Ch. 6: Taoism & Confucianism

The phrase that best describes living according to the Tao is:

"being open to the Tao."

When was the Warring States Period in China?

475-221 BCE

How many officially recognized ethnic groups are there in China?

56

What does wu-wei mean?

A key Taoist concept that means "not doing/nondoing" or "actionless-action". It is related to "nonbeing" It can be translated as "nonaction" or "doing nothing".

Shi Huang Di was:

the emperor who unified China.

What is the name of the Confucian divination classic?

I Ching (Classic of Changes)

filial piety

Definition: A respect for parents, grandparents, and ancestors. Significance: According to Confucius, individuals possessed equality of rights guided by reciprocity of duties. So in the primary relationships (father-son, older sibling-younger sibling, friend-friend, husband-wife, ruler-subject), social harmony can exist if there is mutual reciprocity and equality of rights. Respect or filial piety is what holds the family together. Good relationships revolve around honor.

alchemy

Definition: magical formula. Significance: The goal of religious Taoism was to gain physical immortality. So people started using the Tao Te Ching as a manual for the preservation of life and some of the techniques they came up with to extend life included alchemy. It was an elixir of immortality, which marks one animated by the Tao. And that is the goal.

Yin and Yang represent good and evil forces.

False

What is filial piety?

Filial piety is one of the greatest family virtues in Confucianism. It is a respect for parents, grandparents, and ancestors. It holds the entire family together.

All except the following were contemporaries of the Axial Age?

Jesus Christ

"By nature men are pretty much alike; it is learning and practice that set them apart."

Source: Analects Significance: The Analects is the most important text in the history of Confucianism because it contains the words of Confucius himself. It describes the way people should behave in specific, concrete situations and it teaches the Confucian virtues of humanity, propriety, respect for parents, and how to become a superior person. A perfect human being is one above everyone else. Confucius is emphasizing the qualities of a perfect human being and contrasting that being with the inferior person.

"The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao."

Source: The Tao Te Ching Significance: This quote is found in the first few lines of the Tao Te Ching. It is explaining what the Tao is. The Tao is empty of attributes, yet possesses character and effect. It is the mother of all things. The significance of this line is to explain the mystery and unknowableness of the Tao.

"Open yourself to the Tao, then trust your natural responses; and everything will fall into place."

Source: The Tao Te Ching Significance: This is significant because it explains the quietness of the Tao. The Tao is so quiet that its presence goes easily undetected, except by intuition. Living according to the Tao, then, means being open to the quiet presence of the Tao. Your mind must be at peace and you must rid yourself of everything so that the Tao can be detected.

According to Confucianism, the emperor is seen as primarily a form of:

T'ien ming.

Define junzi:

The Confucian notion of ideal human being. A noble, superior (scholarly gentleman) person dedicated to virtue is a junzi.

I Ching

Translate: Classic of Changes Significance: The I Ching is a divination classic of the Zhou Dynasty. If one wants to become a junzi (a noble, superior person dedicated to virtue) or a "renaissance person", one must read the I Ching because it explains the act of divining. It is built on the symbolism of yin and yang forces.

wu-wei

Translate: Not doing/nondoing or action less-action. Significance: Taoism holds the concept of nonbeing as very important. The nonbeing space is actually what enables functionality and usefulness to a Taoist. The Wu-Wei, then, explains how one engages the empty, nonbeing space that provides such great utility. You engage it by taking no action at all. It calls for active inactivity that enables the Tao to be expressed. You must go with the flow and not against it.

Tao Te Ching

Translate: The Tao Te Ching can be translated as "The Book of the Way and Its Power". Tao means Way. Te means Virtue. And Ching means Classic or Book. Significance: The Tao Te Ching advises that when things are allowed to take their natural course, they move with perfection and harmony. It argues that human society is overly dominated by yang traits, so it emphasizes counterbalancing yin values to provide a countervailing force to society and culture. Its impact on Western culture is huge and definitely evident in cuisine, art, relationships, and architecture. It also one of the most popular books in the world.

feng shui

Translate: wind-water. Significance: Feng shui is a Chinese system of geomancy. It is a method of divination that interprets markings on the ground or patterns on the earth to improve life. The principles of it discern the proper harmony of vital energies, which is a popular topic in the United States. But feng shui is not the foundation of all Chinese religion. The Tao is the foundation of all Chinese religion. Feng shui was, however, used by religious Taoists to divine auspicious locations and directions animated with good energy.

junzi

Translation: A noble, superior person dedicated to virtue. Significance: The main idea of Confucius was that of the scholar as administrator, which he described as junzi. Scholar-administrators would be placed at various levels of China's bureaucracy and thus be examples of virtue and knowledge. But the main significance is that all people should have equal opportunity to be a junzi. Therefore, Confucius believed that the best leaders are not born into it through heredity but are simply the most noble and morally virtuous people.

Chinese philosopher Mozi emphasized universal love.

True

Confucianism believes that at birth people are good.

True

Geomancers read feng-shui.

True

Religious Taoism focuses on practices that extend life.

True

The ancient Chinese Logicians believed that disharmony could be overcome by using correct language.

True

Zhu Xi was a major figure in the School of Principle.

True

Zhuangzi argued that each creature should be true to its own Tao.

True

According to philosophical Taoism, qualities of the Tao include all except the following:

complexity

New Confucianism is a movement that seeks to:

demonstrate that the West would be enriched by the Confucian tradition.

The Tao is:

impersonal and nonanthropomorphic.

According to Chinese religion, the world:

is a union of opposites.

According to Confucianism:

jen animates li.

Neo-Confucianism emphasized:

objective reason as the foundation of learning and behavior.

According to Confucius, the best leaders should:

use moral persuasion and inculcate right behavior.