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Secondary sourceNewspaper article1891

The Ethics of Confucius

Warren G. Benton · 1891

A 1891 magazine article analysing Confucian ethics as a moral philosophy rather than a religion, for American readers.

This 1891 article discusses and interprets Confucius's ethical teachings for a Western audience long after his death.

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About this source

What it is

This article, titled "The Ethics of Confucius" and written by Warren G. Benton, appeared in Popular Science Monthly in 1891. It argues that Confucianism should be understood as a system of moral philosophy rather than a religion.

Why it matters

The article shows how, centuries after his death, Confucius's teachings were still being debated and explained to a general audience, and how Western writers tried to categorise Chinese thought using their own ideas about religion and morality. It reveals more about late-nineteenth-century American attitudes than about Confucius himself.

Look closer

  • Why does the author insist Confucianism is not a religion?
  • What assumptions about religion and morality does the author bring from his own culture?
  • How might this article have shaped American readers' understanding of Confucius?

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