4.5 Two Major Belief Systems Take Root part 1€¦ · Two Major Belief Systems Take Root The late...
Transcript of 4.5 Two Major Belief Systems Take Root part 1€¦ · Two Major Belief Systems Take Root The late...
4.5 Two Major Belief Systems Take Root part 1
Two Major Belief Systems Take Root
The late Zhou times was feudal wars
Economic and social change
disrupted old ways of life
Two belief systems, Confucianism
and Daoism, emerged as a result
Both wanted to restore social order
and maintain harmony with nature
They shaped Chinese civilization for
more than 2,500 years
Confucius Spreads His Wisdom
The philosopher-teacher Confucius
was born in 551 B.C.E.
The name Confucius is the Western
form of the name Kong Fuzi, or
Master Kong
Confucius he belonged to a noble but
poor family
A brilliant scholar, he hoped to
become an adviser to a local ruler
Teaching
He wandered from court to court
talking to rulers about how to govern
Unable to find a permanent
government position for years he
turned to teaching
As his reputation for wisdom grew,
he attracted many students
The Analects
Confucius never wrote down his
ideas and teachings
After his death, his students collected
his sayings into a book named the
Analects
The sayings offered advice for living a
good and honorable life
The Analects
Confucius took little interest in
spiritual matters
He developed a philosophy that was
concerned with worldly goals, those
that ensuring social order and good
government
He studied ancient texts to learn the
rules of conduct that had guided the
ancestors
Five Relationships Shape Behavior
Confucius taught that harmony
resulted when people accepted their
place in society
He stressed five key relationships: 1. ruler to subject
2.parent to child
3. husband to wife
4. elder brother to younger brother
5. friend to friend
Five Relationships Shape Behavior
Older people were superior to younger ones and men were superior to women (traditional for China)
Confucius believed that, except for friendship, none of these relationships were equal
Everyone had duties and responsibilities, depending on his or her position
Superiors should care for their inferiors and set a good example
Inferiors owed loyalty and obedience to their superiors
Correct behavior would bring order and stability
Filial piety, or respect for parents, above all other duties, even loyalty to the state
Honesty, hard work, and concern for others were other values
“Do not do to others,” he declared, “what you do not wish yourself.”
Government
It is a ruler’s responsibility to provide good government and the people would be respectful and loyal subjects
Confucius believed that people were naturally good
The best ruler was a virtuous man who led by example
Confucius put great emphasis on education for men
He urged rulers to take the advice of wise, educated men
In time, education would become the road to advancement in Chinese society
Confucianism Has Great Influence
After Confucius died his ideas
influenced many aspects of Chinese
life
Confucianism never became a
religion but over many centuries,
Chinese rulers would base their
governments on Confucian ideas
Only scholars educated in Confucian
thought could become government
officials
The emphasis on filial piety supported traditions like reverence for ancestors and the importance of family
Also reinforced the social hierarchy of inferior and superior while stressing the mutual duties of each
Introduced a long-lasting Chinese belief that the universe reflected a delicate balance between two forces, yin and yang
Yin was linked to Earth, darkness, and female forces, while yang stood for heaven, light, and male forces
To the Chinese, these forces were not in opposition and the well-being of the universe depended on harmony between yin and yang
People could play a role in maintaining this harmony
Confucianism Spreads
Dedicated students of his teachings kept his ideas alive
Confucianism became the official state philosophy for some kings
Hundreds of millions of people in Korea, Japan, and Vietnam accepted Confucian beliefs
Nearly one third of the world’s population came under the influence of these ideas