Examining the Essential Functional Similarities Between the Confucian Superior Man and Jewish Religious Leaders

The Confucian superior man and Jewish religious leaders – Rabbis and Jewish kings such as David and Solomon – hold similar essential functions within their religious traditions: being guides of holy virtue chosen by the divine, debaters of religious practice, and prophets to provide warning of the moral decay of the community at large. These similarities are highlighted by the Book of Rites, The Analects, and the Mencius from the Confucian tradition and Torah and Talmud from the Jewish tradition. Examining the religious figures in both traditions’ texts, as well as behaviors from those that take up the roles in them show that these similarities are more than parsimonious. This paper shows that further examination between the East and West are worth conducting, but that adding the religious similarities also aids in this pursuit.

Author

• Franz, Ethan L

Language

• en

Keyword

• religion
• Superior Man
• Chinese-Greek connection
• Judaism
• Confucianism

Date created

• 2021

Type of Work

• Master's Thesis

License

• All rights reserved

Rights statement

• In Copyright

GW Unit

• Chinese Language & Culture

Degree

• M.A.

Advisor

• Chaves, Jonathan

Committee Member(s)

• Aviv, Eyal
• Chen, Liana

Persistent URL

•  https://scholarspace.library.gwu.edu/etd/79407z02t