Confucianism and Daoism PDF

Ancient China and New Beliefs  Do Now How did the Zhou Dynasty use the Mandate of Heaven to justify their rise to power? Foundations of Chinese Civilization Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BCE) Occurring at the same time as Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Indus River Valley Civil...

Ancient China and New Beliefs  Do Now How did the Zhou Dynasty use the Mandate of Heaven to justify their rise to power? Foundations of Chinese Civilization Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BCE) Occurring at the same time as Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Indus River Valley Civilizations The Emperor: Gov’t & Religion Emperors were seen as intermediaries between Di, dead ancestors, and Humankind. He made government decisions AND led religious rituals: – E.g. → Supervised dances designed to end droughts. Shang Di, the ultimate god End of the Shang Dynasty Last Shang king, Zhou, was killed in 1100 BCE. The Shang lost the Mandate of Heaven in the eyes of the people. A Zhou Dynasty took over China. Zhou Dynasty 1029-258 BCE Displaced the Shang dynasty Created/Enforced the “Mandate of Heaven” GOVERNING IDEAL: The Mandate of Heaven The new dynasty establishes peace and is considered to have the mandate of Mandate of Heaven Heaven. - the divine approval New dynasty thought to be the gains power and Gradually, the claims to have dynasty declines basis of royal the Mandate of and power grows Heaven. weak. authority Dynastic Cycle New dynasty Disasters occur emerges as old and the dynasty dynasty is overthrown. grows weaker. Dynastic Cycle - the historical pattern of Old dynasty is the rise, decline, and seen as having lost the Mandate replacement of of Heaven and rebellions break dynasties out. Feudalism: Emperors and Nobles Nobles governed Peasants/ artisans as Vassals of the emperor: Vassals are subordinate leaders who carried out a superior’s (the Emperor’s) orders. In return for local power, Nobles collected agricultural produce that supported the emperor and his government. raised armies and waged war for the emperor when called on.  BUT REMEMBER! The Zhou Dynasty used feudalism to create alliances BUT Feudalism is unstable; depends on loyalties and obligations  Zhou Dynasty Local rulers formed independent armies Zhou never established a powerful government and declined because of weak political infrastructure and nomadic invasions How can China unify these states?  How did China react to a potential breakdown in society? Rulers in the Zhou dynasty maintained a belief in gods and stressed the importance of a harmonious earthly life Ancestor worship But many saw other ways to restore order!  Confucianism Philosophy created by Confucius c. 500 BC Confucianism is not a religion – No sacred text – No description of a belief in the afterlife  Confucius: 551 BCE-479 BCE Concerned primarily with restoring social stability and order – What is the basis of a stable, unified, and enduring social order? A system of social and ethical philosophy  Confucian Aphorisms: An aphorism is a brief statement that expresses an important idea in a memorable way. Confucius never considered his teachings religious. He offered practical advice to help people behave virtuously and conduct harmonious relationships with their parents, spouse, family members, friends, and also their ruler and/or subjects, in the hierarchy of his time and place. People's spiritual beliefs were of no concern to Confucius.  Aphorism on Relationships “The relation between superiors and inferiors is like that between the wind and the grass. The grass must bend when the wind blows across it.” What is the main idea?  What’s the Point? Some philosophical questions in life are BIG and hard to answer. – What is the meaning of life? – Do we have free will? – What is morality? For Confucius the most important question is easy: -How are you living your life on a daily basis? Everyone can answer this  How did Confucian beliefs affect behavior in daily life? Filial Piety = respect for parents / honor your family Five Relationships = explained who should respect who in society; – Father to son – Husband to wife – Ruler to subjects – Older brother to younger brother – Friend to friend  Discuss! How might society following the 5 relationships be beneficial? How could it be detrimental? Is this a fair way to organize society/rule?  Pros Cons - Everyone knows their - Not a supportive role philosophy of women’s - Prevents rebellion rights - Generates respect/loyalty - Discouraged long term for the leader change/progress (you - People feel safe and were only supposed to encouraged to learn focus on your role in each relationship)  Women in Confucianism “Let a woman modestly yield to others.. Always let her seem to tremble and to fear.. Then she may be said to humble herself before others.. To guard carefully her chastity.. To choose her words with care.., to wash and scrub filth away.. With wholehearted devotion to sew and to weave, to love not gossip and silly laughter, in cleanliness and order to prepare the wine and food for serving guests: These may be called the characteristics of womanly work” – Ban Zhao, Confucian Philosopher, Lessons for Women, c. 70 CE What “proper behavior” is being upheld by this Confucian scholar? What might be the impact for Chinese women?  