Confucianism, the Western name for the Chinese religious practice of Ju-chia, or the religion of "K'ung the Master," is an extension of the teachings of Taoism and has long been a major influence in Eastern life and philosophy, especially in China. Developed in the sixth century, B.C. this philosophy encourages the living of a sincere, fair and wise life in all dealings with other people and allows anyone to practice such beliefs (McDowell & Brown, 2009, 10.1). For many centuries it was the official ideology of China and it is still maintains a wide influence throughout the Eastern world. There are several basic tenets of the religion to which anyone practicing must try to adhere. Confucianism is fundamentally based upon the human aspects of its teachings and does not concern itself with the existence of gods or an afterlife. Instead of living one's life in the hopes of attaining an eternal life, adherents of Confucianism are instead implored to examine how their lives interact with others and to assess their own humanity....

The main tenet of this learning is a belief in and adherence to the teaching of Confucius as they are written in the Confucian Canon ((McDowell & Brown, 2009, 10.1). These written teaching lay out the other tenets of the faith.
Every person, it is written, should aspire to achieve the status of Junzi, roughly translated as "super man or gentleman" (McDowell & Brown, 2009, 10.1). This coincides with the belief in and practice of "ren," which means humanity (McDowell & Brown, 2009, 10.1). To that end, humans must concern themselves with individual development in the context of their relationships with other people, whether it is through love, kindness, compassion, generosity, or any other means. The rule reciprocity, also known as the "Silver Rule," is also a part of this tenet. A basic belief must also exist that human beings are inherently good and that evil is an unnatural occurrence disrupting the order of all existence (McDowell & Brown, 2009, 10.1).

Along with these tenets,…