Transcript chinesephilosophy

Ancient China
Dynasties of the
Foundations Period
• 1766-1122 B.C.E. Shang dynasty
(first dynasty with written records)
• 1028-256 B.C.E. Zhou dynasty
• 403-221 B.C.E. Era of Warring States
• Qin dynasty
• Han dynasty
•Both Confucius (Kungfuzi) and Laozi,
two important philosophers, lived during
the late Zhou Dynasty.
•By the end of the Zhou Dynasty, China
was a highly developed and wealthy
civilization compared to other civilizations
at this time. However, China was still not
politically unified.
•There was a great deal of warfare and
instability during the late Zhou, thus
scholars such as Confucius and Lao
reflected on what would create social
harmony and balance.
Classical Chinese Philosophies and Ethical Systems
Confucianism
•Confucius (Kong Fuzi) was born in 551 B.C.E.,
during the late Zhou.
•He lived during a time of social disorder, war, and
change.
•Confucius’s teachings were recorded by his
students in the Analects.
•Confucian philosophy is concerned with social
order, morals, and good government
Confucianism: Major Principles
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The Five Relationships set up a social order
1. father to son
2. elder brother to younger brother
3. Husband to wife
4. ruler to subject
5. friend to friend
Filial Piety – respect and obey parents
Leaders need to be virtuous and set a good example
for their subjects
• The Golden Rule
Sayings of Kungfuzi (Confucius)
“What you do not wish done to yourself, do not do to others.”
“Recognize that you know what you know, and that you are ignorant of
what you do not know.”
"To lead uninstructed people to war is to throw them away."
"To see right and not to do it is cowardice."
"An oppressive government is more to be feared than a tiger."
“To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.”
After Confucius
himself, Mencius is
considered the most
famous Confucian
scholar.
He believed that
human nature is
inherently good, and
that education and
moral cultivation
must awaken the
innate abilities of the
human mind.
Mencius
(c. 372 – 289 BCE)
•Confucianism was the most influential
philosophy in China, and laid the
foundation for values, morals, and social
structure. Confucianism also spread to
Korea, Vietnam, and Japan.
Images of Confucius
Legalism
•Founded by Hanfeizi (d. 233 B.C.E)
•Based on the belief that human
nature is evil and selfish.
•Believed social order was achieved
through strict leadership and harsh
rules and punishment.
•This philosophy would greatly
influence the emperor credited with
uniting China, Qin Shihuangdi.
Daoism
•Founded by Laozi during the
late Zhou Dynasty.
•Laozi’s teachings are
recorded in the Dao De
Ching.
•Believed social harmony
and order could be achieved
by following the “Way” (Dao)
of nature.
•Rejected formal social
structure and the idea that
people must fill specific roles
in society.
Laozi (Master Lao)
Daoism
• Daoists believe in renouncing worldly
ambitions to follow the path of least
resistance, as nature does. For
example, water flows around a rock; it
doesn’t make the rock an obstacle.
• Daoism influenced science, medicine,
and the arts in China.
Statue of Laozi
“Taoist Solitude”
What would Chinese
Philosophers Do?
•A student's friends smoke and are trying to get them to start. How do they
handle this situation?
•A student knows that they are failing a class. Students from each of these
doctrines know they will be in trouble when their parents find out. How do
they handle this situation?
•A student has just found $20 in the hall. What should they do?
•A student's parents have just spent a lot of money on a new outfit. The
student has been playing around and has gotten ink all over it. What
should they tell their parents, or should they?
•A student really likes a new student in school, but all the other students
are making fun of the new student's clothes. How should the first student
act?
•A student knows that an older brother or sister is cheating on tests. How
should the student act?
•A student sees an opportunity to take something they have really wanted,
without being caught. How should that student act?