Chapter 2

Chapter 2 highlights the different religions in Asia and how it was closely connected to everyday life. Confucianism in China is a set of ethical rules or moral philosophies -very different compared to other religions that deal with theology and otherworldly matters. Confucianism teachings contain a highly distinctive set of values, norms, and social order. 

Confucianism values education, ethics, social justice, and integrity. Many of these values are still prevalent in China today. I have family in Southern China in Macau, Hong Kong, and Guang Zhou and Confucianism explains why my family do the things they do. They highly value a good education and that is a considered a social status almost. Asian parents LOVE to compare their children with other asian parents. For example, a mom would brag about her child being accepted into Stanford and another would brag about their child being accepted into UC Berkeley. Schooling is usually the #1 topic at family gatherings and that just highlights how highly the Chinese value education--nevermind graduating and getting a good job.

Social harmony was also an important aspect in Confucianism. Social harmony meaning everybody knew their place. For example, a servant should not rebel against their master or a son should not rebel against their father. A husband should also show benevolence to his wife and in return, the wife should respect the husband. This kind of family harmony was central to Confucian thought and is prevalent in Asian culture. In my family, respect for your elders was very important. I never understood why Asian families tend to have a similar level of respect for elders until I learned about the basics of Confucianism and I begin to see it in my own family and other Asian families as well.