Ch 8 Inquizitive Confucianism

Which American writer was once called the "American Confucius?"

Ralph Waldo Emerson

What were the political and legal effects of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882?

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 prohibited immigration from China to the United States and American citizenship for people of Chinese descent.

Identify the influences the Han dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE) had on the development of Confucianism.

The first examinations of students in Confucian classics were held, eventually becoming the widespread Chinese civil service exam that offered students lucrative jobs in the Chinese bureaucracy. Confucius' home in Qufu became a state-sponsored shrine where emperors frequently visited to make offerings to Confucius. A Han Emperor canonized the Five Classics and made an imperial academy devoted to their study.

___ introduced into Confucianism the idea of "the investigation of things," which is to examine everything we encounter as expressions of one single principle, including the natural world, society, and relationships.

Zhu Xi

Which of the following statements best describes how the Chinese character for "ren"—a human being and the number two—relates to its significance in the Confucian tradition?

A human being and the number two indicates that a person is only capable of developing their essential ability for benevolence and humaneness via interaction with other people.

Which of the following statements best explains why the One Hundred Schools period of thought was such a fertile time for the development of intellectual thought and history.

As the Eastern Zhou dynasty collapsed, great warfare and social disorder spread across China for several centuries, causing people to doubt older religious solutions of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties.

Which of the following statements best describes how Confucianists believe in bringing about social change and harmony?

Because the self is a small component of a larger web of relationships, individual transformation will create larger societal change.

Which of the following is not one of the Four Books, organized by Zhu Xi as the newly formed canon of Confucianism?

Books of Poetry

In response to Buddhism and the idea that everyone could attain realization due to one's inherent enlightened nature, Neo-Confucianism spoke of a shared original nature that made it possible for each individual to become a sage through contemplative techniques.

Buddhism, orignal nature, sage

Which of the following best characterizes Confucius' opinion on the Duke of Zhou ?

Confucius felt that the Duke of Zhou was an exemplar of Confucian virtues for his reverence for filial piety and the Mandate of Heaven.

Which of the following statements best describes Confucius' social status at the end of his life?

Despite a brief career as a bureaucratic advisor, Confucius died without any governmental post, surrounded only by his students.

As Neo-Confucianism turned the focus of Confucian practice to contemplation and self-development, it also opened up a greater space for women, declaring them "equal in all things as the moon is equal to the sun."

False

Confucianism is more of a philosophy than a religion because there are no stories of prophetic signs or supernatural events at Confucius' birth.

False

In the Confucian mindset, education is a means to an end—to better employment, to a better life, to a more prestigious social position.

False

Which of the following is not a logical conclusion from the concept of the Mandate of Heaven?

Heaven has selected certain families to rule and as a result any questioning or challenging of their or their descendants' rights to power is an offense to be punished.

Which of the following is NOT an accurate reason why one might consider Confucianism a religion?

Like most westerners, Chinese adults consider beliefs in a god or some supernatural creative power as a necessary component of a religion.

Which Confucian thinker was the first to argue that human nature is inclined towards goodness as surely as water is inclined to flow downhill?

Mencius

Mary is an intern at a New York City publishing house, which is planning to release a new translation of The Analects. During a planning meeting, Mary thinks back to her course on World Religions and tentatively suggests that perhaps Confucius' name should not be listed as the author. Which statement best describes why Mary might have made such a suggestion?

The Analects relates sayings of Confucius collected by his students and followers rather than written by his own hand.

When examined closely, Confucianism appears to be in opposition to the values one finds in European and American societies after the Enlightenment. Drag the following statements to identify them as either a Confucian or a post-enlightenment western value.

The only one who should have a say in what you do and what your future will be like is you. Social rituals and polite etiquette are to be valued as the bedrock upon which a harmonious society is built. One should always determine the appropriate action based on what is most beneficial to society, rather than what one personally desires. Because humans come into existence only through their role in society, they are obligated to engage in ritual propriety. There is no independent self apart from one's position within their family and community.

The individuals shown in this photo are engaging in what Confucian activity?

Tomb-Sweeping Day

During the dynastic period of Chinese history, to have a prestigious role in the governmental bureaucracy an individual would have to pass an imperial examination proving their knowledge of Confucian classics.

True

Throughout the centuries, Confucianism's influence in China waxed and waned as emperors and empires variously pledged and withdrew their support and patronage for Confucianism, Buddhism, or Daoism.

True

In the 2006 bestseller Confucius from the Heart, author Yu Dan presents a feel-good Confucius dedicated to self-help and self-betterment, removed from any political, social, or economic realities.

Yu Dan

Chen is a Confucian living in Ming dynasty China. From the perspective of the Five Relationships, Chen must give ___ to his elder brother Liu, but should give ___ to his wife Ying.

deference, benevolence

Although ___ meant "ruler's son" in Chinese at the time, Confucius emphasized that it was not a status given by birth, but rather was a goal attainable for all by education and study. For this reason today, most scholars of Confucianism translate the term as "profound person."

junzi

Teenager Angela is getting onto the subway train in a mostly full car. She sees an empty seat, but a man sitting in the adjacent seat has spread his legs out in a wide V, covering half of each seat beside him. When Angela pointedly coughs to get his attention, the man only shrugs and says, "No law to say I can't" and drapes his arms over the backs of each chair beside him. A Confucianist would say this episode best represents a breakdown of which Confucian virtue?

ren

One of the two primary Confucian virtues, ____ is generally translated as "benevolence" or "human heartedness," meaning that one understands they live as a member of a society and acts accordingly. In contrast, ___ represents ritual propriety, social norms, and the polite rituals of everyday life.

ren, li

Which of the following are the most likely reasons why someone might make offerings and prayers to Confucius, as depicted in the picture here. Drag and drop each reason to its most appropriate box.

success on tests for admission to college that one's children have successful careers

Yao, Shun, and Yu are known as the___ and are responsible for establishing the Chinese government, building infrastructure to protect human civilization, and initiating a tradition of rule by those who are determined worthy rather than those who arise from a regal bloodline.

three sage-kings

Wang Yangming was Neo-Confucianism's second great thinker, following more than one hundred years after Zhu Xi. Identify which of the following statements accurately reflect Wang Yangming's contributions to Neo-Confucianism.

