Confucius believes that social order must be established and maintained through political hierarchy.

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We start by restating the given item and the answer choices to ensure clarity of what is being evaluated.
Statement: 'Confucius believes that social order must be established and maintained through political hierarchy.'
Answer options: ["True", "False"]

Option True: This option claims that Confucius’s view relies on political hierarchy as the sole mechanism for social order. In explaining why this is incorrect, we can point out that Confucian thought emphasizes a broader framework. While hierarchical roles (the Five Relationships) and the authority of rulers are indeed present, Confucius places central importance on moral virtue, benevolent leadership (ren), and proper conduct within ritual propriety (li). Social harmony, for Confucius, arises not merely from a top-down political structure but from individuals fulfilling their roles virtuously and performing ritual duties that reinforce moral order. Thus, reducing Confucius’s entire theory to just political hierarchy overlooks the ethical and relational dimensions that underpin his concept of social harmony.

Option False: This option contends that the statement is not accurate as a complete characterization of Confucian thought. The rationale for marking this as false is that Confucianism does include the idea that rulers should govern by virtue and that social order depends on proper relationships and ethical cultivation, not solely on political hierarchy or coercive power. The emphasis on li (ritual propriety) and ren (humaneness) shows that order arises from cultivated virtue and proper role behavior across all classes, including rulers, ministers, and citizens. While political structure is part of the picture, the claim that social order must be established and maintained exclusively through political hierarchy is an overly narrow and incomplete representation of Confucian theory.

In summary, neither option should be treated as capturing the full complexity of Confucian social order; however, the statement asserting that order is established and maintained solely through political hierarchy is not an accurate encapsulation of Confucius’s doctrine. Therefore, option False is the more accurate choice among the two given the nuanced emphasis on virtue, ritual, and proper relationships beyond mere political hierarchy.

Spr25_CHIN012_36029 2.3.6.1: Quiz on Confucius on Good Government

Confucius believes that social order must be established and maintained through political hierarchy.

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