ABSTRACT
It is generally believed that transformation in the 20th century brought about radical changes to the Confucian doctrine or Confucianism. However, since the mid-19th century, Chinese culture, Confucian culture in particular, has suffered a huge impact from modern Western culture. As a matter of fact, this is not only a predicament of Confucianism but also a predicament of Chinese culture. The orthodox, extensive and absolute influence of Confucianism in pre-modern society had much to do with the support of rulers since the Song and the Yuan dynasties, the educational system and the social foundation of the family system. In addition, having undergone the New Culture Movement, Confucianism lost its authority among young people. In the early period of the Republic of China, much discussion was made on whether the Constitution should include such clauses as honouring Confucius and determining Confucianism to be the state religion.