After scrutinizing bamboo for a week, Wang Yangming was convinced that the "investigation of things" was impractical. Wang Yangming believed our heart-minds were capable of intuitively understanding the Confucian way, meaning that hours of textual education were unnecessary to becoming a sage. Wang Yangming understood "humaneness" as an expression of both our connection with other people and with the cosmos as well.

Arrange the events relate to contemporary Chinese history and Confucianism in order from earliest to latest.

China's loss of the Opium War to the British. End of national Chinese civili service exams. Founding of the People's Republic of China. Destruction of Confucian temples and religious sites during the Cultural Revolution. Government-sponsored restoration of Confucius statue.

Identify the reasons why Confucianism might still be considered an influential religion on global history, despite the fact that only 9 million individuals self-identity as Confucianists.

Confucian values spread across East and Southeast Asia, instilling Confucian values in cultures—whether or not those individuals identified as Confucianists. Confucianism provided the basis for Chinese civil service examinations for more than 2000 years. Virtually all individuals practicing "Chinese folk religion" or non-institutional Chinese religious practice engage in Confucian practices.

Which of the following is NOT an accurate reason why one might consider Confucianism as a religion, despite its lack of revelation, founder, clergy, or creed?

Confucians make offerings to their ancestors as part of filial piety, demonstrating their fundamental belief in a spiritual afterlife.

In developing solutions to the problem of social chaos evident during the Warring States period, ___ believed that an acknowledgement of one's position within society and the resulting filial obligations that came with it would lead to social harmony. In contrast, ___ believed that social harmony could be achieved through universal and impartial love, while ___ promoted strict laws and punishments which inspired fear in subjects as the means to assure social stability.

Confucians, Mohists, Legalists

When teaching the unit on Confucianism, Paul's World Religions' professor wears a red baseball hat with the words "Make China Great Again" embroidered on it during his lecture as a demonstration of course material that playfully references a recent political campaign. Identify the statements which accurately reflect how Paul's professor's hat relates to the course material.

Confucius taught his students the Five Classics, which—while heavily edited by Confucius—had existed as Chinese classics in some form prior to his study of them. In recent decades, the Chinese Communist Party has led a Confucian revival aimed at remembering China's glorious past through sponsoring public Confucian rituals and cultural events, encouraging students attend Confucian academies, and promoting Confucian values. Confucius believed that by reverting to the time-honored ways of China's ancient sage-kings, moral perfection and social harmony could be achieved.

Identify the influences the Han dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE) had on the development of Confucianism.

Confucius' home in Qufu became a state-sponsored shrine where emperors frequently visited to make offerings to Confucius. A Han Emperor canonized the Five Classics and made an imperial academy devoted to their study. The first examinations of students in Confucian classics were held, eventually becoming the widespread Chinese civil service exam that offered students lucrative jobs in the Chinese bureaucracy.

Confucius held the traditional trappings of religion with disdain, believing them to be a poison within society that kept people from focusing on developing moral behavior and producing a harmonious society in the here and now. As a result, his students were forbidden from engaging in ritual behavior to honor spirits and gods.

False

In response to competition from Buddhism and Daoism for patronage, Neo-Confucianism introduced a monastic tradition that encouraged individuals to remove themselves from the Five Relationships and work selflessly for the social good.

False

Like Buddhism, Daoism, and other Chinese religions, Confucianism values asceticism, or the intentional denial of physical pleasures for spiritual purposes.

False

The majority of Confucian ancestral veneration takes place in local temples, with the temple at Confucius' hometown of Qufu being the largest and most prestigious temple at which to make offerings.

False

Which of the following is not a transformation of the Confucian traditions seen in Neo-Confucianism?

Neo-Confucisnism incorporated Buddhisst ideas of emptiness (shunyata), arguing that all social relationships were empty of inherent existence.

Tu Weiming is associated with which form of Confucianism?

New Confucianism

Which of the following are true of New Confucianism?

New Confucians are working to develop Confucian feminism through emphasizing the mutual respect and affection inherent to the Five Relationships. New Confucians are committed to adapting the Confucian tradition to Enlightenment ideas and ideals, including liberty, rationality, and the dignity of the individual. New Confucians critique western notions of unchecked capitalism, Eurocentric chauvinism, and narcissism.

Which choice best describes what Confucians believe to be the role of the Three Sovereigns in Chinese history?

The Three Sovereigns descended from heaven and inaugurated Chinese civilization through teaching the Chinese how to grow crops, raise livestock, and write.

Bobby's local movie theater plays an announcement before each movie, asking patrons to turn off their cell phones and refrain from talking during the film. Bobby ignores this video and continually makes comments about the film to his (very embarrassed) girlfriend while also texting his brother about what beer to pick up for the party that night. Although the other patrons were too polite to complain and Bobby was never kicked out of the theater, a Confucianist would say this episode represents a breakdown of which Confucian virtue?

li