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I have just read about Confucianism in The New Fontana Dictionary of Modern Thought.
I gather that while Confucianism was suppressed in its own country of origin during Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution, it flourished elsewhere – especially Singapore. When I was in school there in the 1980s, some elements of Confucianism were even thought in classes, informally if not formally.
The Fontana Dictionary describes Confucianism as a philosophy, but in Singapore back then some people were so sincere about it that it was treated like a religion. I suppose it is the element of ancestor veneration in Confucianism that particularly appeals to the notions of filial piety in which many Singaporeans were inculcated. Confucius himself advocted ancestor worship. I suppose the reason for this is as follows: our ancestors brought us into this world; without our ancestors we would not be here today; therefore it is right that we should worship them. Of course, as a Spiritualist myself, I have a different opinion on that matter (as I am sure victims of sexual abuse by their parents would about filial piety).
