Confucianism is one of the bedrock philosophies on which Chinese societies operate. It has always been a secular philosophy, though Confucianism also takes a religious form in several Chinese societies.
I’ve seen dozens of news items over the past six months reporting that secular Confucianism is going through a revival in China. Basically, Chinese yuppies (aka “Chuppies”) are finding that material wealth isn’t everything, and are looking for something of a more moral and spiritual nature to fill the void.
To quote this article in the International Herald Tribune:
“…the headlong race to catch up to the West has left many Chinese feeling spiritually empty. An intense soul-searching process is under way, with attempts at regaining lost “Chinese-ness” at times veering into hotheaded nationalism.”
I’m not sure about the “hotheaded nationalism” part, but I’m sure about the spiritual emptiness.
Want to do business with the Chinese, or live, work and/or study among them? It would behoove you to read up a bit on what the wise old master had to say about society and human interaction.
The Lingua Franca 