Transcript Intro to Chinese Philosophy

Intro to Chinese
Philosophy
Views on Man, Government, and
Nature
The Climate
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End of the Zhou dynasty
Disjointed kingdom that existed in chaos
Questions of what a good leader should
be and what a good subject should be
All of this lead to what we now know as
the 100 schools period- a golden age of
Chinese philosophy.
The Men
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Confucius- orphaned, impoverished scholar of
the noble class. Was denied a government post
and opened a school instead. The failed “family
man”.
Mozi- artisan who worked his way up and, like
Confucius, is believed to have opened a school.
The hippie intellectual.
Laozi- semi-mythical, maybe a composite of
several actual historical figures. Antiauthoritarian. The anarchist.
The Philosophies
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Confucianism (named for Confucius)
Daoism (led by Laozi)
Moism (named for Mozi)
Legalism
Legalism
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People are bad by nature (simple, right!)
… THEREFORE, we need a strong
government with strict laws and harsh
punishments to keep evil under control.
Moism
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In a nutshell: Love, and love alone can
solve all problems
Believed in universal love: equal love for
all, whether ruler, subject, family,
strangers.
Daoism
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Goal: to find Dao, or “the way” of the
universe
How: by being in harmony with nature
and with one’s feelings
Wanted a small, simple society, not too
much government
Had a few leaders before Laozi
Holy Book: the Dao De Ching
Confucianism
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Looked for Dao in the smooth, harmonious
relationships between families, people, and
governments
Stressed the importance of five basic
relationships: husband and wife, father and son,
older and younger brother, friend and friend,
ruler and subject.
Believed government should be based on the
example of virtue, not on laws and punishment.
Breakdown of Philosophical
Positions
Confucianism Moism
Legalism
Daoism
Human
Nature
Good, can bad
Good
be short
within
boundaries sighted
Neither
good nor
bad
Gov’t
Rule by
example, like a
good father
Rule by men Rule by strict
of learning
law.
Any gov’t
is pointless.
Right
Conduct
Sincerity,
loyalty,
kindness,
respect
Universal
love
Simple,
thoughtful
lifestyle
Obedience to
strict laws
Writing Prompt for Homework
Which of the four philosophies we learned
about do YOU like the most? Why?
Answer in a paragraph.