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China: Philosophical & Cultural Traditions

China: Philosophical & Cultural Traditions. Competing Philosophies. period of unrest after Zhou Dynasty What should society be like? What is proper conduct? What is good government? Answers: 3 philosophical traditions Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism. Confucianism. Confucius.

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China: Philosophical & Cultural Traditions

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  1. China:Philosophical & Cultural Traditions

  2. Competing Philosophies period of unrest after Zhou Dynasty • What should society be like? • What is proper conduct? • What is good government? Answers: 3 philosophical traditions Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism

  3. Confucianism

  4. Confucius • 551 – 479 BCE • Kong Zi/Kong Qiu/Kung Fu-tzu • civil servant and teacher • disturbed by war and unrest • community, family, harmony • tradition, duty, respect, work • courtesy, sympathy • assumption: people are basically good • The 4 Books • Analects most famous/important

  5. The 5 Relationships **how culture/knowledge is transmitted • ruler  ruled • father  son • husband  wife • older bro. (sibling)  younger bro. (sibling) • (older) friend  (younger) friend superior  inferior #1-4 – superior: duty as authority/example/care inferior: duty/obligation to obey

  6. “Deliberate Tradition” • Filial piety (Xiao) = respect parents, elders, ancestors • Li = propriety, grace, poise, decorum; ritual • Jen/Ren = benevolence, humanity • Chun tzu = mature, poised, humble person • Te = power to lead • Yi = righteousness • Shu = reciprocity, empathy, courtesy • Wen = “arts of peace” – art’s power to express and unite

  7. Influence • spread by disciple Mencius • Organize society by status, age, gender • social cohesion & harmony are ideals • rituals more important socially than religiously • permeates Chinese society • basis for many social/cultural traditions

  8. Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you • Knowing what he knows and knowing what he doesn’t know are characteristics of the person who knows. • Making a mistake and not correcting it, is making another mistake. • The superior man blames himself; the inferior man blames others. • To go too far is as wrong as to fall short.

  9. “If there is light in the soul, there will be beauty in the person.If there is beauty in the person, there will be harmony in the house.If there is harmony in the house, there will be order in the nation.If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world”

  10. Legalism • Based on collection of writings 350 – 100 BCE • Han Fe Zi/Han Feizi ca. 280 – 233 BCE • aka “Realism” (thought they were realistic) • Adopted by Qin Dynasty • Uniformity/strictness unites China

  11. Legalist Principles • Human nature is naturally selfish and simple (respond to reward/punishment) • Intellectualism/literacy discouraged (weakness, softness, dissent) • Law is the supreme authority, not morality (many detailed rules) • The ruler must rule with a strong, punishing hand • Harsh punishment (even for small things) discourages misbehavior • War is the means of strengthening a ruler’s power

  12. “The ruler alone possesses power, wielding it like lightning or like thunder.” authoritarian = power/authority > freedom

  13. Taoism (Daoism)

  14. “[Grand] Old Master” • Lao Zi/Laozi/Lao Tzu • “Old Boy” “Old Fellow” • 604 BCE - ?? • few real facts about him • begins Taoist teachings/writings • Tao te Ching/Dao de Jing • basic text • “The Way and Its Power” • Taoist ideas “finished” 200s BCE

  15. Tao/Dao = The Way • the way, natural path, true way • person at home w/ nature/reality/universe • ultimate reality, indescribable; “empty yet full” • way of the universe; principle/force behind life • way of human life; Tao is experienced here • live in tune w/Tao, in harmony w/nature • don’t exert will/try to alter or perfect things

  16. More Basics • Qi (ch’i) = universal energy/vitality [in you] • flows through you, harness it, balance it • Te = power, virtuous strength • conserve it vs. increase it • Wu wei = action through inaction = effortlessness, suppleness = quietude, harmony = allowing Tao to take its course = “the art of doing nothing” = “going w/the flow”

  17. Context & Application • man-made laws, customs, & traditions are contrary to the ways of nature • reject formal knowledge and learning • rely on senses and instincts • discovering the nature and “rhythm” of the universe • ignore political and social laws • person-centered, not group-centered

  18. Approaches • Philosophical: conserve te, study texts • Practical: increase te, harness qi, vitality • tai chi, marital arts, acupuncture, feng shui, etc. • Religious: rituals, receive te, spirits/deities

  19. Influence • along w/Confucianism, strong cultural influence • religious Taoism popular w/peasantry • blends w/early Chinese Buddhism  Zen • Astronomy/astrology • Chemistry • gunpowder (scare ghosts)

  20. The Yin Yang • circle = cyclical time & experience • black & white = 2 “opposite” sides of qi • slight overlap & dots – never isolated, a bit of each in the other • symmetry - balance

  21. The Universe of Opposites: Find the Balance! Yin • Masculine • Active • Light • Warmth • Strong • Heaven; Sun • fire • South • Hard • expansion • Feminine • Passive • Darkness • Cold • Weak • Earth; Moon • Water • North • soft • limitation Yang

  22. Balanced Diet

  23. What’s YOUR Philosophy? How is a person to live in a world dominated by chaos, suffering, and absurdity?? Confucianism: moral order in society Legalism: rule by harsh law & order Daoism:freedom for individuals and less gov’t. to avoid uniformity and conformity

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