Transcript Document

Confucianism
• Confucius: Latinized
title
• Real name K’ung Fu-tzu
(Master K’ung)
• 551-479 BCE
• Nicknames: The First
Holy One, First Teacher,
Teacher of the Ten
Thousand Generations
• Never lived to see his
doctrines put into
practice
A Time of Turmoil
• Chou Dynasty (1122-253 BCE)
• Golden Age -> The reign of Yu Wang (780 BCE)
• Feudal lords in power, Emperor is empty title
“China was no longer one
country but a dozen, each
potentially the enemy of any
other” (Collis 6)
Is Confucianism a philosophy, a code of
ethics, or a religion?
Confucianism as a system of ethics
• Moral conduct is the basis of social harmony
• Emphasis on self discipline and education
• Obligation to family
– Family as microcosm of the universe
– Strict Father vs. Nurturing Parent model
Confucianism as a philosophy
• “Confucianism’s root
metaphor was and is a
concern for the world”
(Berthrong)
• Humanity, reciprocity,
empathy
• Collective > Individual
• Humans are good, but
we stray
– Education and selfdiscipline
Confucianism as a religion
• Religion = community of people who share
beliefs, cultural practices, worship a
deity/deities
• “something done with great attention to detail”
– Confucian philosophy of self discipline
Confucianism as a religion
• Confucius was not a god or
a prophet
• He did not create these
ideas, but merely restored
them
“As to being a Divine Sage
or even a Good Man, far be
it from me to make any such
claim.”
“I am not one of those who have innate knowledge. I am simply
one who loves the past and who is diligent in investigating it”
(Analects VII, 19)
Confucianism as a religion
• Rituals for all occasions of life
– Veneration of ancestors
– Meditation
• No initiation or membership
• Heaven is a manifestation
of God
– The words are interchangeable
– Heaven means goodness. To
be good is to live in harmony
with heaven
– Mencius “Heaven does not
speak”
Confucianism as Social Engineering
Social, political or religious systems designed to
promote particular behaviors and cultures
Key Principles
Li for ritual etiquette, manners,
gravity
"Men's natures are alike, it is their habits
that carry them far apart"
Ren stands for Kindness to the
fellow man
“Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses”
Xin stands for truthfulness,
faithfulness and sincerity
“The superior man is modest in his speech,
but exceeds in his actions”
Yi for righteousness or honesty,
generosity of soul
“When we see men of a contrary character,
we should turn inwards and examine
ourselves”
Xiao for filial piety, for strong
family values
“The strength of a nation derives from the
integrity of the home”
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Jen
•A principle of mutuality, human- heartedness, and
empathy.
•The ability to empathize with another’s
discomfort that would prevent the moral person to
refrain from acting in ways that would cause
discomfort.
•Similar to Christianity’s Golden Rule
Basically…
A person does all actions for the sake of Jen
because the respect for humanity implies the right
human way to act.
Yi
• Righteousness, moral description to do good.
• Acting in a way or doing what needs to be done
simply because it ought to be done, not for personal
gain or profit.
Basically…
A person does all action for the sake of Yi because they
are the right thing to do.
Li
• Is the principle of gain or benefit, order or
propriety.
• Two main aspects of Li:
– Guide to human relationships and rules of proper
action.
– Guide to social order or general ordering of life.
Li
• The Five Relationships all represent the way things
should be done in a social life
– Father and Son (loving and reverential)
– Older Brother and Younger Brother (gentle and
respectful)
– Husband and Wife (good and listening)
– Older Friend and Younger Friend (considerate and
differential)
– Ruler and Subject (benevolent and loyal)
Ming
• “Mandate of Heaven”, fate or destiny.
• According to Confucius, Ming is simply the
way things are in the course of things.
• He declared that his principles prevailed were
ming, and if they did not they were also ming.
• Confucius believed that the best thing we can
do is to do what we ought to do under the
circumstances.
Doctrine of the Mean
• “Middle Way”
• Avoiding all extremes in either thought or
action, but applying a principle standard of
measurement to his or her own motives and
actions.
Filial Piety
• Reverence and extreme respect for parents.
• A huge part of Chinese culture that has been adopted into three
main religions: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism.
• Varies from taking care of the parents to burying them
properly after death.
