Chinese religious and ethical systemsIt has often been said that the Chinese are not deeply religious. It is true that they showed relative indifference towards metaphysical speculation; Chinese culture was perhaps the first to develop an intellectual skepticism toward the gods.ConfucianismConfucius (Kong Zi) lived from 551 to 479 BC in the state of Lu (in modern Shandong province). He came from a family of officials and his concern was to restore the Way (Dao) of the ancient sages. His teaching was therefore mainly linked to society and its government. He advocated strict conformity and believed that fostering correct behavior, within the family context, would produce an orderly society. He was not particularly interested in religion, except as it related to social life. However, in 59 AD, during the Han dynasty, it was decreed that the sacrifice must be made to Confucius, which began a process that would make Confucian philosophy Confucian philosophy. foundation of the Chinese political order. Confucius himself had only accepted the legitimacy of sacrifice to his own ancestors, but now an official Confucian cult emerged, with its own temples. It was gradually linked to the state cult of the emperor. Beginning in the fifth century AD, Confucian orthodoxy declined in the face of the popularity of Buddhism and Taoism. But a renaissance occurred during the Sung dynasty when Confucianism responded to the challenge and developed its own metaphysics. This new trend became known as Neo-Confucianism and its main exponent was Zhu Xi (1130-1200). It then became the main orthodoxy of scholars until the demise of the imperial system in 1912. In contemporary China, Confucian worship has disappeared, but the Confucian approach to government and society retains a powerful hold on many people . Taoism (Taoism) The origins of Taoism are obscure, but it was initially considered a rival to Confucianism. The teachings of early Taoism are attributed to Lao Zi in the 5th century BC, who is the reputed author of the most influential Taoist text, the Dao De Jing (The Way and Its Power). Where the Confucian emphasized ethical action, the Taoist spoke of the virtue of Wu Wei (non-action), which followed the flow of things. Like the Confucians, the Taoists were looking toward a golden age. The good leader, they believed, guided his people with humility, without seeking to interfere with the rhythms of social life conducted within the broader framework of the natural world and the entire cosmos...