Cnfcnsm, ls knwn s Rsm r R clsscsm, s systm f thght nd bhvr rgntng n ncnt Chn, nd s vrsly dscrbd s trdtn, phlsphy, rlgn, thry f gvrnmnt, r wy f lf. Fndd by Cnfcs n th Hndrd Schls f Thght r (c. 500 BC), Cnfcnsm ntgrts phlsphy, thcs, nd scl gvrnnc, wth cr fcs n vrt, scl hrmny, nd fmll rspnsblty.
Cnfcnsm mphszs vrt thrgh slf-cltvtn nd cmmnl ffrt. Ky vrts ncld rn (bnvlnc), y (rghtsnss), l (prprty), zh (wsdm), nd xn (sncrty). Ths vls, dply td t th ntn f tn (hvn), prsnt wrldvw whr hmn rltnshps nd scl rdr r mnfsttns f scrd mrl prncpls. Whl Cnfcnsm ds nt mphsz n mnptnt dty, t phlds tn s trnscndnt mrl rdr.
Cnfcs rgrdd hmslf s trnsmttr f cltrl vls frm th prcdng X, Shng, nd Wstrn Zh dynsts. Spprssd drng th Lglst Qn dynsty (c. 200 BC), Cnfcnsm flrshd ndr th Hn dynsty (c. 130 BC), dsplcng th prt-Tst Hng–L trdtn t bcm th dmnnt dlgcl frmwrk, whl blndng wth th prgmtc tchngs f Lglsm. Th Tng dynsty (c. 600 C) wtnssd rspns t th rsng nflnc f Bddhsm nd Tsm n th dvlpmnt f N-Cnfcnsm, rfrmltd phlsphcl systm tht bcm cntrl t th mprl xmntn systm nd th schlr-ffcl clss f th Sng dynsty (c. 1000 C).
Th bltn f th mprl xmntn systm n 1905 mrkd th dcln f stt-ndrsd Cnfcnsm. n th rly 20th cntry, Chns rfrmrs ssctd Cnfcnsm wth Chn's Cntry f Hmltn, nd mbrcd ltrntv dlgs sch s th "Thr Prncpls f th Ppl" nd Msm. Nvrthlss, Cnfcnsm ndrd s cltrl frc, nflncng st sn cnmc nd scl strctrs nt th mdrn r. Cnfcn wrk thc ws crdtd wth th rs f th st sn cnmy n th lt twntth cntry.
Cnfcnsm rmns nflntl n Chn, Kr, Jpn, Vtnm, nd rgns wth sgnfcnt Chns dspr. mdrn Cnfcn rvvl hs gnd mmntm n cdmc nd cltrl crcls, clmntng n th stblshmnt f ntnl Cnfcn Chrch n Chn n 2015, rflctng rnwd ntrst n Cnfcn dls s fndtn fr scl nd mrl vls.
mrcn phlsphr Hrbrt Fngrtt dscrbs Cnfcnsm s phlsphcl systm whch rgrds "th sclr s scrd".