Confucius: And the World He Created, by Michael Schuman
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Confucius: And the World He Created, by Michael Schuman
Best Ebook Confucius: And the World He Created, by Michael Schuman
Confucius is perhaps the most important philosopher in history. Today, his teachings shape the daily lives of more than 1.6 billion people. Throughout East Asia, Confucius’s influence can be seen in everything from business practices and family relationships to educational standards and government policies. Even as western ideas from Christianity to Communism have bombarded the region, Confucius’s doctrine has endured as the foundation of East Asian culture. It is impossible to understand East Asia, journalist Michael Schuman demonstrates, without first engaging with Confucius and his vast legacy.Confucius created a worldview that is in many respects distinct from, and in conflict with, Western culture. As Schuman shows, the way that East Asian companies are managed, how family members interact with each other, and how governments see their role in society all differ from the norm in the West due to Confucius’s lasting impact. Confucius has been credited with giving East Asia an advantage in today’s world, by instilling its people with a devotion to learning, and propelling the region’s economic progress. Still, the sage has also been highly controversial. For the past 100 years, East Asians have questioned if the region can become truly modern while Confucius remains so entrenched in society. He has been criticized for causing the inequality of women, promoting authoritarian regimes, and suppressing human rights.Despite these debates, East Asians today are turning to Confucius to help them solve the ills of modern life more than they have in a century. As a wealthy and increasingly powerful Asia rises on the world stage, Confucius, too, will command a more prominent place in global culture.Touching on philosophy, history, and current affairs, Confucius tells the vivid, dramatic story of the enigmatic philosopher whose ideas remain at the heart of East Asian civilization.
Confucius: And the World He Created, by Michael Schuman- Amazon Sales Rank: #145352 in Books
- Brand: Schuman, Michael
- Published on: 2015-03-03
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.25" h x 1.13" w x 6.13" l, .92 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 320 pages
Review Winner of the 2015 Nautilus Book Award winner in the Religion/Spirituality of Eastern Thought categoryWall Street Journal“Lively and well-rounded.... A very satisfying account.”Asian Review of Books“Wonderful.... No reader could do better than Michael Schuman as a contemporary guide to Confucius. Confucius emerges from these pages a real human figure, not an icon from the past, and his philosophy is attractive and alive, too.”Literary Review (UK)“Schuman has done a difficult thing. He has produced a book introducing new readers to a great subject in plainly written English, while explaining with considerable force the ideas related to that subject, which happens to be one on which academics and politicians hold strongly differing opinions. [An] enlightening and well-balanced book.”Open Letters Monthly“It’s not easy to write well for non-experts about a deeply foreign system of thought. It’s virtually impossible to do so fairly when that system has developed over millennia and continues to animate people increasingly feared as civilizational rivals. But Michael Schuman has done it, telling the story of Confucianism, explaining what makes it unique, and considering with refreshing fairness the challenge it poses to the complacency of western culture — all in a short book composed with the vivid energy of journalism.”Publishers Weekly“Part biography, part history, and part analysis of Chinese current affairs, this remarkable book…traces the lasting influence of Confucianism in China, despite enormous political and social changes in Chinese society.”Library Journal“A great read for anyone interested in Confucius, philosophy, or culture in East Asia.”NPR’s International Desk’s list of Favorite Reads of 2015“The book has an interesting structure that looks at Confucius from various angles — as a man, a sage, a chauvinist, a businessman — that allows Schuman to track Confucius' life, teachings and relevance over time. Schuman sprinkles easily digestible anecdotes throughout the book including original reporting and observations of his own.”O.A. Westad, author of Restless Empire: China and the World since 1750“A fine account of Confucius’ world, and of the use and misuse of the Master’s thinking throughout Chinese history. Whoever wants to understand China must start with Master Kong!”Jon Huntsman, former United States Ambassador to China“Michael Schuman’s book is nothing short of indispensable reading for anyone trying to comprehend the local, regional, and global impact of China and its motivating philosophical underpinnings. Today’s China is an extension of its past and Confucius’ guiding influence remains at its core. China is incomprehensible without this intellectual framework. To that end, Confucius is a generationally significant contribution.”Evan Osnos, author of Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China“To understand the philosophical heart of East Asia, read this book. In his vibrant and engaging portrait of Confucius, Michael Schuman gives us the sage as we've never seen him, undeniably shaping modern politics, business, and private life for a quarter of humanity. It is a marvel of intelligent research, great reporting, and clear analysis.”John Negroponte, former Director of National Intelligence“Michael Schuman skillfully traces the ebb and flow of Confucius’ influence through the millennia. He also reflects on the enduring impact of Confucian thought on the lives of millions of contemporary East Asians. As the United States’ attention shifts increasingly towards that part of the world, Schuman’s book enriches our understanding of the values underlying that dynamic region.”Christopher Patten, former British Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Hong Kong“This fascinating book rescues Confucius, his teaching, and his wisdom from the authoritarian embrace which has so distorted what we should learn from the Analects. Michael Schuman helps us to better understand Asia’s past, present, and indeed future.”
