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Confucianism
Contributed by: McLoughlin
  • 1. Confucianism is a philosophical and ethical system based on the teachings of Confucius, a Chinese sage and philosopher who lived over 2,500 years ago. Central to Confucianism are principles such as filial piety, loyalty, righteousness, and the importance of ritual. These teachings emphasize the cultivation of virtues and moral character in order to create a harmonious and just society. Confucianism has had a profound influence on Chinese culture and society, shaping values, relationships, and governance for centuries.

    Who is the founder of Confucianism?
A) Laozi
B) Confucius
C) Buddha
D) Mencius
  • 2. Which text contains the teachings of Confucius?
A) Analects
B) Bhagavad Gita
C) The Art of War
D) Tao Te Ching
  • 3. What is the Confucian concept of 'ren' often translated as?
A) Harmony
B) Enlightenment
C) Benevolence
D) Suffering
  • 4. Which dynasty embraced Confucianism as its state ideology in China?
A) Ming Dynasty
B) Qin Dynasty
C) Han Dynasty
D) Tang Dynasty
  • 5. Which social institution is emphasized in Confucianism for maintaining harmony?
A) Family
B) Education
C) Religion
D) Government
  • 6. Who was another significant Confucian philosopher besides Confucius?
A) Huineng
B) Bodhidharma
C) Mencius
D) Sunzi
  • 7. What is the Confucian ideal of a 'junzi' often translated as?
A) Monk
B) Warrior
C) Gentleman
D) Artist
  • 8. What does the Confucian concept of 'Xiao' refer to?
A) Spiritual enlightenment
B) Filial piety
C) Compassion
D) Selflessness
  • 9. What is another name for Confucianism?
A) Shinto
B) Daoism
C) Buddhism
D) Ruism
  • 10. During which era was Confucianism founded?
A) Hundred Schools of Thought era (c. 500 BCE)
B) Warring States period
C) Qin dynasty
D) Han dynasty
  • 11. Which virtue in Confucianism means 'benevolence'?
A) Zhi (智)
B) Yi (義)
C) Li (禮)
D) Ren (仁)
  • 12. What philosophical system emerged during the Tang dynasty in response to Buddhism and Taoism?
A) Mohism
B) Daoism
C) Legalism
D) Neo-Confucianism
  • 13. In which year was the imperial examination system abolished, marking a decline in state-endorsed Confucianism?
A) 1905
B) 1950
C) 1949
D) 1911
  • 14. Which Chinese reformer's principles were embraced as an alternative to Confucianism in the early 20th century?
A) Sun Yat-sen
B) Chiang Kai-shek
C) Deng Xiaoping
D) Mao Zedong
  • 15. What is credited with the rise of the East Asian economy in the late twentieth century?
A) Confucian work ethic
B) Socialism
C) Capitalism
D) Communism
  • 16. Which country established a national Confucian Church in 2015?
A) China
B) Japan
C) Vietnam
D) South Korea
  • 17. How does American philosopher Herbert Fingarette describe Confucianism?
A) As a purely political ideology
B) As a philosophical system which regards 'the secular as sacred'
C) As a form of mysticism
D) As a religion focused on an omnipotent deity
  • 18. Which virtue in Confucianism is associated with 'propriety'?
A) Zhi (智)
B) Ren (仁)
C) Yi (義)
D) Li (禮)
  • 19. What does the Confucian concept of 'tian' refer to?
A) An omnipotent deity
B) Human destiny
C) The physical sky
D) A transcendent moral order
  • 20. What is a core focus of Confucianism?
A) Virtue, social harmony, and familial responsibility
B) Military strength
C) Economic prosperity
D) Individual freedom
  • 21. What is the closest catch-all term for Confucianism in Chinese?
A) Ruism
B) Kǒngjiào
C) Traditionalist
D) Rú
  • 22. Which of these terms is used to denote 'the ru school of thought'?
