Transcript 投影片 1 - M.A. Programme in Comparative and Public

Historical & Philosophical
Background
2015/7/21
Prof. Frederick Hok-ming
CHEUNG
“the 3 Dynasties of Antiquity” (mythical)
Hsia
Shang
Chou
Western
Eastern, 770 B.C.-
The highly cultured Shang people were conquered
( in 1122B.C.) by rude tribesmen from western
China- know as the Chou Who established the
famous Chou Dynasty.
Duke of Chou



(the founder’s younger brother)
regent to his nephew (a young Emperor),
proved to be a man of high principle, therefore, he
was well-respected.
During the Cultural Revolution of modern China
(around 1966-76), there was a political
campaign of anti-Confucianism (“down with
Confucius / Confucianism”). Specialists analyzed
that one of the targets was Premier CHOU EnLai, [who was protecting people such as Deng
Xiaoping, etc., and thus was the main enemy of
the “Gang of Four” (the extreme leftists)]. As his
surname was the same as the Duke of CHOU (&
his image, too), so both Premier Chou and the
Duke of Chou were attacked by the Red Guards
& the Gang of Four.
Nevertheless, let’s get back to the ancient history
of China:
The Chou conquerors justified their conquest of
the Shang people by alleging that history had
merely repeated itself:
Many centuries earlier, the Shang founder know as
T’ang the Successful had been appointed by
Heaven to replace the wicked last king of the
previous Dynasty (Hsia).
*The doctrine of the decree of Heaven (T’ien or Ti).
The Chou Rulers did what was almost the
only thing they could do:
They parceled out their territories to vassals
who were for the most part their relatives
who had assisted them in the conquest.
These feudal lords had to keep the peace,
paid the required tribute to the king, and
led their soldiers to help the king when
they were needed. Therefore, a “feudal
system” was established.
BUT, this ancient Chinese feudalism is very
different from the medieval feudalism of
Europe.
Cf. Rushton Coulborn, ed. Feudalism in History
(Princeton: Princeton U. Press, 1956)
Prof. Derk Bodde (Harvard) on China
Profs. Rushton Coulborn, & Joseph Strayer
(Princeton) on medieval Europe.
At the beginning, this feudalism system of
Chou China worked quite well.
However, after a few generations, the
situation changed.
*The descendants of this blood relation
became more distant!
(example)
Nevertheless, soon the stronger feudal lords
annexed the territories of their weaker
neighbors, and when the emperor tried to
interfere, they even resisted the emperor.
Spring & Autumn Period
Warring Period
Political decentralization
Story of the last emperor of Western Chou &
his concubine ( Who was beautiful but did
not smile- until seeing the burning of “SOS”
fire calling for help).
The feudal vassals were antagonized.
After his downfall, (770B.C.) his son moved
to the East, established his new Capital at
Loyang, thus, the beginning of the Eastern
Chou Dynasty.
The great flourishing of ancient/traditional
Chinese thought came, however, after the
Capital was moved to the east (from
Ch’ang-on to Loyang in 770 B.C., thus, the
Eastern Chou), at the end of the Spring &
Autumn Period and during the Warring
Period.
Confucius (551-479 B.C.)& “Hundred
Schools”
2 reasons for the rise of thought in this
period:
1. the rapid changes underway in the
structure of society, &
2. the opportune appearance of some great
thinkers, such as Confucius, Lao Tzu,
Chuang Tzu, etc.
The feudal political institutions were disintegrating,
& the social system and the way of life of the
feudal aristocracy were being transformed.
Service in government and the acquisition of
learning, both privileges originally limited to
noble families, were now opened to commoners.
Therefore, thought was freed Learning was
unrestricted.
Rulers (including the feudal lords) [intent upon
self-strengthening] greatly valued the service of
talented scholars.
Thus, the “Golden Age” in Chinese Intellectual
History.
“The Period of Creativity” (from birth of Confucius
[551B.C.] to the unification of the First Emperor
of Ch’in [221B.C.]).
Hsiao Kung-Chuan (tr. Frederick Mote), A History
of Chinese Political Thought (our main reference)
Synthesis was at the hands of the great
thinkers of this time, by whom concepts
were extended and ordered.
Example: The Taoist and Legalist Schools
held the Yellow Emperor of antiquity in
great reverence. Therefore, they drew
upon earlier origins.
Yet, “this work of melting down the old so
as to cast from it something new is no less
than an act of creation.”
The creativity of the pre-Ch’in age was not
creation from nothing, lacking precedent &
foundation.
Pre-Ch’in thought, with respect to that
which preceded it, was a melting of the
old metal in order to cast something new
from it. And with respect to the Ch’in and
Han and following ages, it established the
main themes & framework.
Periodization:
1.
2.
3.
Period of Creativity or the thought of
the feudal world (Spring & Autumn
Period, Warring Period to the founding
of the Ch’in Dynasty, 221 B.C.)
Period of Continuation & the Period of
Change or the thought of authoritarian
empire (221 B.C. to late Ch’ing
Dynasty [1898 Reform or 1911
Revolution])
The thought of the modern nationstate.
Dynasties/ pendulum or cycle:
Chou
Warring States
Confucianism & Hundred
Schools
Taoism
Ch’in
Legalism
Han
Confucianism
(towards the end of
Eastern/Later Han)
Wei-Chin N. & S. Dynasties
Taoism
Sui
Legalism
T’ang & Sung
Confucianism + Taoism +
Buddhism
Ming
Legalism
*This theory of pendulum or cycle:
Confucianism, Taoism & Legalism should be
looked at in a “macro” way!
The Great Minds in Eastern Chou
The Chou Dynasty was a period of great economic
growth, social change, & political development.
But the failure of old authority, both secular &
spiritual, posed new problems in Eastern Chou.
Men’s mind could wander at will and did range
more freely than ever.
One is struck by the parallel in time between this
intellectual outburst in China & the heyday of
the Greek philosophers, the Hebraic prophets, &
the historical Buddha in India. “Great Minds in
History” Confucius, Socrates……dialogues.
Some of these thinkers were first of all practical politicians.
They were part of the new class of bureaucrats,
produced by the spread of literacy and the needs of an
increasingly complex political system. These men often
wandered from state, offering their services where they
would be most appreciated.
These great thinkers attracted followers & thus became
teachers. Their disciples gradually formed into schools of
philosophy, and from these schools, the sayings of
original masters, as collected & supplemented by later
disciples, eventually emerged as the philosophical
classics.