About the Author Michael Schuman has been a correspondent for Time and the Wall Street Journal, covering Asia and the global economy. The author of The Miracle: The Epic Story of Asia’s Quest for Wealth, Schuman lives in Beijing, China.
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18 of 21 people found the following review helpful. Essential to Understanding the Recent Successes of Far Eastern Nations By Loyd Eskildson Confucian societies have arguably been the world's most successful since WWII. Confucian values such as thrift and a devotion to hard work have gotten much of the credit. However, the truth is much more complex - for example, East Asian counties have further benefited from exceptionally strong governance compared to most developing nations, partly due to a Confucian-inspired preference among the most talented to seek public service. Confucius has also been blamed for suppressing women, stifling innovation by junior staffers (suppressed by top-down decision-making), impoverishing peasant, encouraging despotism, and sparking financial crises. Reality, Confucianism has evolved over the 1,500+ years since its originator died.Born in the sixth-century B.C., Confucius considered filial piety the foundation of a peaceful and prosperous society. Per Confucius, there is no more important relationship within society than that between father and son. His adherents contend that the morals and rules of propriety learned within the family are easily transferable to society at large. Confucius never claimed his teachings were divinely revealed, never wove tales about the creation of the world or the origins of man, nor did he speculate on the afterlife. His goals was to teach people to be virtuous and put that virtue to use building a better society. The benefit received for doing a good deed was the knowledge that you'd behaved honorably and perhaps done some good for the world.Per Confucius, a minister in a government should administer his responsibilities wisely and serve his ruler loyally. If that minister shirked his responsibilities, acted for personal gain rather than public good, or usurped the power of the sovereign, he was not living up to his duties and could not be called a minister. Citizens have responsibilities as well - to pay taxes, serve in the armed forces, and be respectful to the sovereign. If they did not, they were not proper citizens. The ruler was supposed to be benevolent (respectful, tolerant, trustworthy, generous, and quick) to the people, governing in their best interests and caring for their welfare. If the ruler lazed about all day in luxury, amassed great wealth at the expense of the common man, or ignored affairs of state, then he too had no right to his title. The leader should encourage the people to work hard by setting an example himself.'Do not impose on others what you yourself would not desire' - a Confucian statement predating the Golden Rule by hundreds of years.Dong Zhongshu (a disciple) recommended that the emperor establish a national university to train scholars to serve in the bureaucracy. In 136 B.C., study of the Five Classics became a prerequisite for attaining official academic posts, and in 124 B.C. an Imperial University was opened to train civil servants with a curriculum based on the classics.In 960, the Song dynasty took hold of China and its leaders embraced Confucianism with a fervor unmatched by prior rulers. The new emperor (19 years old) reinstated civil service exams and greatly expanded their scope and influence. They became the primary route to lucrative and respected government service. Books became more widely available - moveable type was invented in 11th century China) and an authoritative compilation of Confucian classics became available in 1011. This did not, however, preclude debate about optimal public policies.Much of the 1800's brought challenges from belligerent foreigners. China had lost two Opium Wars with Great Britain - the first, in the early 1840's, cost it Hong Kong and the second resulted in the looting and burning of the Summer Palace outside Beijing. France, Germany, Russia, and especially Japan had also humiliated China - the latter cost China its rule over Korea. At the same time, European missionaries were scouring the countryside for converts and criticizing Chinese traditions. Confucius came in for considerable blame - eg. discouraging the educated from probing math and the sciences - instead focusing on memorizing Confucian doctrine. (This begs the question of 'Why did Chinese science previously lead the world, Confucius notwithstanding?') Others contended China needed more Confucius-type thinking.Regardless, the Qing Dynasty collapsed in 1911, plunging China into chaos for nearly 70 years and costing the lives of tens of millions. Discontent over China's failure to prevent Britain and others from awarding Japan rights over Chinese territory previously held by Germany as part of the Treaty of Versailles brought even more antagonism towards Confucianism; Mao Zedong imbibed this anti-Confucianism and declared war on Confucianism after founding the People's Republic in 1949. Books were burned, temples and monuments burned and torn down, scholars driven out of colleges, and eventually all formal education ceased during the Cultural Revolution. Confucianism, however, lived on in the homes of China's populace.Filial obligations were a never-ending pursuit that shaped most major family decisions, aided by eg. 