Transcript Confucius - asianstudies09

“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.”
Confucius
“If one learns from others but not does not
think, one will be bewildered. If one thinks
but does not learn, one will be in peril.”
Confucius (551-479 B.C.)
Background
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Confucius lived during the Chou
Dynasty (1100 B.C. to 256 B.C.). At
this time, the land was divided
among feudal lords. The moral and
social order was in a state of decay.
Confucius sought a way to restore
the cultural-political order.
He believed that reform would
come through educating the
leaders in the classics and in his
philosophy.
He sought a political position of
influence, from which he could
implement his principles.
Confucianism and Ethical Code
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Confucianism, as its founder taught, is not a
religion in the traditional sense.
It is an ethical code. Chinese culture was
steeped in the religion of animism, a belief that
gods and spirits dwell in natural formations.
Along with an animistic world view, there was a
belief in ancestor worship.
The spirits of the dead needed to be honored
and cared for by the living family members
Outlook
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Confucius looked back to the golden age
of the Zhou dynasty, when he believed
rulers were benevolent and people lived
harmoniously in society.
According to Confucius, an individual was
born with a moral nature. Evil was the
result of bad things to which a person was
exposed.
The Ideal Human
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Cultured gentleman who knew proper
behavior
The gentleman developed the five virtues
of humanity: benevolence (jen),
righteousness (yi), proper conduct (li),
wisdom (zhi), and trustworthiness (xin).
A moral ruler who practiced those virtues
would encourage that same development
among his people.
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Confucius occasionally mentions the "Mandate of
Heaven." He appears to interpret this to mean
the natural law or moral order within things.
Men must seek to live within this order. One
must be careful not to violate the will of heaven.
Confucius wrote, "He who put himself in the
wrong with Heaven has no means of expiation
left." (Analects 3:13)
Zhougong
The Mandate Of Heaven
The Duke of Zhou may also have
developed the philosophy of the
mandate of heaven, which justified the
legitimacy of Zhou rule. The philosophy
stated that heaven gave a mandate, or
authority to rule, to a worthy ruler. In
order to remain worthy and keep that
mandate, kings had to be virtuous and
have concern for the welfare of the
people.
Mandate continued
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If, according to Confucius, the emperor
lost the mandate of heaven because of
disobeying the moral code he should be
removed. If a group of people tried to
overthrow the emperor and was
successful then he had “lost the mandate”
but if he survived then he must have not
lost it.
?
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What would this have done to the attitude
and perhaps the rule of the emperors in
China?
What do you know about the first emperor
of China and his attitude toward scholars?
For a society to function, what key
characteristics would your society have to
prosper?
Principles of Confucius’ teachings
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Three key principles are emphasized in
Confucius' teachings: the principles of Li, Jen,
and Chun-Tzu
The term Li has several meanings, often
translated as propriety, reverence, courtesy,
ritual or the ideal standard of conduct.
It is what Confucius believed to be the ideal
standard of religious, moral, and social conduct.
One must express respect for their superiors
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The second key concept is the Principle of Jen.
It is the fundamental virtue of Confucian
teaching.
Jen is the virtue of goodness and benevolence.
It is expressed through recognition of value and
concern for others, no matter their rank or class.
In the Analects, Confucius summarizes the
principle of Jen in this statement, often called
The Silver Rule: "Do not do to others what you
would not like them to do to you." (Analects
15:23)
Li provides the structure for social interaction.
Jen makes it a moral system.
Chun-Tzu
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The third important concept is Chun-Tzu, the
idea of the true gentleman.
It is the man who lives according to the highest
ethical standards. The gentleman displays five
virtues: self-respect, generosity, sincerity,
persistence, and benevolence.
His relationships are described as the following:
as a son, he is always loyal; as a father, he is
just and kind; as an official, he is loyal and
faithful; as a husband, he is righteous and just;
and as a friend, he is faithful and honest.
Relationships
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is your interpretation of how each
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establish
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each
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Father
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Do all societies agree how man should
3. Older to Young
treat women and the other way around?
4. Ruler to Subject
5. Friend to Friend
Relationships
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Central to Confucius' teaching are relationships and
social roles. There are five great relationships:
Kindness in the father and obedient devotion in the son
Righteous behavior in the husband and obedience in
the wife
Humane consideration in elders and deference in
juniors
Gentility in the eldest brother and humility and respect
in the younger
Benevolence in rulers and loyalty of ministers and
subjects
Loyalty and sincerity among friends
If these attitudes are practiced there will be harmony
among all.
Question??????
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So what do you think of these
relationships?
How necessary are they in maintaining a
functional and stable society?
How do they relate to what you read
about the Chinese family?
Is it similar to the Korean family?
?
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How would these relationships impact the
Asian societies of China, Japan and
Korea?
What aspects of Asian society still have
aspects of the five relationships?
The single most important Confucian
work.
In Chinese, it means “conversation.”
Focus on practicalities of interpersonal
relationships and the relationship of
the role of rulers and ministers to the
conduct of government.
Knowing what he knows and knowing what he
doesn’t know, is 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.
Tea is poured during a Confucian ceremony in
front of ancestral tombs in Kyongju, South Korea
372 - 289 B.C.E.
Disciple of Confucius.
Starts off with the assumption that “people
are basically good.”
Emphasis on benevolence
If someone does something bad, education,
not punishment, is the answer.
 Good people will mend their ways in
accordance to their inherent goodness.
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A ruler who’s conduct leads to his
subjects’ self-seeking behavior should be
deposed
“
The emperor is the example of
proper behavior
Social relationships are based on
“rites” or “rituals.”
Even religious rituals are
important for SOCIAL, not
religious reasons, according to
Confucius.
?
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In your opinion what should be the role of
government? How should members of a
government be decided upon?
What is the “Mandate of Heaven?”
Sources
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http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.fas.har
vard.edu/~vsdb/confucius.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.fas.harv
ard.edu/~vsdb/photos.html&h=418&w=310&sz=31&hl=en&s
tart=13&tbnid=CkAMwwSIwAXBDM:&tbnh=125&tbnw=93&pr
ev=/images%3Fq%3DConfucius%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3
Den%26lr%3D%26rls%3DGGLJ,GGLJ:200634,GGLJ:en%26sa%3DN
http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/confucius.html
S.M. Pojer, Horace Greenly High School
J Spivey KIS
"Confucius." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. 2009.
ABC-CLIO. 10 Feb. 2009 http://www.ancienthistory.abcclio.com
"Zhou Dynasty (Overview)." World History: Ancient and
Medieval Eras. 2009. ABC-CLIO. 10 Feb. 2009
<http://www.ancienthistory.abc-clio.com>.