Four Philosophies of China

1. Four Philosophies of China

2. Confucianism – • -based on teachings of Kong Fu Zi who lived in China 551-479 B.C • -lived in China during the troubled and weakening years of the Zhou empire • -saw the chaos around him and wanted to put the world around in him order • -came up with the following proper behaviors or Li (LEE) • - Respect, loyalty, honesty, hard work, politeness, and generosity. • -also came up with 5 key relationships • 1.) Ruler and subject • 2.) Parent and child • 3.) Husband and wife • 4.) Elder sibling and younger sibling • 5.) Friend and friend • - In the first four relationships the two people have duties and responsibilities. One is superior then the other and is expected to be an example and in return the other person is supposed to treat the other person with respect and obedience. The last relationship with friends they are equal and both must respect and help each others. ALL should follow the Li in their relationship.

3. Daoism (Taoism)- • -based on teachings of Laozi (LAU-zuh) (606-530 B.C) • -Laozi also lived in China during the Zhou empire and its weakening times just like Kung Fu Zi • -Believed that people: • -should not seek power and wealth • -should seek happiness and peace within themselves. To teach people how to he wrote a book called Daodejing or “The Way and Its Power.” • -to find happiness one must be connected or become one with the Dao (the way) • -Dao is universal force connected to nature • -people should be part of nature, meditate in it to find answers to life • -following the Dao , the way of nature that guides all things. • -People should balance the opposite forces of nature, called yin and Yang (shaded and sunlight) to find happiness and harmony in life • -it is impossible to have good without bad, beauty without ugliness, or pleasure without pain. • -because good and bad are connected it is important to accept both. • -no bragging when things go well, and no complaining when things go bad • -accepting whatever happens because whatever happens is the balance of yin and yang.

4. Buddhism- • -Buddha (the enlightened one)= Real name Gautama, a prince from India 560-483 B.C • -Led a life of comfort and luxury never suffered or saw anybody suffer • -One day he saw 3 men, one was sick, one old and the other dead. • -that moment changed his life because he wanted answers to why people suffer and how to escape suffering. • -He left the palace to find answers and for six years he tried to find wisdom by living without comfort. • -He wasn’t getting anywhere until one day he sat under a tree and meditated thought deeply. He meditated for many days and then he saw the truth about life he was “enlightened”. After that he was known as the “enlightened one.” • -Four Noble Truths • 1. Life is suffering • 2.) Cause of suffering = self-centered desires. • 3.) To escape suffering is to get rid of self-centered desires. (The enlightenment stage) • 4.) Living the Middle Path- a life that is neither luxurious nor harsh. The 3 parts of Middle Path are: • -moral discipline=acting, speaking and earning a living in a way that is not self centered. • -Mental discipline=controlling one’s emotions, and examining one’s thoughts. • -wisdom =seeing how life is and then wanting to act on what one sees. • -Buddha believed in reincarnation • -after he died people turned his philosophy in to a religion

5. Legalism: • Founder Hanfeizi 280-233 B.C • -prince of royal family • -also lived during the weakening end of Zhou empire • -wrote a book called after himself Hanfeizi • -based on the idea that men are naturally selfish (when left alone they will steal and only look after onself) • -showing a good example for rulers is not enough • -instead bad behavior should be harshly punished and good behavior rewarded. • -civil servants should be watched carefully and punished for bad jobs • -people caught criticizing the government should be banished to China’s far north frontier. • -rulers must have complete power backed up by military (so that they can’t be over thrown) • -Rulers should trust no one not even their own families. He wrote, “He who trusts will be controlled by others.”