World Religions Ch 8 Essay responses
Why is Daoism more than the teachings of the Laozi and the Zhuangzi?
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Why should the term "Confucianism" be used with caution? In what way may it be a misnomer?
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Why is Confucianism a religious tradition despite its lack of concern for the afterlife?
Confucianism is a way of life taught by Confucius in the 6th and 5th century BC. Sometimes viewed as a philosophy, sometimes viewed as a religion, Confucianism is perhaps best understood as an all-encompassing humanism that neither denies nor slights heaven. Confucianism has been followed by the Chinese for more than two millennia. It has deeply influenced spiritual and political life in China as well as Korea, Japan, and Vietnam
What are the Confucian Five Classics and Four Books?
The Five Classics are the five canonical works of Confucianism designated in the Han Dynasty. They are the Book of History, the Book of Odes, the Book of Changes, Record of Rites, and Spring and Autumn Annals. The Four Books are the four texts identified by the Neo-Confucian Zhu Xi as fundamental in understanding the Confucian teaching. Between 1313 and 1905, they made up the curriculum for the civil service examination. They are Analects, Mencius, Great Learning, and Doctrine of the Mean.
In what ways do Confucianism and Daoism complement each other, and in what ways do they oppose each other?
They are both ways of life that are about bringing wisdoms into your life. They both originated in China and reformed the traditional Chinese religion. Daoism regards everyone as equal while Confucianism believes one should respect their elders. Taoism has no rituals while Confucianism is highly ritualistic. Daoism is spiritual and Confucianism is social.
How do Confucianism and Daoism define such terms as Tian, Dao, and de differently?
Tian is the transcendent, numinous entity in ancient Chinese religion; the conscious Will that regulates the cosmos and intervenes in human affairs; conventionally translated as "Heaven" Dao in Confucianism, it specifically refers to the entire ideal human order ordained by the numinous Absolute, Tian. In Daoism, it is the primary source of the cosmos, the very ground of all beings. de is another fundamental concept in Chinese religions, meaning "virtue" or "potency". In Confucianism, it is the charismatic power of the ruler or the man of virtue, while in Daoism it means the concrete manifestation of the dao.
