Confucius (Kung Fu-Tzu)* (551-479 BC) - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

About This Presentation
Title:

Confucius (Kung Fu-Tzu)* (551-479 BC)

Description:

8. Rids the body of stress-causing adrenaline and other ... Judo, Karate,Tai Kwan Do. Weightlifting. Swimming laps. Aerobics. Yoga. Cross-country ski machine ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:213
Avg rating:3.0/5.0
Slides: 29
Provided by: george83
Category:
Tags: confucius | fu | kung | tzu

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: Confucius (Kung Fu-Tzu)* (551-479 BC)


1
Confucius (Kung Fu-Tzu)(551-479 BC)
  • Confucianism

Reading from the Analects (Text, pp. 1-24)
Family name Kung (Kong) Personal name
Zhong-ni Kung Fu-Tzu (Kong Fu-zi) Master
Kung Confucius Latinization of Kung
Fu-Tzu
2
The History of Chinese Philosophy
  • The Classical Age (6th century BC-2d century AD)
  • Confucianism (Confucius, 551-479 BC)
  • Taoism (Lao Tzu, 6th century BC)
  • Mohism (Mo Tzu, 468-376 BC)
  • The Yin-Yang School (founder unknown)
  • The School of Names (Logic) (Hui Shih, c. 380-305
    BC)
  • Legalism (Han Fei Tzu, d. 23 BC)
  • The Medieval Age (2d-10th centuries BC)
    relations conflicts between Confucianism,
    Taoism, Buddhism
  • The Modern Age (11th century AD-Present)
  • Neo-Confucianism (incorporation of Taoist
    Buddhist elements in an overall Confucian
    perspective) (Chu Hsi, 1130-1200 AD many
    others)
  • 20th century impact of Western philosophies such
    as Pragmatism Marxism

3
Topics included in the reading
  • The Chun-Tzu (the Confucian hero) (1-5)
  • Virtue (jen, ren) (5-8)
  • Propriety (li) (8-11), including filial piety
    (9-10) religious propriety (10-11)
  • The Silver Rule (central ethical principle) (11)
  • The importance of studying learning (11-14)
  • Words actions (14)
  • Three Things (14-15)
  • Government (15-17)
  • The TAO (18-20)
  • Miscellaneous teachings (20-22)
  • Descriptions of Confucius (22-24)
  • Music (24)

(The traditional version of the Analects is not
topically organized.)
4
Confucius claimed to derive his teachings from
the Ancients, whose wisdom is embodied in The
Five Classics (Wu Jing)
The primary sources of Confucian philosophy
  • The I Jing (Book of Changes)
  • The Shu Jing (Book of History)
  • The Shih Jing (Book of Odes poetry)
  • The Li Ji (Book of Rites)
  • The Chun-chiu (Spring Autumn Annals)

5
The further expression of Confucian philosophy
The Four Books (Ssu-chu)
  • Analects (Lun-Yu)
  • The Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong)
  • The Great Learning (Ta-hsueh)
  • The Book of Meng-Tzu

(Mencius, 371-288 BC)
6
The ancient State of Lu
Thats where Confucius was born spent most of
his life.
7
Confucianism originated in China, but its
influence spread to Korea Japan over the
centuries.
8
Chronology of Chinese History
  • c. 6000 BC Prehistory (belief in life after
    death bone divination) - legendary Hsia Dynasty
    (c. 1994-1500 BC)
  • c. 1500-1040 BC Shang Dynasty (polytheism
    spiritism ancestor veneration bone shell
    divination)
  • 1040-256 BC Zhou (Chou) Dynasty (feudal era
    classical age rise of Shang-Ti Mandate of
    Heaven ancestor veneration divination
    practices continued belief in spiritism
    interest in life-prolongation immortality
    8th-5th centuries BC - period of disorder
    emergence of classical Chinese philosophies
    Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism, Legalism, etc.) -
    Era of Warring States (475-221 BC)
  • 221-207 BC Qin (Chin) Dynasty (The Burning of
    the Books in 213 BC) - Legalism enthroned
    Confucianism attacked

9
Chronology, continued
  • 206 BC-25 AD Former Han Dynasty (beginnings of
    official state Confucianism)
  • 25-220 AD Later Han Dynasty (rise of Chinese
    Empire imperial state religion Confucianism
    officially established the coming of Buddhism)
  • 220-280 AD The Three Kingdoms - Wei (220-266)
    Shu (221-263) Wu (222-280) (decline of
    Confucianism rise of Taoism Buddhism)
  • 266-316 AD Jin (Chin) Dynasty
  • 316-589 AD Era of North-South Division - 16
    Northern Kingdoms (301-439) 5 Southern Kingdoms
    (317-589) (rise of Taoist religion continued
    spread of Buddhism)
  • 581-618 AD Sui Dynasty
  • 618-907 AD Tang Dynasty (high point for
    Buddhism Taoism 9th century Confucian reaction
    against Buddhism)

