Neo-Confucianism

Neo-Confucianism was the major religion of the Northern Song Dynasty. Neo-Confucianism is the same as the Confucianism religion except some updates were made to the religion. People were expected not to do bad things because it is wrong. One way the religion affected the people was the civil service examination system. The exam was given in three levels, the first being a test of general knowledge of the Confucian works. The test was highly competitive and less than 10 percent passed the exam. The next level tested a candidate’s knowledge of history, government, moral ethics, and poet talents. The last level was an essay discussing current political issues by relating them to a selected classic novel. Another way is the new family system. In the Dynasty the family was society's most basic unit. Everyone was expected to respect his or her parents, and was expected to put the family before themselves. They also believed that the children were what kept the family going. Kids were spoiled and expected to be a proper son or daughter. The religion didn’t only affect the government but the families also.