An example of a philosophy would be Confucianism, founded by the Chinese philosopher, Confucius. And for a religion, a good example would be Buddhism, founded by Siddhartha Guatama, also known as “The Buddha”. Of the philosophies in China and the religions in India, Confucianism and Buddhism are the best. Of these two, though, Confucianism is the better of the two.
Confucianism was the first philosophy in China. Confucian ideas involved social order, harmony and a good government. Confucius also came up with the Five Relationships. They included:
- Ruler and subject
- Father and son
- Husband and wife
- Older and younger brothers
- And finally friends
He also came up with filial piety, which is when children pay respect to their elders, parents, and ancestors. A bureaucracy, which is a trained civil service, was his idea of a government. To be in the government, you had to have a good education.
Buddhism is an Indian religion that was developed off of Hinduism. Siddhartha didn't like the Hinduism beliefs, so he meditated for forty-nine days straight under a tree, hoping to reach enlightenment, and that was the start of Buddhism. His first preachings included the Four Noble Truths.
- Life is filled with suffering and sorrow
- The cause of all suffering is people's selfish desire for pleasure
- The way to end suffering is to end desires
- The way to overcome such desires and reach enlightenment is to follow the Eightfold path
Although monks and nuns had to live a life of poverty, the majority of the population were laborers and craftsmen due to the fact that Buddhism rejects the idea of the caste system.
Confucianism is the better of the two. Confucianism is a philosophy and does not have anything to do with the after life and gods. This means no praying or making sacrifices. Without all that, there is more time to A)work on the five relationships and B)make more money. Without the belief of "suffering is caused by desires", one could become as rich as one pleases without consequences.