A) Kǒngjiào
B) Rújiā
C) 孔家店
D) Rúxué
  • 23. What does the term 'Rú' literally mean in modern Chinese?
A) 'Water'
B) 'Shamanic methods of holding rites'
C) 'Confucius's religious doctrine'
D) 'Scholar', 'learned', or 'refined man'
  • 24. Which term refers to Confucius's family's business and is considered pejorative?
A) Rújiā
B) 孔家店
C) Kǒngjiào
D) Ruism
  • 25. What does the term 'Rúxué' translate to?
A) 'Water symbol'
B) 'Ru studies'
C) 'Confucius's teachings'
D) 'Traditionalist philosophy'
  • 26. Which scholar suggests using 'Traditionalist' as a translation for Confucianism?
A) David Schaberg
B) Robert Eno
C) Zhou Youguang
D) Yuri Pines
  • 27. Which term is used by some modern scholars instead of 'Confucianism'?
A) 'Ruism'
B) Rúxué
C) Traditionalist
D) Kǒngjiào
  • 28. What does 'Kǒngjiào' mean?
A) 'Ru studies'
B) 'Traditionalist philosophy'
C) 'The ru school of thought'
D) 'Confucius's religious doctrine'
  • 29. Who edited the received versions of the Five Classics around 500 years after Confucius?
A) Confucius
B) Imperial Librarian Liu Xin
C) Tu Weiming
D) Yao Xinzhong
  • 30. What are the four functional occupations described in the Book of Rites?
A) Poet, musician, painter, calligrapher
B) King, minister, general, commoner
C) Farmer, scholar, artisan, merchant
D) Teacher, student, parent, elder
  • 31. Which scholar studied Confucianism as a diffused civil religion in contemporary China?
A) Stephan Feuchtwang
B) Kang Youwei
C) Confucius
D) Joël Thoraval
  • 32. How does Confucius view the importance of rituals and sacrifices?
A) They have ethical importance, generating good life by overcoming the self.
B) They should be performed without personal involvement.
C) They are only symbolic with no real impact.
D) They are unnecessary for spiritual growth.
  • 33. Which virtue is shared between the Five Constants and the classical four virtues?
A) Zhi (wisdom, knowledge)
B) Yi (righteousness, justice)
C) Ren (benevolence, humaneness)
D) Li (propriety, rites)
  • 34. According to Xunzi, what did the ancient sage-kings do with names?
A) Invented new languages
B) Standardized names across different cultures
C) Created abstract concepts for philosophical debate
D) Chose names that directly corresponded with actualities
  • 35. Which Confucian virtue is about 'wisdom, knowledge'?
A) Xin (sincerity, faithfulness)
B) Ren (benevolence, humaneness)
C) Zhi (智; zhì)
D) Yi (righteousness, justice)
  • 36. What does Bell advocate for local officials?
A) Local officials are descendants of Confucius.
B) Local officials are selected via examination.
C) Local officials are democratically elected.
D) Local officials are selected by peers.
  • 37. What was the 'Mandate of Heaven' according to Zhou theology?
A) A military strategy for conquest
B) A form of ancestor worship
C) An economic policy
D) A divine favor bestowed on virtuous rulers.
  • 38. What practical form do duties in Confucian relationships often take?
A) Written laws
B) Spontaneous actions
C) Personal choices
D) Prescribed rituals
  • 39. Which philosopher's philosophy was opposed to Confucianism from the start?
A) Laozi
B) Confucius
C) Sun Lutang
D) Han Fei
  • 40. Which philosopher was attracted to Confucianism due to its perceived similarity to his own philosophy?
A) Matteo Ricci
B) Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
C) Prospero Intorcetta
D) Voltaire
  • 41. Which term describes the extension of reciprocity or responsibility beyond filial piety in Confucianism?
A) Renqing
B) Li
C) Zhi
D) Yi
  • 42. What is the role of juniors in Confucian relationships?