“When your father is alive observe his intentions. When he is deceased,
model yourself on the memory of his behavior. If in 3 years after his
death, you have not deviated from your father’s ways, then you may be
considered a filial child”
-Confucius
The Five Classics
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Classic of History
Classic of Poetry or Book of Odes
Classic of Rites
Book of Changes or I Ching
Spring and Autumn Annals
The Four Books
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Analects of Confucius
Doctrine of the Mean
Great Learning
Mencius
Eros vs Agape
• Eros
– Sexual, romantic love
• Agape
– Deepest love, based on
doing good things for
another person
– Unconditional
Is Confucianism Eros, Agape, or neither?
The Three Universal Virtues
Love
Wisdom
Courage
• To be used through education, self-discipline,
and the acceptance of shame
-- Love For All -Family And Society
• Respect Starts in the
Family
• One can then branch off
to Society
• Conduct oneself with
thought toward family
and others.
Education
• Confucianism
emphasizes education
• Should only be done for
the advancement of
one’s knowledge
• Not for fame, wealth,
admiration.
“Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a
night without moon and star.”
- Confucius
Golden Rule
• Like most religions
• Humans need to respect
and treat others as they
themselves would wish
to be treated
Individual Self-Interest
• Frowned upon
• Collective Well-Being
• Remember Jen and Yi?
The Virtuous Person
• “Doing for Nothing”
• Work as a Society
• The ‘virtuous person’
acts in ways only
because it should be
done as opposed to
acting in ways for profit
or other personal
benefits.
Christianity and Confucianism
Christianity and Confucianism
“The Golden Rule”
Christianity and Confucianism
• Other similarities….
– Canon: Bible and the Five Classics and the Four
Books
– 10 commandment: nine commandment
– Heaven
Christianity and
Confucianism
• Differences
– Deity
– Divinity of Jesus versus Confucius the teacher
– Beliefs:
– After life versus emphasis on life in this world
Ariana Magana
Confucian versus American
Values
Confucian Values
American Values
Hierarchical
Egalitarianism
Collectivism
Individualism
Patriarchal
Gender Neutral
Fixed Relationships
Undefined Social and Generational
Boundaries
Emphasis on Obligations and
Accountability
Open Ended Terms of Accountability
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Works Cited
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Berthrong, John H. and Evelyn Nagai. Confucianism: A Short Introduction. England: Oneworld, 2000.
Collis, Maurice. The First Holy One. Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1970.
Eck, Diana L. A New Religious America. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2001
Huang, George. February 10, 2000. “Lesson: Confucianism and Christianity.”October 22, 2010
<http://www.sunday
schoolteachers.org/lesson-Confucianism_and_Christianity.htm>
“Chistianity”. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 23 October 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity>
Lin, Patricia. “Confucianism: Cultural Practices” <http://www.csupomona.edu/~plin/ews431/religion.html>
Lin, Patricia. "Concucianism: The Tenets". 18 Oct. 2010. http://www.csupomona.edu/~plin/ews431/confu3.html.
"Confucian Ideals". 18 Oct. 2010. < http://www.worldreligions.psu.edu/world_religions12.htm>.
Smith, Huston, Initials. (1991). The world's religions: our great wisdom tradition. San Francisco, CA: Harper One.
Warren, Kay. “The Tenets of the Christian Faith” October 22, 2010 <http://video.answers.com/the-tenets-of-the- christianfaith-303384035>
http://www.csuchico.edu/~cheinz/syllabi/asst001/fall97/11kshinn.htm
http://www.east-asian-history.net/textbooks/PM-China/ch3.htm
http://www.agapemissionsinc.com/
http://www.scarboromissions.ca/Golden_rule/poster_order.php
http://dhana985.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/08/what-is-selflessness.htm
http://www.biblestudy.org/theplainertruth/what-is-love.html
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/132104/Confucianism/25461/The-Five-Classics
http://www.uweccareerservices.org/acl/db.cgi?db=user&uid=&modify_form=1&UserKey=*
http://www.wsfa.org/journal/j05/7/index.htm
http://www.himalayanacademy.com/resources/books/dws/dws_r5_truth-major-religions.html
Quiz Questions
1) A person does all actions for the sake of ____
because the respect for humanity implies the
right human way to act. Fill in the blank
A) Doctrine of Mean
B) Filial Piety
C) Jen
Quiz Questions
2) True or False:
Agape is deep, unconditional love
Quiz Questions
3) How is one a Virtuous Person?
A. Pursuing education for wealth
B. Completing tasks for profit
C. “Doing for Nothing”
D. Has “Individual Self-Interest”
Quiz Question
4) Confucianism has the ______ Rules
A. 8
B. 9
C. 10
D. 12
Quiz Questions
5) In your own opinion, would you classify
Confucianism as a philosophy, a code of
ethics, a religion, or none/all of the above?
Give one reason to support your answer.