Confucius

1. Confucius His life, sayings, and connection to the I Ching

2. The story of Confucius • Born 551 BC died 479 BC • Named Qiu K’ung but was called K’ung-fu-tzu (master K’ung) by disciples • Father was a warlord – mother was a young concubine. • Father died a few years after Confucius’ birth and mother was poor. • Married at age 19 and had a boy and girl. • Mother died when he was 23 – mourned for 3 yrs • By age 30 he worked in the government of Lu as a teacher, then granary manager, governer, chief of justice. • Left Lu to wander China in his 50’s and teach.

3. Circle one quote of Confucius’ from the front of your sheet and one from the back. • Write the meaning and why you like them in your notes. • Star five sayings that can apply to the choice book you are reading (positive or negative application of the sayings). • In your notes, write your opinion of whether the people of China were pro or anti Confucius during the Cultural Revolution (or the era of your book.)

4. Confucius’ social Philosophy • Ren: compassion for others, charity, being humane – the golden rule • Respectfulness, magnanimity, truthfulness, acuity, generosity, self-improvement • The virtue of justice (duty, principle) • Filial piety – the above traits reflected in relationships and basis of social structure • Parent to child – parent provides protection, necessities, guidance, education, moral up-bringing while the child shows honor, respect, love, duty. • Same relationship between older and younger sibling, older and younger friend, husband and wife, teacher and student, employer and employee, government and people.

5. Quotes on society from Confucius’ Analects • “When things are investigated, knowledge is extended; when knowledge is extended, thoughts are made sincere; when thoughts are made sincere, the heart and mind are rectified; when the heart and mind are rectified, one’s person is cultivated; when one’s person is cultivated, the family is set in order; when the family is set in order, the state is governed; when the state is governed, there is peace in all the world.”

6. Confucius’ political philosophy • A good ruler will learn self-discipline • Will govern by example • Will show Ren (compassion) to the people • Confucius also said that people who are educated will participate in their government, so he encouraged the government to provide education. • He encouraged rulers to emphasize ritual and deference in their people – thus making their ruling easier.

7. Quotes from the Analects for rulers • “If the people be led by laws, and uniformity among them be sought by punishments, they will try to escape punishment and have no sense of shame. If they are led by virtue, and uniformity sought among them through the practice of ritual propriety, they will possess a sense of shame and come to you of their own accord.” • “If your desire is for good, the people will be good. The moral character of the ruler is the wind; the moral character of those beneath him is the grass. When the wind blows, the grass bends.” • " If you governed your province well and treat your people kindly, you kingdom shall not lose any war. If you govern selfishly to your people, you kingdom will not only lose a war, but your people will break away from your kingdom."

8. Confucius’ Educational philosophy • “Where there is education, there are no [social] classes.” • “Enliven the ancient and also know what is new; then you can be a teacher.” • “Even if you have fine abilities, if you are arrogant and stingy, the rest is not worth considering.” • "Anyone learning without thought is lost; anyone thinking but not learning is in peril." • Taught like Socrates (vice versa) – people have to think for themselves.

9. Reflection on Confucius • After learning a bit more about Confucius’ philosophies and thoughts, in your notes, write your opinion of whether the people of China were pro or anti Confucius during the Cultural Revolution, and give an explanation why you think they would be pro or anti Confucius based on what you learned today. • Share!

10. The I Ching • Yi Jing (I Ching) – the classic of changes • Credited to mythical Emperor Fu Hsi (Fu Xi) 3,000 BC as a set of principles for civilized behavior/improvement based on the concept of Yin and Yang (balance of opposites and change)

11. I Ching’s basic concepts • Nothing is certain. Expect the unexpected. Progress goes hand in hand with caution. • One's behavior should be appropriate to time and place. Being flexible enables one to adapt quickly. • Things change, even if one just sits and waits.

12. The other Ancient Classics • Shu Jing – the classic of documents • Shi Jing – the classic of poetry • Li Ji – the record of rites • Chunqiu – Spring and Autumn Annals • Each classic captures components of wisdom, promotes harmony and order, and the means to self-cultivation and becoming fully human.

13. The influence of the I Ching on Confucius • “I am not one who was born with knowledge; I am one who loves antiquity and diligently seeks knowledge there.” • "In the tradition of the Book of Changes, it is a mistake to think that it is something for divination. Its essence is non-divination. This can be seen by the fact that the Chinese character 'I' is read as 'change.' Although one divines good fortune, if he does evil it will become bad fortune. And although he divines bad fortune, if he does good it will become good fortune.”

14. I Ching • If you could ask the oracle one question, what would it be? • Try to avoid flat out “yes” or “no” questions… it turns out better if you ask “What can I expect if I asked ________ out today.” Instead of “Should I ask _________ out today?”