A) Ignore seniors
B) Compete with seniors
C) Lead seniors
D) Owe their seniors reverence
  • 43. What principle does Tongdong Bai use to justify political inequality?
A) The principle of one person, one vote.
B) The principle of liberal democracy.
C) A proto-Rawlsian 'political difference principle'.
D) The principle of economic meritocracy.
  • 44. Which virtue emphasizes a sense of right and wrong in Confucianism?
A) Lián (廉)
B) Chǐ (耻)
C) Yǒng (勇)
D) Gōng (恭)
  • 45. What traditionalist Confucian concept supports the idea of superiors deciding promotions?
A) Epistemic paternalism
B) Democratic selection
C) Social mobility
D) Meritocratic equality
  • 46. How is Ren expressed according to Confucian philosophy?
A) Through meditation
B) Through interpersonal relationships
C) Through isolation
D) Through material wealth
  • 47. During which period did Confucius live?
A) 551–479 BC
B) 1046–256 BC
C) 960–1279 AD
D) 221–206 BC
  • 48. What do xiaoren seek according to Confucian philosophy?
A) inner peace through virtue
B) ethical and moral development
C) long-term benefits for others
D) only immediate gains
  • 49. What does a superior man require in his words, according to Confucius?
A) Humor and wit
B) Nothing incorrect
C) Complexity and depth
D) Poetic beauty
  • 50. What is the main advantage of democracy that Bell and Wang aim to conserve in their system?
A) Involving the people in public affairs at the local level.
B) Grounding authority in something sacred and traditional.
C) Creating a tricameral government structure.
D) Ensuring all officials are elected democratically.
  • 51. Which futurologist is credited with attributing Vietnam's rapid redevelopment to its post-war efforts?
A) Cristobal Kay
B) John Maynard Keynes
C) Adam Smith
D) Herman Kahn
  • 52. How does Stephan Feuchtwang describe rites?
A) "What makes the invisible visible"
B) "A method for personal enlightenment"
C) "A way to accumulate wealth"
D) "An obstacle to progress"
  • 53. During which period did philosophers build upon the legacy of Confucius?
A) Han dynasty
B) Tang dynasty
C) Warring States period
D) Song dynasty
  • 54. Which Pope ordered a ban on Chinese rituals during the Rites Controversy?
A) Pope Gregory XVII
B) Pope John Paul II
C) Pope Leo XIII
D) Pope Benedict XIV
  • 55. Who criticized Confucianism for shaping Chinese people into a feudalistic society in the New Culture Movement?
A) Sun Lutang
B) Lu Xun
C) Mozi
D) Han Fei
  • 56. Who proposes a model where aspiring meritocrats take hyper-selective exams and prove themselves at local government levels?
A) Tongdong Bai
B) Bell
C) Jiang Qing
D) Wang
  • 57. What term do Bell and Wang use to describe their approach to political hierarchies?
A) Political equality.
B) Virtue politics.
C) Progressive conservatism.
D) Meritocratic liberalism.
  • 58. What term describes morally inferior people in Confucianism?
A) xiaoren
B) junzi
C) sage
D) ren
  • 59. Who began the synthesis of Warring States Confucianism with other ideas during the Han dynasty?
A) Zhuangzi
B) Dong Zhongshu
C) Confucius
D) Laozi
  • 60. What does 'Xin' represent in the Five Constants?
A) Benevolence, humaneness
B) Righteousness, justice
C) Sincerity, faithfulness
D) Propriety, rites
  • 61. Which city is home to the Yangming Confucian Abode?
A) Qufu City
B) Beijing
C) Shanghai
D) Guiyang, Guizhou
  • 62. What did Huang Zongxi criticize about the imperial system?
A) The lack of moral rectitude among rulers
B) The absence of loyalty from ministers
C) Its autocratic nature
D) The emphasis on filial piety
  • 63. In Confucianism, what does 'filial piety' refer to?
