Transcript China Civilizations and Philosophies

I. Evidence of very early life in China
• Agricultural Rev. gave rise to civilization
in China
II.Oracle Bones – Priests would write questions from
the rulers on sheep or goat bones. The bones were
heated and cracked. The priests would then interpret
the cracks. These interpretations were the wishes of
the gods.
III. Mandate of Heaven
• The Mandate of Heaven is based on four principles:
1.
2.
3.
4.
The right to rule is granted by Heaven.
There is only one Heaven therefore there can be only one ruler.
The right to rule is based on the virtue of the ruler.
The right to rule is not limited to one dynasty.
• Here are some of the ways these principles converted into
action and justification:
– It gives the ruler prestige and religious importance.
– It gives the ruler supreme power.
– It allows a new ruler to gain power quickly
if the people believe he has the
'Mandate of Heaven'.
– A ruler's power must be kept in check by virtue.
– The Mandate of Heaven justifies rebellion
as long as the rebellion is successful. Simply
because it was successful, obviously then,
the new ruler had to have had a Mandate
from Heaven.
IV.
V. Early Societies and the role of
the Emperor
VI. Three philosophies
develop in this time period…
• Confucianism
• Daoism
• Legalism
These have a huge impact on
social and political culture in
China!!!
http://www.slideshare.net/e
ben_cooke/3-chinese-beliefsystems
Chinese
Philosophies
Confucianism,
Daoism,
Legalism and
Buddhism
• Kong Fuzi lived 551-479
BCE
• A time of warfare and
unrest
• Focus: The Importance of
How People Relate to One
Another
• Education overcomes
ignorance
• People are good
• Ideal ruler is an educated,
moral person who guides
society by good example.
Five Relationships
• Confucianism stresses loyalty, courtesy, hard work,
and service. In most of the relationships, the
inferior person would eventually become the
superior and would be responsible for another
inferior, so education held a important place in
society.
– Ruler to subject
– Father to son
– Husband to wife
– Older brother to younger brother
(The above are unequal relationships)
– Friend to Friend
(based on love and mutual respect)
Filial Piety –
Duties and obligations to ancestors and parents
• Mulan– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIsySZpH1DQ
Daoism
• Lao Tzu lived around 604 BCE. Little known.
• Harmony created if people follow THE DAO.
• “THE WAY” is the life force of all natural things.
• Yin and Yang are complementary principles.
• Nonaction, simplicity, humility, quiet, plainness,
and peace emphasized.
• The way… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H_svmBr0Sg
Tai Chi on “the Bund” in Shanghai
Daoism stresses
harmony with
nature,
Confucianism
stresses harmony
between people.
Legalism
• Attributed to HanFeizi (280-233 BCE)
• Persecuted Confucian scholars and gave
philosophy a bad name
• People are naturally evil.
• They are motivated by fear and greed.
• Punishment/Reward is necessary
to control behavior.
• Severe punishment is necessary to prevent
undesirable behavior. (Death penalty)
Legalism (continued)
• There is no absolute right or wrong. Laws
replace morality.
• Government should be based on world as it
exists. (Reject tradition and supernatural)
• Good ruler maintains and expands borders.
He uses laws, rewards and punishments
Buddhism
• Spread from India in 1st Century CE
• Not concerned with governing but with
individual behavior.
• Controls all aspects of daily life
• A Buddhist doesn’t eat meat, kill, believes in
rebirth, and believes that how a person lives
affects his future existence.
May all that have life
be delivered from suffering"
-Gautama Buddha
Buddhism (continued)
• Every living thing is part of a universal spirit.
• A person who practices good moral conduct,
discipline and meditation moves upward to
“nirvana”, which ends the painful rebirths.
• Eightfold Path/Four Noble Truths
Over time, Buddhist beliefs blended with
Chinese culture.
1. Nirvana became place similar
to the western concept of heaven
2. Confucian ideas of proper
behavior and respect for family
and ancestors
3. Daoism importance of nature
 Buddhism is the only
religion in China.
Confucianism, Daoism,
and Legalism are all
philosophies.