mint to behave good, five virtues2, self-cultivation and five hierarchical relationships of society3. By means of traditions, rituals, laws, publications, educational institutions and many more, the philosophy was imbibed in the lives of Choson cost and Tokugawa samurai. Yet, as it was in Ming China, the governments of these two realms could not always control the interests of its people4 and make them adhere to the ideology. Complex sit uations of life together with the fallibility of human nature making people unable to always lead intellectual, moral and reserved life5 led to gaps between the philosophy and its experiences.The court of Choson kingdom, where the very state orthodoxy should be in effect(p) in its highest level, was ironically also a haven for its conflicts. wide royal family lived together in the court and exercised filial piety among separately other veneration between all family members including mourning for deceased ones and visits to the heritable tombs. Lady Hyegyong, in her memoirs, noted many examples of genuine filial devotion in the royal family that of King Yongjo himself preparing medicine for his ill stepmother, Queen Dowager Inwon6, and the sa... ...eeping himself to culture and frugality as Mori Yoshiki did. In order to get what he precious from others, he even could violate the principle of being true to oneself as he imitated committing hara-kiri. Yet, he then regretted the outcome of his easy life enchantment pondering over in his old age and was also galvanize with the findings that throughout the history, there were many who acted like him and made mistakes.Human beings argon mystery to themselves. Through law, through ideology, one can windlessness be not governed. Neo-Confucianism, with its practical appeal, attracted the governments and was applied. Though, as it claims to be, the philosophy could not be practiced naturally as it should be. Some parts were accepted, some not. People were still free on their own. However, Neo-Confucianism could shape lives of people and contributed its share to human civilization.