Confucionism

Zhu Xi is given credit as the man who really gave way to the widest and most important spread of Confucianism. It is obvious that Confucianism was a widespread idea before the appearance of Zhu Xi, but it’s because of his huge push to really convert the Chinese way of thought in the direction of Confucianism that gave it its common notoriety even in today’s world. He met a lot of resistance during his lifetime, but years after his death (specifically in the Yuan dynasty) his efforts led to the over-whelming acceptance and enforcement of the books of Confucius. It is said that during the Song dynasty there was a renaissance-like movement, as well as education reform in the direction of Confucian teachings. To give the Confucian movement total credit for the appearance of this renaissance is not justifiable. However I believe that it is fair to say that Confucian thought certainly fueled the presence of this renaissance.
Confucian teachings focus on attributes such as filial piety, obedience, contributions to the group, and knowing one’s role in the society. These are not qualities that usually lead to a renaissance movement. For things like economics and culture to flourish you need emphasis on the individual. Culture is defined by expression, new and original ideas in areas like art and music usually come from individual achievement, people need to be able to free there minds and explore their deepest thoughts. If one is caught up in the frenzy of filial piety, civil obedience, and doing things for the good of the group it usually comes at a cost of their individuality and sense of creativity. On the other hand, Confucianism encourages the flourishing of intellectuals, and this is such a key ingredient to the recipe of a renaissance that it overshadows all the other drawbacks Confucianism might bring. The reason why Confucianism was not linked to a renaissance in earlier times was because the Chinese were still under dictators, who controlled everything. Military force was of the utmost importance in those times, and even Confucian thinking was closely watched by the over-bearing political powers. In those times Confucianism was exploited in a way, with huge emphasis on the obedience portion of it, and less emphasis on the free-thinking portion.