The flexibility of confucian thought in times of crisis

The article is devoted to the crisis of Confucianism in the history of Old and New China, the causes of these crises, and the ability of Confucianism to respond to the demands of the times, to change under the influence of political, historical and ideological metamorphoses. Particular attention is paid to the flexibility of the Confucian tradition, which for thousands of years has remained the main ethical teaching for the Chinese intelligentsia and a fundamental instrument of government. The reasons for the stability of the Confucian doctrine are explained through analysis of the orthodox canons which changed in response to crises. The role of commentators on traditional treatises who greatly enriched the teachings of Confucius and contributed to its flexibility in the face of impending crises is also considered. The article also considers the stylistic changes carried out by the neo-Confucians under the guidance of the famous philosopher Zhu Xi. Those changes temporarily made Confucianism more resistant to all kinds of cataclysms, but in the end it was these changes that played a crucial role in the fundamental crisis in its teachings. There is no denying that the literature of Old and New China exposed all the flaws in Confucian morality. The criticism of Confucianism is especially thorough in the satirical literature that best highlights all the defects of Confucian orthodoxy. The article concludes with an examination of the role of Confucianism in modern China, and Xi Jinping’s new course is analyzed by invoking traditional Chinese thought, which abounds in his works and speeches. The reasons for the stability and flexibility of Confucian thought are explained.by reference to the thumbnail sketch of Chinese history in the article. © Gaidar Institute Press, 2018