Politics, Humanities, and Rural Homeland: The Prospects of Contemporary Confucianism

Abstract When observing the historical interaction between Confucianism and society, we see the origin of Confucian “learning” that began to take root during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. After Confucianism became the guiding political ideology during the Western Han Dynasty, a new social structure gradually came into being, featuring a close relationship between politics, humanities, rural homeland, and Confucian scholars playing their roles as scholar, official, and landed gentry. This was a rare phenomenon in the history of world civilization. It ensured the political power being handed down peacefully from generation to generation. It also guaranteed equal access to political opportunities, and the establishment of an orderly relationship between politics and culture, as well as between morality and social governance. However, after a century of twists and turns, Confucian scholars and Confucianism lost its way forward and its roots. Fortunately, the last four decades has seen a revival of Confucianism in China. Nonetheless, it still finds itself confronted by many modern-day challenges.