An Essay On Why Confucianism Should Have Perished
In ancient times, Confucianism was a bridge. It spanned the space between bloodlines and power, giving society order and something to rely upon. The hierarchy of ruler and subject, father and son, elder and junior—rituals and music—wove delicate patterns that embedded human behavior into a seemingly stable web. Yet this bridge was never eternal. It was born to serve a specific historical purpose, a temporary expedient, not a universal truth.
The keyword of Confucianism is “ought.” A ruler ought to be respected, a father ought to be obeyed, elders ought to take precedence, and scholars ought to observe propriety. The problem is that these “oughts” were not chosen freely by individuals; they were obligations imposed by external identities. They prevented people from existing authentically, forcing them to perform according to labels. Virtue ceased to matter, temperament ceased to matter—only status spoke. A person was respected not because they deserved it, but because of their position. Another was belittled not because they were inferior, but because they occupied a lower rank.
Such “oughts,” viewed today, are shackles of ritual. They superficially maintain harmony while legitimizing privilege, coating inequality in a golden layer of morality. “Father-father, son-son” masks paternal cruelty; “ruler-ruler, subject-subject” conceals autocratic power. The name of ritual often becomes a tool of authority.
Some argue that without Confucianism, society would fall into disorder. But we must ask: Must order come from oppression? Can respect not arise from equality? Must filial piety depend on the principle of “obedience” rather than genuine emotion?
If Confucianism is to remain faithful to its notion of “ren” (benevolence), it must recognize: Ren is not an obligation derived from status; it is a response between people based on the equality of life. Once “ought” obscures ren, obscures freely chosen goodwill, Confucianism has already betrayed itself.
Therefore, Confucianism ought to perish. It is not the heart of benevolence that should vanish, but the ritual logic that confines people within roles. It is not the desire for harmony that should disappear, but the false harmony exchanged for hierarchy and privilege.
When we bid farewell to the “oughts” of Confucianism, we can truly learn to live by choice: Respect because it is deserved, filial devotion because it is sincere, obedience because it is trusted. Order will no longer rely on the rigid bridges of ritual but will flow like a river, free, yet still converging toward the sea.
This is the future that humanity should embrace.