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workers. peasants. bourgeoisie. LEADERSHIP OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY. Patriotic capitalists. stars are evenly spread and all point back to the larger star. FACTS & FIGURES. CONTINENT? - Asia POPULATION? - 1,355,692,576 (most in the world) U.S. is about 319,000,000
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workers peasants bourgeoisie LEADERSHIP OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY Patriotic capitalists • stars are evenly spread and all point back to the larger star
FACTS & FIGURES • CONTINENT? - Asia • POPULATION? - 1,355,692,576 (most in the world) • U.S. is about 319,000,000 • GOV’T? – Communist (capital is Beijing) • RELIGIONS? – Taoist, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim (officially atheist) • HOW OLD? – One of the oldest civilizations in the world
GEOGRAPHY WEST EAST Borders the Pacific Ocean Fertile river valleys and plains Good place for life to flourish, unlike the west • Rugged, forbidding terrain • Himalayas close the SW part of the country
MOUNTAINS Mts. Cover 1/3 of the country, mostly in the west – isolate China from other areas
RIVERS 3 main rivers drain the eastern basin: • Huang He (Yellow River) • Chang Jiang (Yangtze) • Xi Jiang --- they provide arable land for people to live
CLIMATE • Very diverse climate ranging from tropical in the south to subarctic in the north • Melting snow and monsoon seasons provide fertile farming areas
REST OF THE WORLD CHINA • Civilization dates back at least 4,000 years • Lived in isolation from the rest of the world, called their homeland ZhongGuo(Middle Kingdom) • Isolation created a unique culture and strong sense of “nationalism”
REASONS FOR ISOLATION … DESERTS Mountains in the South and West Deserts 3. Ocean to the East MTS.
PHILOSOPHY IS…. the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE? HOW DID WE GET HERE AND WHY ARE WE HERE? WHAT IS HAPPINESS? WHAT IS THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT? WHAT MORALS/VALUES SHOULD WE LIVE BY?
CHINESE PHILOSOPHIES • During the late Zhou period scholars sought solutions to problems: • Political breakdown • Social disorders • Efforts led to new philosophies that focused on : • life in this world • how this life should be lived (not great emphasis on the afterlife)
CONFUCIANISM KONGFUZI (Confucius) • Born in 551 b.c. • Taught that “social harmony” and “good gov’t” would return to China if people lived according to ethics – good conduct and moral judgment • Emphasized duty and humanity • Golden rule “Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you”
CONFUCIANISM cont. 5 RELATIONSHIPS • Confucius stressed the importance of moral behavior in 5 basic relationships
5 RELATIONSHIPS 1 RULER & SUBJECT
5 RELATIONSHIPS 2 Parent & Child
5 RELATIONSHIPS 3 Husband & Wife
5 RELATIONSHIPS 4 Old & Young
5 RELATIONSHIPS 5 Friend & Friend
CONFUCIANISM cont. • He cared most about family relationships and a child’s respect for parents (filial piety) • Died in 479 b.c. • Analects – teachings were written down into this book • Greatly influenced Chinese society/politics
EFFECTS OF CONFUCIUS • During the Han Dynasty the ideas of Confucius influenced all aspects of personal and social life • The family became most important aspect of Chinese society
FAMILY • Every member knew their place and role • Hierarchy – organization based on separate levels of importance
FAMILY ORGANIZATION OLDEST MALE (father) Oldest Son Mother Oldest daughter
FAMILY RULES • Very strict rules governed the family • Nobody wanted to bring shame on the family name • Expected to pay respect to dead ancestors (ancestor worship)
“Let the ruler be a ruler and the subject a subject; let the father be a father and the son a son” ---- Confucius
DAOISM LAOZI • Lived in the 500s b.c. • Stressed living in harmony with nature • Followers believed people should give up worldly ambitions and turn to nature and the Dao
DAOISM cont. • Dao – universal force that guides all the things • Focus on nature greatly emphasized in Chinese art
DAOISM cont. Yin and Yang • two opposing forces present in all nature (everything has both) • Yin – cool, dark, female • Yang – warm, light, male
READ SECTION 4: ADVICE FROM THE DAO DE QING AND… • Define sage, complacency, counsel (in the context of this reading) • Describe, in your own words, the meaning of each numbered section
CHINESE PHILOSOPHIES CONFUCIANISM DAOISM Emphasizes nature and theDao People should live in harmony with nature, not try to change the world Maintain balance of yin/yang People should be passive/inactive • World needs to be improved, looked to the past • Emphasizes duty, rules, hierarchy, ethics (morality), filial piety,humanity • People should be active
Legalism • Confucius believed all people were essentially good. • Because of the Warring States Period (400 B.C. – 200 B.C.),some came to believe the opposite – Legalists: • All humans are evil. • Harsh leadership is needed to preserve peace/order.
Legalism • Confucius thought that “superior men” (think civil service exams) could solve society’s problems; Legalists disagreed and thought that harsh laws and stiff punishments were needed to maintain social order and service to the ruler (“School of Law) • Not concerned with the purpose of life or nature • Concerned with: • Fa: clearly stated rule of law • Shu: some ideas must be kept secret by ruler – WHY? • Shi: the position of the ruler, not the actual ruler, is what holds the power
Legalism • Used very effectively by Qin Dynasty but was later abandoned. • I wonder why? • What tends to happen to leaders who are just to strict?
Shinto & Buddhism • Many Japanese follow a mixture of these religions. • Shinto deals with life (means “The Sacred Way”, or “They Way of the Gods”). • Births • Weddings • Buddhism deals with death. • Funerals • Remember: Enlightenment & Nirvana Buddhist deity with Shinto Torii on its head
Shinto • No organization, founder, holy texts • Gives few details of afterlife • Japanese follow Buddhism when dealing with death. • All human life/nature is sacred. • HARMONY (works well with Zen Buddhism) • True Heart The way of the Kami
Shinto:Kami • Kami means “god” or “deity” • NOT in the way Christians think of God • Kami are thought to be spirits that manifest themselves in locations/objects • It’s all about NATURE • EX: Mt. Fuji is thought to house a spirit
Shinto: 4 Affirmations • Tradition and the family: The family is seen as the main mechanism by which traditions are preserved. Their main celebrations relate to birth and marriage. • Love of nature:Nature is sacred; to be in contact with nature is to be close to the Gods. Natural objects are worshipped as sacred spirits. • Physical cleanliness:Followers of Shinto take baths, wash their hands, and rinse out their mouth often. • "Matsuri": The worship and honor given to the Kami and ancestral spirits.
Shinto:Shrines & Torii • Shinto shrines and Torii celebrate the kami spirits • Each shrine is dedicated to a single kami • Torii act as gates to the shrines