It was the first dynasty to embrace the philosophy of Confucianism, which became the ideological underpinning of all regimes until the end of imperial China.

Following the abandonment of Legalism in China after the Qin Dynasty, Confucianism became the official state ideology of China, until it was replaced by the " Three Principles of the People " ideology with the establishment of the Republic of China, and then Maoist Communism after the ROC was replaced by the People's Republic of China in Mainland China.

As a result, Confucianism was promoted by the emperor and the men its doctrines produced became an effective counter to the remaining feudal aristocrats who threatened the unity of the imperial state.

Following the Qin Dynasty, Confucianism became the dominant philosophical school of China.

These efforts spread Confucian ideals to students who then became officials in many of the royal courts in China, thereby giving Confucianism the first wide-scale test of its dogma.

Eventually, a modified form of Confucianism ( heavily infused with elements of Legalism ) became the dominant political philosophy in China during the Imperial Period.

Aspects of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism were consciously synthesized in the Neo-Confucian school, which eventually became Imperial orthodoxy for state bureaucratic purposes under the Ming ( 1368 – 1644 ).

Korean society became highly centralized under Korean Confucianism and martial arts were poorly regarded in a society whose ideals were epitomized by its scholar-kings.

As a result, Confucianism became social norm.

The word han first came into use by with scholars of Confucianism from the mid-Edo period onwards, in imitation of the feudal system of Ancient China, and became popularised around the time of the Meiji Restoration.

In its place a strict form of Confucianism, which some see as even more strict than what had ever been adopted by the Chinese, became the official philosophy.

Neo-Confucianism ( often shortened to 理學 ) is a moral, ethical, and metaphysical Chinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism, and originated with Han Yu and Li Ao ( 772-841 ) in the Tang Dynasty, and became prominent during the Song and Ming dynasties.

Neo-Confucianism became the interpretation of Confucianism whose mastery was necessary to pass the bureaucratic examinations by the Ming, and continued in this way through the Qing dynasty until the end of the Imperial examination system in 1905.

The Odes first became known as a jīng, or a " classic book ", in the canonical sense, as part of the Han Dynasty official adoption of Confucianism as the guiding principles of Chinese society.

She herself, however, never became a Christian, but remained a devout Buddhist with influences from shamanism and Confucianism ; her religious beliefs would become the model, indirectly, for those of many modern Koreans, who share her belief in pluralism and religious tolerance.

Until 1709, when Ienobu became shogun, it is thought that Hakuseki gave him 2000 lectures on the Chinese classics and Confucianism.

Two of the most significant systems of human philosophy and religion, Confucianism ( China ) and Buddhism ( India ), were officially transplanted in 284 – 5 and 522 AD respectively, and became deeply acculturated into indigenous Japanese thought and ethics.

Deciding all policies from military affairs, diplomacy, and down to education, he laid down Joseon's political system and tax laws, replaced Buddhism with Confucianism as national religion, moved the capital from Gaeseong to Hanyang ( present-day Seoul ), changed the kingdom's political system from fedualism to highly centralized bureaucracy, and wrote a code of laws that eventually became Joseon's constitution.

Korean society became highly centralized under Korean Confucianism and martial arts were lowly regarded in a society whose ideals were epitomized by its scholar-kings.

After the ascent of the Joseon dynasty to the throne of Korea, Andong became a centre of Confucianism.

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, criticisms of Neo-Confucianism and its mantras of " cultivation of moral character, establishment of family, ordering the state, and harmonizing tianxia " ( a quote from the Great Learning ) became widespread, producing large shifts in Confucianism.

As some of the questionable tenets of the philosophy of New Text Confucianism fell out of use and repute, Rafe de Crespigny states that the rationalist philosophy of Wang Chong became much more influential in Chinese thought.

In the middle of the Edo era, Kokugaku, the study of ancient Japanese thought and culture, became popular against foreign ideas such as Buddhism or Confucianism.

In the middle days of Edo era, Kokugaku became popular while being influenced by positivist Confucianism with nationalism as a background.

Nonmagical Confucianism was a secular, rational philosophy, but even with this different orientation it could not escape from the ethos of a cosmic government.

The Hundred Schools of Thought of Chinese philosophy blossomed during this period, and such influential intellectual movements as Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism and Mohism were founded, partly in response to the changing political world.

In practice, the primary foundation and function of Confucianism is as an ethical philosophy to be practiced by all the members of a society.

Confucianism influenced Gottfried Leibniz, who was attracted to the philosophy because of its perceived similarity to his own.

It is postulated that certain elements of Leibniz's philosophy, such as " simple substance " and " preestablished harmony ", were borrowed from his interactions with Confucianism.

For many years since the era of Confucius, various critiques of Confucianism have arisen, including Laozi's philosophy and Mozi's critique.

Using stricter definitions of religion, Confucianism has been described as a moral science or philosophy.

In the post-Chinese economic reform era, modern Chinese philosophy has reappeared in forms such as the New Confucianism.

He focused on the issues of Chinese urban development, Chinese patrimonialism and officialdom and Chinese religion and philosophy ( primarily, Confucianism and Taoism ), as the areas in which Chinese development differed most distinctively from the European route.

The Han dynasty that followed adopted Confucianism as the official state philosophy, as did most other successive dynasties, though Daoism and later Buddhism also played an important part in later Chinese life and thought, while Mohism all but disappeared as a separate school of thought.

Legalism was the dominant political philosophy of the Qin Dynasty, but was replaced by Confucianism in the Han Dynasty.

Prior to China's adoption of communism, Confucianism remained the dominant political philosophy of China up to the 20th century.

These included Mohism ( a utilitarian philosophy ), Taoism, Legalism ( a school of thought based on the supremacy of the state ), and Confucianism.

The concept of Tao was later adopted in Confucianism, Chán and Zen Buddhism and more broadly throughout East Asian philosophy and religion in general.

On the other hand, Lee's philosophy was very much in opposition to the conservative world view advocated by Confucianism.

On the other hand, while Confucianism was introduced as both a philosophy and as a ritual tradition in Japan, the latter did not become popular in Japan.

In the ethics of Confucianism on the other hand, most notably in the philosophy of Dong Zhongshu, ( c. 2nd century BCE ) a moral dimension is attached to the idea of yin and yang.

Confucianism was the official philosophy throughout most of Imperial China's history, and mastery of Confucian texts was the primary criterion for entry into the imperial bureaucracy.

At the same time, an intellectual paradigm shift from Taoism to Confucianism among the intelligentsia moved the focus of academic inquiry from natural science and mathematics, which were conceived of under Taoism as investigations into the mystical nature of the universe, to studies of social philosophy and morality under Confucianism.

Although in later European commentary on China it has continued to be claimed that Confucianism is a " philosophy " and not a " religion " — because it does not conform to the model of western religions — Pope Clement XI made the assessment that the Confucian rituals were indeed in conflict with Christian teaching.

Confucianism was also thus recognized as a philosophy and an integral part of Chinese culture rather than as a heathen religion in conflict with Catholicism.