Ming Philosophy

During the Ming rule, the Neo-Confucianism religion made the strongest impact. Confucianism was a very traditional belief system used in many of China’s early dynasties. It encouraged people to act in moral respectful ways without threats or fear of punishment. Neo-Confucianism is a modified version of Confucianism that came around when Emperor Hongwu took back China from the Mongols. It follows the same moral standards and, unlike Daoism and Buddhism, it does not acknowledge an afterlife or reincarnation. Neo-Confucianism is based upon Li, a god-like force that is absolutely pure. Li is believed to be the underlying spirit that runs nature. Chu Hsi wrote the Neo-Confucian books that were used as the base for all civil service exams and accepted by the general public. His teachings were studied, vigorously, by those who wished to become government officials in China. The principles in his books were well known and very important to the culture and peace of China.