Neo-Confucianism

Neo-Confucianism is a moral,  ethical and metaphysical Chinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism. It originated with Han Yu (768-824) and Li Ao (772-841) in the Tang dynasty and became prominent during the Song and Ming dynasties under the formulations of Zhu Xi (1130-1200). After the Mongol conquest of China in the 13th century, Chinese scholars and officials restored and preserved Neo-Confucianism to protect China's cultural heritage.

Neo-Confucianism may have been an attempt to create a more rational and secular form of Confucianism by rejecting superstitious and mystical elements of Taoism and Buddhism that had influenced Confucianism during and after the Han dynasty. Although Neo-Confucianists were critical of Taoism and Buddhism, both had an influence on philosophy, and Neo-Confucianists adopted terms and concepts. Unlike the Buddhists and Taoists, who viewed metaphysics as a catalyst for spiritual development, religious enlightenment, and immortality, the Neo-Confucianists used metaphysics as a guide for developing a rationalist ethical philosophy. Traditional Confucian beliefs such as gender roles were also incorporated, leading to the devaluation of women in Korea.

Northern Song Dynasty
Neo-Confucianism of the Northern Song Dynasty focused on the interpretation of Confucian classics, valued the concepts of benevolence and mindfulness, and believed that Li could be obtained through the constant observation of things.

Southern Song Dynasty
During the Southern Song Dynasty, Neo-Confucianism was divided into three schools, namely the Cheng-Zhu School, the Lu-Wang School, and the Yongjia School. The Cheng-Zhu School focused on acquiring knowledge through constant observation of things, the Lu-Wang School believed that the highest truth could be obtained from the heart and the way to learn was to know one's own heart, while the Yongjia School advocated people-oriented and continuous reform and sought ways to revive the Southern Song Dynasty in history and develop a capitalist economy.

Yuan Dynasty
In the Yuan Dynasty, the massive construction of academies throughout the country promoted the spread of Neo-Confucianism. At the same time, the Cheng-zhu school became the content of imperial examinations and became the orthodoxy of Neo-Confucianism.

Ming Dynasty
In the Ming Dynasty, Wang Yangming integrated the theories of the Lu Wang School and proposed that through self-reflection, one should acquire the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. Wang Yangming suggested that the highest truth lies in the heart, which influenced the positive view of pleasure in the late Ming Dynasty. By the end of the Ming dynasty, the Lu Wang school was gradually falling behind in China. (While Yangmingism influenced Japanese political movements, especially the anti-government movement.)

Qing Dynasty
In the Qing Dynasty, Confucianism gradually became the subject of bureaucratic scrutiny, of which the Cheng-zhu school was the most prestigious. In the 51 years of the Kangxi Dynasty (1712), Zhu Xi was given a seat in the Confucius Temple, marking the beginning of the official scholarship of the Cheng-zhu school.

Modern times
Most modern Confucian scholars believe in branches of Neo-Confucianism, mainly in the Cheng-Zhu School or Lu-Wang School. modern Neo-Confucianism has greatly influenced New Confucianism.