A Few Characteristics of Vietnamese Confucianism

Abstract

After mentioning the views of a number of noted scholars in Vietnam on Vietnamese Confucianism, the author presents his own view on the characteristics of Vietnamese Confucianism. In its initial stage when Chinese Confucianism penetrated into Vietnam, the Vietnamese had made use of Buddhism as a shield to defend Vietnam from sinicization. The first Vietnamese dynasties were therefore alien to Confucianism. But since late XV century, Confucianism was increasingly integrated into Vietnam in many fields, like ideology, culture, custom, habits. Vietnamese Confucianism dealt mainly with practical, urgent problems raised by the social life. This tendency not only created confusion and complexity, but also rejected deep and fine aspects, which deprived Confucianism of its systematic character, and Vietnamese Confucianism lacked its theoretical base, its strongly logical character. The article also analyzes the categories of humanity and righteousness of Nguyen Trai, considered as a creative application, a contribution of Vietnamese Confucianism. Full text in Vietnamese Religious Studies 2005/1 pp.36-40.