Chinese Belief Systems
What are the three key concepts in Confucianism?
Ren (humanness), Xiao (filiality), and Li (ritual)
Five Relationships
(1) Ruler to Ruled, (2) Father to Son (Parent and Child), (3) Husband to Wife, (4) Elder Brother (Sibling) to Younger Brother (Sibling), and (5) Friend to Friend
What are the five relationships that Confucius believed shaped behavior?
(1) Ruler to Ruled, (2) Parent to Child, (3) Husband to Wife, (4) Older Sibling to Younger Sibling, and (5) Friend to Friend
What are the main tenets of Legalism?
A clear articulation of rewards and punishments. Most related to government, authoritarian government, a hierarchic order, and strict application of rewards and punishments.
Daodejing
Author of Laozi; "the Way and its Virtue". Has given itself to diverse interpretations.
What characteristics of Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism contributed to their long-lasting influence?
CONFUCIANISM influenced many aspects of Chinese life, filial piety, people in Korea, Japan, & Vietnam accepted Confucian belief. DAOISM served as a balance to the dominant concepts of Confucianism, self-expression, could be aligned with a Confucian bureaucratic in professional life and Doaist poet & nature lover in personal life. LEGALISM philosophy left a lasting mark on Chinese civilization: partially accounted for the highly centralized gov of later times, philosophical bases for great political transition when Qin dynasty unified the whole county.
In what ways do Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism differ from each other?
Confucianism grows from the assumption that individuals through the study of the past can regain proper relationships through attention to ritual. The Dao of Confucianism is made by people walking the path; Daoists do not believe that human beings can formulate "rules" or "rituals" for living. The goal is to live in accord with the "Dao" of the natural world. Legalism seeks to achieve stability through a clearly articulated, non-varying, program (fa) of laws governing rewards and punishments.
Analects
Consists of Confucius' answers to questions (what "the master said"); written by disciples of Confucius and their followers.
What is the Daoist view of nature and society?
Daoists stressed the simple ways of nature and the virtue of yielding. Water does not resist, but rather yields to outside pressure (flows) Efforts to change or improve nature only destroys harmonies.
What are the roles and responsibilities of the ruler in Legalism?
Legalism was designed to aid the ruler in consolidating his position and power. Creation of prosperous & military strong state (tillers and soldiers). Aspects of life should be regulated to produce the maximum wealth and military might. (Merchants, intellectuals, and other unproductive groups should not be tolerated)
Han Fei or Han Feizi
Legalist thinker
Shang Yang or Lord Shang
Legalist thinker, established harsh punishments for anyone who tried to protect a criminal. When Shang Yang was suspected of disloyalty, he tried to go into hiding, but no one would protect him-> he was arrested and sentenced to execution.
How does Legalism use rewards and punishments to achieve order?
Men should not be judged by motives, but by accomplishments -> and anyone who fails should be punished. People should be mutually responsible for one another's actions. Harsh penalties = people will be in such obedience -> that there will be no penalties.
Laozi
Most venerated text of Daoism, named after author Daodejing . Consists of parables, metaphors, and poetic passages.
What are the main tenets of Daoism?
Philosophy of retreat and withdrawal. Life is to be simple, live as individuals and retreat from rulers. You are born w/ infinite potential. Uncarved box, empty vessel, unmolded clay.
Confucius
Native from the state of Lu. Aspired high political office...as a practical politician -> failure to achieve administrative position BUT role as a teach -> enormous success.
How did Confucianism ensure social order?
Social harmony is achieved when each person knows their proper place in social order and plays that part well. Individuals pass simultaneously through a multiplex of relationships in their lives. All of us are children, potentially parents, siblings, and friends.
What are the roles and responsibilities of the ruler in Confucianism?
The "junzi" (the noble or superior person), manifests integrity, righteousness, loyalty, altruism, and benevolence in his/her relationship with others. The superior person shows culture and an understanding of ritual. Emphasis on etiquette, ritual, and propriety. "If the mat was not straight, the Master would not sit."
Explain the different ways in which Daoism taught that people should live their lives.
The key to merging with Dao was WUWEI --- (active/non action - intensely doing nothing). The best government was one that governed least. Don't "force" things.
How does Legalism contribute to a strong central government?
The ruler cannot rely on individual morality, they should control all subjects with clearly defined rewards and punishments. Strong leader -> people will go in a directon -> strong order and authority. Legalism seeks to turn individuals' self-interest into an asset for the state.
What is filial piety?
Traditional customs such as reverence for ancestors. Encompassed reverent obedience of children toward parents and performance of ritual, such as mourning when they died, or making sacrifices after a death.
What are the main tenets of Confucianism?
What we know of Confucious comes from his students in a series of conversations recorded after Confucius' death. The The Analects" or "left-overs" are a series of questions posed to Confucius. Confucius was addressing the general question of "what has gone wrong in his time? He looks back to the founding of the Zhou Dynasty as a time in which humans lived in "humane" relationships.
What are the roles and responsibilities of the ruler in Daoism?
You do not tell people how to be Daoist, not teacher. Look at metaphors in order to see what you should be like.
Dao
literally the "road" or "Way", was a term used by Confucius to describe the social system he advocated. In Daoist sense...was a philosophical expression of nature's rhythms; the whole natural order rather than making human actions the center of concern.
