ABSTRACT
Confucianism is a defining element of East Asian culture. Named after the Chinese scholar Confucius (551–479 bc), Confucianism represents a collection of philosophical ideas that has had a profound influence on politics, education, religion, and family life in greater China, as well as in neighboring countries such as Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Vietnam. During the period of modernization in the early twentieth century, Confucianism lost its traditional influence in the region and was criticized as a regressive mental framework that had delayed economic and political advances (Fetzer & Soper, 2014; Shin, 2011). However, Confucianism survived and has regained its influence in lockstep with the growth in its host nations’ economic and political power (Bell, 2010; Paramore, 2016). In recent years, Confucianism’s global visibility has grown rapidly as the Chinese government has sought to elevate it as a national brand of Chinese cultural heritage (Sun, 2013).
