Abstract: The role of supernatural beings in Confucianism is the focus of this paper. It discusses the "rationalism" of Confucianism in relation to the pre-Confucian period belief in witchcraft and magics. Confucian understanding of ghosts and spirits continued the thought that supernatural beings could influence real life but added to it a new meaning. Because of it the fear and differentiation of ghosts and gods were no longer a source of sacredness in Confucian ethics.
In Confucianism, supernatural beings could be classified into categories of "ancestral spirits" and other ghosts and deities. The former was regarded as "human ghosts" as they were dead ancestors who brought life to their descendants. The latter included all non-ancestral deities such as "tianshen" (Heavenly God) and "diqi" (Earth Deity). Worship and sacrifice were the reciprocal duty people felt for the benefits they received from these supernatural beings. This reciprocity became the center piece of Confucian rituals. Thus, "honoring your origin and repaying your ancestors" had been the most important component of Confucian sacrificial rituals.
"Xing-Qi" (form vs non-form) theory helped explaining Confucian thought on the epistemological foundation of supernatural beings. On the one hand, Confucianism saw the interdependent and homogeneous relationship between men and their gods and ghosts. Sacrificial rituals were the direct way to communicate with supernatural beings with offerings. On the other hand, because the difference between material beings of men and invisible beings of supernatural world, the communication could only be experienced individually by the prayer. To have the access to the supernatural beings, one must "treat the dead like the living with sincerity and respect," the same type of sincerity and respect of filial piety that one show to one's parents. These two aspects demonstrate the ultimate role supernatural beings played in Confucian ethics.

Key words: supernatural beings, rationalism, sincere and respectful heart, filial piety