Reflection on Confucianism: What's the use in modern Confucianism?

Western countries pay more attention to Laozi's Tao Te Ching than the Analects. People who have been trained in western philosophy in China often feel that Confucian things are too simple and too closely related to the real society. Confucianism has even been labeled as pragmatism, thinking that China is so influenced by Confucianism that everything tends to be pragmatic. Because of pragmatism, we lack abstract metaphysics, transcendental religious yearning and a speculative tradition of "learning for learning's sake". Many people have said such things, and I believe you have heard them.

But Confucianism often faces another kind of accusation, saying that Confucian thought is just unrealistic. "Historical Records" said that Mencius was criticized by people at that time as "far from things". It seems that Confucian ideas are too idealistic. Let's talk about three generations, poetry books and Wang Zhidao, which is far from our real life and society.

Because of this, Confucianism is often defined as "idealism". What idealists say is difficult to practice in the real world.

Confucius' exclamation is often used to prove that Confucianism is really just a moral idealist. For example, Confucius said that "if the Tao fails, everyone knows it" or "knowing that it is impossible to do it." In fact, Confucius' ambition is impossible. In the real world, this ideal cannot be realized, and it has not been realized. It only represents an ideal. In our real dirty world, everyone lives by instinct and greed like animals. Society is nothing more than Confucianism, which provides us with an ideal to yearn for, and we can also use it to boost ourselves, but it is difficult to really implement the Confucian ideal after all.