Asian Philosophy That Has Influence on the United States - Essay Example

 Confucius lived 2,500 years ago in Lu, a small state in Eastern China.  During this time, China was riddled with political strife and confusion during the reign of the Zhou dynasty which prompted him to develop his doctrine/philosophy of Confucianism on how to create a society that is founded on harmony and balance of which his political environment is devoid.  After the died at 73, his teachings spread throughout China and their influence still strongly reverberates today.

Confucianism as a philosophy and social ethic encourages a lifetime pursuit of moral excellence or to become better founded on the belief that everyone possesses the inherent capability to develop into an autonomous and self-governing person by developing the Ren. 

Ren is being perfected or inculcated through practice which is facilitated by Li or the process of cultivating one’s goodness.  Confucius also cited the Golden Rule or the law that states to treat everybody the way we want to be treated as one of the mechanisms that promotes virtue in the individual and society as well.  The practice of the Golden Rule benefits everyone and provides the necessary environment to cultivate the Ren.