'The Book of Rites' and popularized short fables. After Mao, Confucianism was also used by leaders to engender loyalty to the state.Some Asian writers blame filial piety as one reason Asians in the U.S. have generally failed to grasped leadership positions. A 2013 of China's 185 million citizens over age 60 found that while only 38% were living with their children (the traditional mode) and far fewer marriages were arranged by parents, nearly 89% of the elderly in China requiring assistance in daily activities received that from family members, and 47% not living with their children still received financial support from them.Asia's obsession with education comes directly from Confucius. His ideas on the importance of learning may be the only aspect of his teachings that have survived largely unscathed - because of the positive influence those ideas have had. Top performers in Asian schools are the most admired by other children. Per Confucius, 'To love benevolence without loving learning is liable to lead to follishness. To love trustworthiness without loving learning is liable to lead to harmful behavior.'Confucius believed that the first place to find fault was within oneself. Confucius also contended that everyone was deserving of education and the opportunities that came with it. Society ought to be a meritocracy. (Except for women - they weren't even admitted to the civil-service exams.)Families in East Asia today are often measured by which university accepts their children. Critics contend there is too much emphasis on memorization, not enough on creativity. Confucius taught via debate, and criticized those who slavishly followed whatever he said.Confucius believed that ensuring prosperity was one of the primary tasks of any good government. ('How could a person remain ethical if he was starving?') He was also biased against merchants - seeing them as simply selling what others had created.Lee Kuan Yew (former Singapore P.M.) contends that because of Confucian values, East Asians place the interests of the community over those of individuals, and that a Confucian society does not require detailed laws - underlying principles can guide. He also contends that 'The weakness of democracy is the assumption that all men are equal and capable of equal contribution to the common good.' Lee further asserts that when the rights of the individual are put above all, the greater community suffers, that the individualistic pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness has degenerated into moral decadence and selfishness in America. 'The success of a government depends not on its process or structure, but on the individuals running it. We decide what is right. Never mind what the people think.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Great way to understand China By C. P. Anderson I lived in Hong Kong for a short while about 25 years ago. Ever since, I’ve been trying to figure out Chinese culture.One thing that always struck me was that Confucius was behind a lot of it. I never was interested enough to read the Analects, but now it looks like I don’t have to. This book does a wonderful job confirming my thoughts, and explaining exactly how, why, and to what degree Confucius became so central.The book also does an excellent job showing the strengths of Confucianism (the emphasis on education, say) and the weaknesses (for example, the hierarchical, rather subservient nature of society). It also, though, does a wonderful job showing how Confucianism changed over the years, usually to support the next ruling clique to come along. Schuman points out, though, that the essentials of Confucianism remain the same, and are much more sophisticated and worthy of study.There are plenty of books out there that purport to explain Chinese culture. Some are better than others, but I would probably recommend this book as the place to go.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. The Malleability of Confucianism By Amazon Customer It took me a while to warm to this book. Schuman has been a foreign correspondent for Time Magazine and the WSJ, and his book is written in Time's breezy, informal style. "Confucius" is a bit repetitive and can feel superficial, but ends up covering its subject pretty well. Part of my initial frustration was the lack of any clear definition in the book of the Confucian creed is. The reason for this, I gradually realized, is that no definitive, canonical statement of such a creed exists. The Analects, apparently, is the closest there is. Given the somewhat amorphous and fragmented nature of Confucius’ written legacy, Schuman does a good job showing how his teachings have been reinterpreted and manipulated in different historical eras. His most interesting chapters, I thought, are those showing the continuing influence of Confucian values in east Asia today: in business, in politics, in education, in family values.The core concepts of Confucianism, as I understand them from this book are: the family as the institution core of society, and a strongly hierarchical (and patriarchal) view of the ideal social order, based on interlocking sets of reciprocal obligations between superiors and subordinates. Schuman’s account frequently reminded me of Plato’s Republic, not least in that the Confucian model shares the same weakness: success of the system depends almost entirely upon getting the right “guardian/rulers” on top. If not, and you end up with a “bad emperor” (or bad father, husband, CEO, etc.), and there is no self-correcting mechanism. Or as Schuman puts it: “the mortal flaw in (Confucius’) teachings can be found…in his undying and ultimately misplaced faith in humanity.”
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