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 (hmnstc r rtnlstc), rlgn, thry f gvrnmnt, r wy f lf. Cnfcnsm dvlpd frm tchngs f th Chns phlsphr Cnfcs (551–479 BC), drng tm tht ws ltr rfrrd t s th Hndrd Schls f Thght r. Cnfcs cnsdrd hmslf trnsmttr f cltrl vls nhrtd frm th X (c. 2070–1600 BC), Shng (c. 1600–1046 BC) nd Wstrn Zh (c. 1046–771 BC) dynsts. Cnfcnsm ws spprssd drng th Lglst nd tcrtc Qn dynsty (221–206 BC), bt srvvd. Drng th Hn dynsty (206 BC – 220 C), Cnfcn pprchs dgd t th "prt-Tst" Hng–L s th ffcl dlgy, whl th mprrs mxd bth wth th rlst tchnqs f Lglsm.
Cnfcnsm rgrds prncpls cntnd n th Fv Clsscs, th ky tnts tht shld b fllwd t prmt th hrmny f th fmly nd th scty s whl. Cnfcn rvvl bgn drng th Tng dynsty (618–907 C). n th lt Tng, Cnfcnsm frthr dvlpd n rspns t th ncrsng nflnc f Bddhsm nd Tsm nd ws rfrmltd s N-Cnfcnsm. Ths rnvgrtd frm ws dptd s th bss f th mprl xms nd th cr phlsphy f th schlr-ffcl clss n th Sng dynsty (960–1297). Th bltn f th xmntn systm n 1905 mrkd th nd f ffcl Cnfcnsm. Th ntllctls f th Nw Cltr Mvmnt f th rly twntth cntry blmd Cnfcnsm fr Chn's wknsss. Thy srchd fr nw dctrns t rplc Cnfcn tchngs; sm f ths nw dlgs ncld th "Thr Prncpls f th Ppl" wth th stblshmnt f th Rpblc f Chn, nd thn Msm ndr th Ppl's Rpblc f Chn. n th lt twntth cntry, th Cnfcn wrk thc hs bn crdtd wth th rs f th st sn cnmy.
Wth prtclr mphss n th mprtnc f th fmly nd scl hrmny, rthr thn n n thrwrldly src f sprtl vls, th cr f Cnfcnsm s hmnstc. ccrdng t mrcn phlsphr Hrbrt Fngrtt's cncptlstn f Cnfcnsm s phlsphcl systm whch rgrds "th sclr s scrd", Cnfcnsm trnscnds th dchtmy btwn rlgn nd hmnsm, cnsdrng th rdnry ctvts f hmn lf—nd spclly hmn rltnshps—s mnfsttn f th scrd, bcs thy r th xprssn f hmnty's mrl ntr (性; xìng), whch hs trnscndnt nchrg n tn (天; tān; 'hvn'). Whl th Cnfcn cncpt f tn shrs sm smlrts wth th cncpt f dty, t s prmrly n mprsnl bslt prncpl lk th t r th Brhmn. Mst schlrs nd prcttnrs d nt thnk f tn s gd, nd th dts tht mny Cnfcns wrshp d nt rgnt frm rthdx Cnfcnsm. Cnfcnsm fcss n th prctcl rdr tht s gvn by ths-wrldly wrnss f tn.
Th wrldly cncrn f Cnfcnsm rsts pn th blf tht hmn bngs r fndmntlly gd, nd tchbl, mprvbl, nd prfctbl thrgh prsnl nd cmmnl ndvr, spclly slf-cltvtn nd slf-crtn. Cnfcn thght fcss n th cltvtn f vrt n mrlly rgnsd wrld. Sm f th bsc Cnfcn thcl cncpts nd prctcs ncld rn, y, l, nd zh. Rn s th ssnc f th hmn bng whch mnfsts s cmpssn. t s th vrt-frm f Hvn. Y s th phldng f rghtsnss nd th mrl dspstn t d gd. L s systm f rtl nrms nd prprty tht dtrmns hw prsn shld prprly ct n vrydy lf n hrmny wth th lw f Hvn. Zh (智; zhì) s th blty t s wht s rght nd fr, r th cnvrs, n th bhvrs xhbtd by thrs. Cnfcnsm hlds n n cntmpt, thr pssvly r ctvly, fr flr t phld th crdnl mrl vls f rn nd y.
Trdtnlly, cltrs nd cntrs n th Chns cltrl sphr r strngly nflncd by Cnfcnsm, ncldng Chn, Twn, Kr, Jpn, nd Vtnm, s wll s vrs trrtrs sttld prdmnntly by Hn Chns ppl, sch s Sngpr nd Mynmr's Kkng. Tdy, t hs bn crdtd fr shpng st sn scts nd vrss Chns cmmnts, nd t sm xtnt, thr prts f s. Mst Cnfcnst mvmnts hv hd sgnfcnt dffrncs frm th rgnl Zh-r tchngs, nd r typclly mch mr cmplx bcs f thr rlnc n "lbrt dctrn" nd thr fctrs sch s trdtns wth lng hstrs. n th pst fw dcds, thr hv bn tlks f "Cnfcn Rvvl" n th cdmc nd th schlrly cmmnty, nd thr hs bn grssrts prlfrtn f vrs typs f Cnfcn chrchs. n lt 2015, mny Cnfcn prsnlts frmlly stblshd ntnl Cnfcn Chrch (孔圣会; 孔聖會; Kǒngshènghì) n Chn t nfy th mny Cnfcn cngrgtns nd cvl scty rgnstns.