Neokonfucianism is an updated and systematized Confucianism that emerged in China in the eleventh century and became the spiritual and value core of traditional culture in East Asia. This is not just a return to Confucius's teachings, but a creative reinterpretation in response to the challenges of Buddhism and Taoism.

Key Ideas and Representatives

The founder is considered to be Zhou Dunyi, but the leading role was played by the Cheng brothers' school — Zhu Xi, also known as the Principle School.

The concept of \"li\" became central to this doctrine — a universal law that governs all the cosmos, including moral norms. Zhu Xi, who lived from 1130 to 1200, developed a dualistic system where \"li\" precedes \"qi\" — the material pneuma, but cannot exist without it. His synthesis became the orthodox ideology in China from 1313 to the beginning of the twentieth century, and also the basis for state examinations.

Spread in East Asia

Neokonfucianism went far beyond China and took root in neighboring countries.

South Korea: An Hyang is considered the founder, who brought Zhu Xi's works from China in the late thirteenth century. During the Joseon Dynasty, Chusism became the state ideology, shaping society for over five hundred years.

Japan: Spread during the Edo period thanks to Fujiwara Seika and Hayashi Razan, becoming the ideological support of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Vietnam: Also experienced significant influence from this doctrine.

Internal Struggle of Schools

Within neokonfucianism, there were two main directions competing with each other.

The \"li\" school (Cheng-Zhu): emphasized the objective principle of \"li\" that needs to be understood through studying things.

The \"xin\" school (Liu Zongyuan-Wang Yangming): claimed that the principle is originally contained in the heart, that is, in the consciousness of a person, and the main thing is inner self-awareness. This school dominated in China in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Legacy

Neokonfucianism remained the official doctrine in China until the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912. In the twentieth century, its ideas were reinterpreted within the framework of new Confucianism, and individual principles — such as the emphasis on education and self-improvement — contributed greatly to the economic rise of East Asia.

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