(lecture 9)three schools of thought in china

8/19/2019 (Lecture 9)Three Schools of Thought in China

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THREE SCHOOLS OF

THOUGHT IN CHINA


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• The Chinese are diferent rom everyearly civilization in that they are much

more secular in their views.

• As codied religion never truly tookhold, East Asia developed in a starklycontrasting pattern to the rest o theworld.

CHINESE PHILOSOPHY


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THE VINEGAR TASTERS


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• Period of competition between local clan leaders for control

of China

•

Overlapped with the end of the Zhou Dynasty because theZhou were technically in charge, but had little control for the

last 200 years of their Dynasty

• Many thiners developed competing philosophies,

attempting to bring stability and peace to China

• Competing clan leaders often developed their own

philosophies

WARRING STATES PERIOD(475-221 BC)


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CONFUCIUS

KONG FUZI (551-479 BC)

• !ounder was Confucius

"born ##$ %C&• Part of a noble but poor

family

• 'andered to local courts

advising rulers on how togovern

• (e attracted many students

who wrote down his ideas

after his death in a boo

called the Analects


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• Concerned primarily with restoring social stability and order

•

'hat is the basis of a stable, unified, and enduring socialorder)

• a system of social and ethical philosophy

• *only when character is cultivated are our families

regulated+ only when families are regulated are states well

governed-

CONFUCIANISM


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• To ensure ood overnance the state should lloficial positions with individuals who were welleducated and e!traordinarily conscientious.

• Emphasis on ormation o “Junzi” " superiorindividuals" who did not allow personal interestto in#uence their $udgement.

• %iterary works o the &hou dynasty 'ecame thecore te!ts o the traditional Chinese education.

HOW TO CREATE AN IDEALGOVERNMENT?


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• (deal overnment also needed a strongsense o moral integrity.

• )ualities (mportant to Conucius

Ren: A sense o humanity

Li: A sense o propriety, courtesy,respect, deerence to elders

Xiao: *ilial +iety

CONFUCIAN VALUES ANDGOOD GOVERNANCE


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• Emphasis on peace and order 'y ocusing onproper ordering o human relations.

CONFUCIAN IDEAS


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ook containing Conucius thoughts on how to improvesociety

ecame the 'asis or Chinese civil service e!ams and

'ureaucracyovernment workers

THE ANALECTS


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HOW DID CONFUCIUSTHOUGHT LENT ITSELF TO

ADAPTATION?Mecius "./221%C& was the

principal spoesman for the

Confucius school

• Placed special emphasis on the

Confucian virtue of ren and

advocated government of

benevolence and humanity

• 3he principle applied that rulers

would levy light ta4es, avoid wars,

support education, and encourage

harmony and cooperation


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UN!I (2"#-2$#BC)

• 5ess optimistic view of

society

• 6trong social discipline best

means to bring order in the

society

• 7mphasi8ed the concept of li


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LEGALISM

6hang 9ang ".0..1%C& (an !ei8i "2102..%C&


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*ounder was -aneizi died /00 C1

elieved that all people were naturally evil

The only way to achieve order was strict laws andharsh punishments

The 'est ruler was strict and merciless

HAN FEN!I


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3he love of the early ings for their children could not

surpass the love of parents: for their children, so if

parents love does not inevitably result in their childrennot being unruly, how can the love of ings mae their

people orderly)-

(ow were (anfei8i;s ideas different from those of

Confucius)

LEGALISM ANDGOVERNMENT


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• !oundations of state;s strength were agriculture and

armed forces

• 5egalists sought to channel individuals into

cultivation and military service

• 6trict legal laws that clearly outlined e4pectations

and provided severe punishments for violators

• Principal of collective responsibility

LEGALIST DOCTRINE


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• Many clan leaders chose legalism why)

• Official policy of the


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A contemporary o Conucius was a teacher named %aozi.2ost o what we know a'out %aozi is so heavily mi!ed

with legend, that it is dificult to know what is true, andwhat is myth.

DAOISM


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DAOISM AND %THE WAY&

Daoists sought to live in harmony with nature and Dao, or *the

way- of the universe

3ried to avoid conflict and simply *go with the flow-

Daoists believed government was unnatural and should be as

small as possible


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%aozi taught that a orce known

as the 3ao permeated all

living things.

(ndividuals should re$ect the

world, and their desires or

worldly possessions and power,

and commune with nature,

'ringing ones sel into a

state o oneness with the 3ao.

RE'ECT MATERIAL THINGS


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• Elusive concept4 an eternal principle governing all theworkings o the world

• 3ao is passive and yielding, does nothing yet

accomplishes everything• -umans should tailor their 'ehavior to the passive and

yielding nature o the 3ao

• Am'ition and activism had only 'rought the world tochaos

• 3octrine o wuwei4 disengagement rom worldly afairs,simple lie

• Advocated small, sel"suficient communities

• +olitical implications4 served as counter'alance to

Conucian activism

SIGNIFICANCE


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*=ccept everything >ust the way it is-

*Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing-

?3he more that laws and regulations are given prominence, the

more thieves and robbers there will be*

@5ao8i, 3ao 3e Ching

SAYINGS OF TAO


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*= leader is best when people barely now he e4ists, when his

wor is done, his aim fulfilled, they will sayA we did it

ourselves-

(ow were 5ao8i;s ideas different from those of Confucius and

(anfei8i)

DAOISM AND GOVERNMENT


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'hile 7eyore frets

and Piglet hesitates

and Babbit calculates

and Owl pontificatesPooh >ust is-

3ao of Pooh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFzBwP9D7MU&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLF00FD851E08361E6http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFzBwP9D7MU&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLF00FD851E08361E6


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5our $o' is to identiy which sayings are rom which 'eliesystem

6. -ave no riends 7that are not8 not e9ual to yoursel.

/. ( you think that you do not have enough, then you willnever have enough.

0. ( you are not always trying to 'e someone, you can 'ewho you are.

:. ;hile his parents are alive, a son may not move ar away.

(lecture 9)three schools of thought in china

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