ABSTRACT
As indicated in Chapter 1, China represents a long-standing civilization comprising successive states and cultures dating back more than 4,000 years. China is not only the source of some of the world’s great inventions, including paper, the compass, gunpowder, and printing: examinations are also one of the inventions of the Chinese people (Liu, Tian, Zhang, & Zheng, 2002). Examinations originated when there was a need to select the best and most capable individuals to run the country. The concept of a country ruled by men of ability and virtue was an outgrowth of Confucian philosophy. Confucius (孔 夫子; Koˇng Fu¯zıˇ ; 551-479bc) was an esteemed Chinese thinker and social philosopher. His philosophy emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice, and sincerity. These Confucian values gained prominence in China over other doctrines, such as Legalism (法家) or Taoism (道家) during the Han Dynasty (206bc-ad220). Confucius’ thoughts have been developed into a system of philosophy
known as Confucianism (儒家). His teachings are known primarily through the Analects of Confucius (論語), which were compiled many years after his death. His teachings and philosophy have deeply infl uenced Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese thought and life. The imperial examination system was an attempt to recruit men on the basis of merit rather than on the basis of family or political connection. Because success in the examination system was the basis of social status and because education was the key to this success, education was highly regarded in traditional China. This is still the case in modern China, as the readers will learn from the chapters in this book.
