confucianism

Question 0

what is filial piety

Answer 0

• a debt to your family (obedience, respect, having kids of your own)
• children have a strong devotion to their parents

Question 1

what was the first chinese religion that westerners came into contact with

Answer 1

confucianism

Question 2

how far do chinese religions go back?

Answer 2

about 17th cent. bc

Question 3

who was Confucius? (571-479bc)

Answer 3

was not the founder of confucianism

• he was not successful as a ju
• everyone followed him and his teachings, especially after he died.
• some ppl consider him the founder of confucianism.
• real name was kung-fu tzu (means: master kung)

Question 4

what are the analects?

Answer 4

ideas and sayings that C had. there were also stories about him. there is no philosophy, just things that C said and did. he isnt trying to prove anything.

Question 5

who were C’s teachings meant for?

Answer 5

the elite

Question 6

what was C’s view on gods?

Answer 6

he believed that there were gods, otherwise the rituals wouldnt matter, but he said to not get to involved with them. he did not often talk about gods or supernatural beings.

Question 7

what was C’s view on the afterlife?

Answer 7

he thought that since we cant even figure out life, how can we asume to figure out death

Question 8

did C believe in heaven?

Answer 8

although he didnt pay much attention to the afterlife, C did believe in heaven. he said that he believed in the mandate of heaven, and thought that heaven was the sky

Question 9

what happened in the shang dynasty?

Answer 9

• lasted from (1600bc-1000bc)
• Confucianism was developed here
• was one of the “real” dynasties
• there was division of labour
• there was the practice of sacrifices
• this was considered the “ancestor generation”

Question 10

what happened in the chou dynasty? (1000-200bc)

Answer 10

• they conquered the shang dynasty
• eventually the 100 provinces started to conquer each other until eventually the one large province conquered the chou dynasty

Question 11

how was the chou dynasty set up?

Answer 11

• it was seen as a golden age (a time when ppl lived in harmony, and the government worked well)
• there were more than 100 provinces that were ruled by a feudal system (so not really ruled by the chou, but the govenors of the provinces did have to give money to the chou “contributig to the family’s pot)
• eventually the little provinces began to fight amongst each other and they conquered the chou dynasty

Question 12

what did C’s life look like?

Answer 12

he was married at 19 with a son and a daughter

• at 27 he got a minor spot in the government
• in his mid fifties he was exiled so he went around advocating his views of government
• at 68 he became a coucelor of the lowest ranks at the lu, and still wasnt able to convince anyone about his idea of government
• so therefore when he died he considered himself a failure

Question 13

what is ju?

Answer 13

• a lifestyle that is lived by a teacher of the dark- i mean liberal arts.
• ju are not in service to anyone
• they learn arts (archery and music)
• their goal is to find a patron who would support them
• they travel in order to find a patron
• the better you were the easier this was
• (C was never supported)
• but C became the true teaching of the ju eventually

Question 14

what are the 2 ideal moral figures?

Answer 14

a sage or a gentleman (chun-tzu)

Question 15

Sage

Answer 15

• mythical
• there are 2 types (yao and thun)
• they are completely perfect rulers
• had a perfect government
• they believed that as long as you have good virtue, you will be a good and true figure

Question 16

gentleman (chun-tzu)

Answer 16

a goal that any regular person can reach

• wasnt about your bloodlines but about your character
• as long as you came into contact with an educated person, you could become a gentleman
• and be a law abider
• basically the ideal man of society

Question 17

yao and shun

Answer 17

they are just the names of the 2 sages

- they were china’s great rulers

Question 17

what is jen

Answer 17

• it means benevolence
• it is something that you either have or you dont
• it is the main virtue
• it is just goodness
• consists of chung and shu

Question 18

chung

Answer 18

the active part of jen

-means doing ones best

Question 19

shu

Answer 19

a part of jen

means “likening to oneself” which means putting yourself in another person’s shoes

Question 20

who was mencius?

Answer 20

he was the “uncrowned emperor”

• his real name was meng-tzu
• hated universal love and egoism

Question 21

what was Mencius’s relation to C?

Answer 21

• M was the next great person after C
• he was the disciple of C’s grandson
• he agrees with most of the teachings of C
• extended C’s ideas
• shares the value that C puts on Jen
• shares ideas of filial piety
• shares concern for good gov.

Question 22

what was M’s view on human nature?

Answer 22

he believed that it was fundamentally good.

-said that ppl are born alike and it is what they do that makes them different

Question 23

how did M think that people could become good natured?

Answer 23

-there are 2 ways (called moral cultivation)
1.discovery
-just look at what is within
2. development
-

Question 24

what were M’s views on government?

Answer 24

• because he thought that human nature was good, it affected his outlook on government
• he prefered that there be no laws because he thought that they werent effective
• thought that when force is used people have to give in
• he did not like universal love
• didnt like yang chu either ( he thought that ppl should not risk a hair on their head to save the empire

Question 25

what did M’s life look like?

Answer 25

traveled and taught

• had 3000 pupils (70 were eminent and we know 120 by name)
• looked for a ruler that would support him
• only held a minor spot in government for 7 years

Question 26

what is idealistic confucianism?

Answer 26

• M supported it

- the idea that human nature is fundamentally good

Question 27

hsun-tzu had a ________ point of view

Answer 27

rationalistic

Question 28

hsun-tzu thought that human nature was fundamentally ____

Answer 28

bad

Question 29

H-T lived from

Answer 29

315-235bc

Question 30

who even was H-T?

Answer 30

he was a confucian philosopher

Question 31

why did H-T think that human nature was fundamentally bad?

Answer 31

• the reason that people want to be good is because their human nature is bad (want what you dont have) if we had it we wouldnt want it
• if ppl were naturally good we wouldnt praise people that are good
• thought that it was possible to become good through lots of effort
• thought that you needed to be around good influences
• said to choose a good moral companion

Question 32

what was H-T’s view on gov.?

Answer 32

• agrees with C and M, but thinks that the things they want are a bit out of reach
• encourages the li
• thought that the gov. should be required to learn the li (the customs and practices in it)
• said that li done by ppl would be pleasing to the gods and therefore bring prosperity
• said that li reenforced social distinction (the ranks)

Question 33

what did H-T think about supernatural things?

Answer 33

thought that there were gods

-thought that ghosts and face reading and palm reading is a waste of time

Question 34

rational confucianism

Answer 34

practiced by hsun-tzu

-the idea that human nature was fundamentally bad

Question 35

Li

Answer 35

good etiquette

• large scale rituals
• any rituals
• manners