The Confucian View of World Order

In writing about the Confucian view of world order, I am not describing a religious perspective, at least in a traditional Western sense.Confucianism is not.areligion, although it is sometimes mistaken for one.'At one time Confucianism was sought to be constitutionally declared the state religion of the new republican China. 2 More correctly, however, Confucianism is a body of philosophical teachings about human beings, their values, their institutions, and so on or about, simply, a way of life in.this, but not the next, world.China does not have an indigenous religion.What is commonly known as the "three religions" is probably more correctly known as the three "teachings."' The three are Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.Of these only Buddhism is a religion, but it was introduced from abroad.Taoism refers both to the philosophies of some Chinese scholars and to certain practices including alchemy in the search of elixir vitae, hygienic breathing and meditation, faith-healing 4 , and magic.5