Confucianism and Buddhism are two of the major Eastern religions today. Both incorporate a very strong ethical code according to which adherents are expected to live. In striving to keep the principles of these codes, the respective founders of these religions or ways of life propose that society will function in a peaceful and effective manner. While there are several similarities between Confucianism and Buddhism, there are also differences, as will be seen below.
             According to Pat Zukeran (1996-2008), Confucianism is not a religion in the traditional sense of the word. The reason for this is the emphasis upon the practical. Even in the ethical code of Confucianism, the basic premise of conduct is promoting harmony among people and in this way creating a society that functions peacefully and effectively. The focus is therefore ethics in inter-human relationships rather than spirituality or the relationship between human and divine.
             Confucius, according to Zukeran, believed in spirits, but was not interested in them and did not believe that they had much to offer humanity in any practical, social sense. He furthermore held that humanity had the solutions to their social and cultural problems within themselves, and should not look to supernatural sources for answers. In this, the goal of life for the philosopher was to live a good and moral life and thus to harmonize with society as a whole. An ideal character was to be attained from within the self, via self-reflection, one's own effort, and education.
             In creating the key principles of his philosophy, Confucius then focused on what a person was required to do in order to attain a certain effect. Zukeran identifies three key principles that receive particular emphasis within the Confucian philosophy. These include Li, Jen and Chun-Tzu.
             The first principle, Li, is the ideal standard, according to Confucius. This means that it is the highest of principles...