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