Confucian Analects

1. Confucianism, because of its lack of a god like figure, cannot be considered anything more than a philosophy or a way of life. Confucianism teaches how people should live their lives, but there is no exact, definite mention of a god, even though there are several mentions of a heaven.

2. The first two chapters of the Analects describe whether a person is born good or bad. It suggests that people can choose which path to go down. The Master describes this way of thought when he says "If for three years he does not alter from the way of his father, he may be called filial"(9-10).  The quote shows that if a person deviates from the ways of his father, then he is a bad person, whereas if he doesn't, he is a good one. The Master also says that, "...you will have few occasions for repentance" (18). This shows that even in life, you can waiver between good and bad, and that second chances were given. The quote "When one gives few occasions for blame in his words, and few occasions for repentance in his conduct, he is in the way to get emolument"(24) reinforces the idea of second chances, and the book gives reasons to follow the guidelines that it sets.