A) Chǐ (耻)
B) Xiào (孝)
C) Jié (节; 節)
D) Zhōng (忠)
  • 64. What is the foundation of a ruler's authority and the submission of its people in Confucianism?
A) Economic incentives and rewards
B) A spiritual-ethical foundation rather than coercive power
C) Fear of punishment
D) Military strength and conquests
  • 65. Which philosophy heavily influenced many educated martial artists from the 19th century onwards?
A) Confucianism
B) Legalism
C) Mohism
D) Daoism
  • 66. What did Confucius say when Yan Hui asked about the criteria of Ren?
A) "Ren is only for the wise and learned."
B) "If contrary to ritual, do not look; if contrary to ritual, do not listen; if contrary to ritual, do not speak; if contrary to ritual, do not act."
C) "Ren can be practiced without Li."
D) "Ren is achieved through meditation and solitude."
  • 67. Who published a manifesto in 2003 suggesting that Confucian education should be integrated into official education?
A) Kang Xiaoguang
B) Jiang Qing
C) Zhou Beichen
D) Confucius
  • 68. Who was among the earliest to report on the thoughts of Confucius in Europe?
A) Matteo Ricci
B) Voltaire
C) Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
D) Prospero Intorcetta
  • 69. Who was a Muslim warlord influenced by Confucianism in modern Chinese history?
A) Ma Fuxiang
B) Sun Yat-sen
C) Mao Zedong
D) Chiang Kai-shek
  • 70. Which Confucian virtue is not part of the Five Constants?
A) Li
B) Ren
C) Yi
D) Bravery
  • 71. Which rebellion described Confucian sages as devils?
A) The Boxer Rebellion
B) The Taiping Rebellion
C) The Cultural Revolution
D) The Xinhai Revolution
  • 72. Which city's Confucian Academy expanded its activities to mainland China?
A) Qufu City
B) Beijing
C) Hong Kong
D) Shanghai
  • 73. Who is depicted as having a conversation with Confucius in the Xiaojing?
A) Mencius.
B) Yan Hui.
C) Laozi.
D) Zeng Shen.
  • 74. Who is the first spiritual leader of the Holy Confucian Church?
A) Kang Xiaoguang
B) Confucius
C) Jiang Qing
D) Zhou Beichen
  • 75. Which movement criticized Confucianism for fostering a 'slave mentality'?
A) The Taiping Rebellion
B) The Boxer Rebellion
C) The Cultural Revolution
D) The New Culture Movement
  • 76. What symbol was associated with the supreme godhead and unlimited power in ancient Chinese belief?
A) The tiger
B) The phoenix
C) The dragon
D) The crane
  • 77. In which year did guoxue start being implemented in public schools on all levels?
A) 2015
B) 2003
C) 2005
D) 1999
  • 78. What does Tongdong Bai argue Confucian political thought departs from?
A) The 'one person, one vote' model
B) Individual rights
C) Economic liberalism
D) Freedom of speech
  • 79. Who wrote 'Lessons for Women' during the Han dynasty?
A) Ban Zhao
B) Zhu Xi
C) Cheng Yi
D) Sima Guang
  • 80. What is 'Loyalty' referred to in Confucianism?
A) Xiào
B) Zhì
C) Zhōng
D) Jié
  • 81. What is the Confucian ideal of good government led by?
A) A superior man (junzi)
B) The most intelligent person in the kingdom
C) An elected official
D) A military leader
  • 82. What should a proper Confucian ruler do to govern better?
A) Ignore the opinions of his ministers
B) Accept his ministers' advice
C) Dismiss any form of criticism
D) Rule with absolute authority
  • 83. Which South Korean writer wrote 'Confucius Must Die For the Nation to Live'?
A) Lu Xun
B) Han Fei
C) Sun Lutang
D) Kim Kyong-il
  • 84. Which theory does Ban Zhao use to explain the complementarity of male and female roles?
A) Luxuriant Dew
B) Yin-yang theory
C) Four Virtues
D) The Three Obediences
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