According to Confucius The five relationships will lead to stability. Stability in the home will lead to stability in the towns will lead to stability throughout the country The superior in the relationship should model good behavior to the inferior in the relationship The inferior in the relationship should obey the superior in the relationship  Therefore There is no need for harsh punishments  “Only when character is cultivated are our families regulated; only when families are regulated are states well governed.”  “Only when character is cultivated are our families regulated….” So how do we cultivate our character?  The energies of joy, anger, sorrow, and sadness are given by nature. When it comes to their being manifested on the outside, it is because they have been elicited by others th – 4 century text  Continued: Only through training do we become able to respond well….At the beginning of our lives one responds through emotions; at the end, one responds through propriety.  In other words: We do not try to overcome emotions. Rather, we try to cultivate our emotions so we internalize better ways of interacting with others. These better ways become a part of us. When we have refined our reactions we can respond to people in ways we have cultivated rather than our immediate response. In the West we label ourselves -I’m an introvert -I’m a free-spirit -I’m cautious -I’m impulsive -I’m not good at math -I’m stupid -I’m talented  But are these labels true? Are you someone who IS impatient or are you someone who has BECOME impatient? Think about your interactions: – The way you refine your emotions are born out of your pattern of interaction.  In other words: If you find something irritating that is because you are USED to it being irritating. If you find something difficult it is because you are USED to it being difficult The Takeaway? By being loyal to your “true self” you cement bad outcomes! Confucius would say: You need to break the pattern that had led you to this reaction. Let’s say you roll your eyes at your mother when she says something. To break your irritation with her you should commit to smiling at her instead.  It’s Empowering! Instead of being slaves to our “natures” we have the ability to determine how we act. Implications for Education: You don’t do well in school because you are “Smart” You do well in school because you work hard and study  Do Now According to Confucian philosophy, how could order and stability come to China?  According to Confucius The five relationships will lead to stability. Stability in the home will lead to stability in the towns will lead to stability throughout the country The superior in the relationship should model good behavior to the inferior in the relationship The inferior in the relationship should obey the superior in the relationship  ☯ History Founder of Taoism ☯ The founder of Taoism is Lao-Tse. ☯ Lao-Tse (6th-5th century BCE), life overlapped with Confucius (551-479 BCE). ☯ Both viewed how to bring order to China VERY differently  ☯ Taoism Taoism ☯ Tao (pronounced “Dow”) can be roughly translated into English as the path, or the way. ☯ It is indefinable. ☯ It has to be experienced. ☯ It “refers to a power which envelops, surrounds and flows through all things, living and non-living.  ☯ Symbols The Yin & Yang YIN YANG YIN ☯ Feminine ☯ Masculine ☯ Passive ☯ Action YANG ☯ Darkness ☯ Light ☯ Cold ☯ Warmth ☯ Weak ☯ Strong ☯ Earth; Moon ☯ Heaven; Sun Too much of either is bad. You must strike a balance. Qi Wu Wei Wu Translated as emptiness. The ideal state of mind, empty of any thoughts or desires that conflict with the Tao. A Taoist Riddle What is greater than God, more evil than the devil, the poor have it, the rich need it, and if you eat it, you die? Answer: Nothing Why can this riddle be seen as Taoist? Because the "nothing" in this riddle is an active principle, not a passive one. It speaks not to the absence of something but to the presence of Nothing. It is not that the rich do not want for anything; it is that people who have too much could use more emptiness and would benefit from embracing the idea of Nothing.  The hole in the pot is nothing, Without the hole – the pot would not be a pot. A hands off approach to governing “Governing a large country is like frying a small fish. You spoil it with too much poking." “The more laws that you make, the greater the number of criminals” Therefore the Master says: I do nothing, and people become good by themselves. I seek peace, and people take care of their own problems. I do not meddle in their personal lives, and the people become prosperous. I let go of all my desires, and the people return to the Uncarved Block. Source: Lao-Tse, written in the Tao Te Ching, a central text of Taoism Creative Activity! Select either Confucianism or Taoism, and then visually depict how that philosophy attempts to bring order and stability to China. Have fun with this! :) Why will neither of these philosophies help unify China? What do you think China needs?  Tomorrow A look at Legalism and the unification of China under the Qin Dynasty