Confucianism says nothing about an after-life. Instead it seeks to have the people first put themselves in order, then their families, their state, their country, and finally the world. . . . Confucianism is a system of moral behavior that has at its root a deep respect for family ties. It is the core of the Chinese social system. In early China, Confucianism was something like a positive complement to Taoism's negative theology, together they framed the moral and religious life of the people.
— David G. Hackett, The Silent Dialogue