10
Chronology, continued
  • 907-960 AD Five Northern Dynasties Ten
    Southern Kingdoms
  • 960-1127 AD Northern Sung (Song) Dynasty
  • 1127-1279 AD Southern Sung (Song) Dynasty
  • 1264-1368 AD Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty (established
    by Kublai Khan) (development of popular religious
    sects)
  • 1368-1644 AD Ming Dynasty (Mongols out, Chinese
    emperors in Confucianism reestablished Roman
    Catholicism arrives)

10th-13th centuries AD Rise of Neo-
Confucianism spread of Chan (Zen) Buddhism
Anti-Confucian policy
11
Chronology, continued
  • 1644-1911 AD Qing (Ching) (Manchu) Dynasty -
    peak of Confucian (bureaucratic) authority
    increasing influence of the West
  • 1911-1912 AD Chinese Revolution
  • Republic of China (1912-1949 mainland
    1945-present Taiwan)
  • Peoples Republic of China (Communism)
    (1949-present)

Confucianism in decline
12
Major figures in Confucian philosophy
  • Neo-Confucianism
  • Tang Dynasty - Han Yu (767-824 AD)
  • Sung Dynasty - Cheng Hao (1032-1085) Cheng Yi
    (1033-1108) Zhu Xi (Chu Hsi) (1130-1200)
  • Ming Dynasty - Wang Yang-ming (1473-1529)
  • Ching Dynasty - Tai Chen (1723-1777)
  • 20th century Hsiung Shih-li (1885-1968) Fung
    Yu-lan (1890-?) others
  • Classical Confucianism
  • Confucius (551-479 BC)
  • Mencius (371-189 BC)
  • Xun-zi (Hsun Tzu) (300-230 BC)
  • Han Dynasty
  • Dong Zhong-shu (179-104 BC)
  • Yang Hsiung (53 BC-18 AD)
  • Wang Chong (27-100 AD)

13
Central concepts in Confucian thought
Metaphysics
Ontology Cosmology
  • TAO (Way) - the Ultimate the One the
    Absolute the underlying Power the Source (see
    Text, pp. 18-20)
  • Yin/Yang - the dual expression of TAO neither is
    superior to the other (see next slide)
  • The Plural World - the universe Heaven Earth
    an ever-changing expression blend of Yin Yang

(Heaven is Yang in relation to Earth and Earth
is Yin in relation to Heaven but each is, in
itself, a blend of both Yin Yang.)
14
Yin Yang
female dark cool moist passive negative evil
Heaven sun
Yin
male bright hot dry active positive good
Yang
Earth moon
15
Theology
Confucian metaphysics, continued
  • Shang-Ti (God), the original ancestor (after the
    11th century BC)
  • Heaven (Tian, Tien) - the divine realm (Human
    beings who have died live on with Shang-Ti as
    ancestors (ti) in Heaven.)
  • Continuity interchange between Heaven (the
    divine realm) and Earth (the human realm), i.e.,
    between the ancestors those living on Earth

(The ancestors are to be worshipped, and
sacrifices are to be offered to them they, in
turn, will guide and protect us, especially with
regard to our futures (divination practices).
When we die, we will join the ancestors in Heaven
and become ancestors ourselves.)
Spiritism (spirits every-where, good shen
evil gui).
No hell(s)? See next slide.
16
Before the arrival of Buddhism in China,
  • it seems that Chinese religions did not contain a
    well-developed idea of an afterlife.
  • The souls of those who had lived in accord with
    the Mandate of Heaven (will of Shang-Ti) would
    become ancestors in Heaven whereas
  • the souls of those who had not followed Heavens
    decree would, after death, continue to live on
    for a time in a dark underworld area (called the
    Yellow Springs) then fade away into
    nothingness.
  • The idea of multiple levels of hell entered
    Chinese religion through Buddhism, which arrived
    in China in the 1st century AD.
  • The religious Daoists accepted this idea (but
    modified it in various ways).
  • Apparently, the Confucianists continued to show
    little interest in this subject.

17
Is Hell temporary or permanent?
  • In Buddhism, it is temporary.
  • Confucianism has no clear answer to this question
    (because the Confucianists refuse to speculate on
    these matters).
  • What is the Daoist view?
  • (To be continued?)

18
Anthropology(Human Nature the Human
Predicament)
Confucian metaphysics, continued
  • Human nature
  • naturally inherently good - need for
    cultivation via education
  • naturally social political - development
    perfection of human nature within the social
    political realm
  • The human predicament
  • suffering as a result of failure to follow the
    Way of the Ancestors
  • Disharmony conflict between Heaven Earth,
    between the ancestors us and between humans
    here on earth
  • Solution of problem of suffering reestablish
    harmony

19
Confuciuss primary goal
  • order, harmony, peace, happiness in this life
    here on earth

(He had only a secondary interest in
transcendental salvation.)
20
Axiology(Theory of Value)
  • Philosophy of art (aesthetics) - the moral
    political purposes of art (especially music)
  • Moral philosophy (ethics) - the center of
    Confucian philosophy (see next slide)
  • Social political philosophy (theory of
    government) - the need for morally
    intellectually virtuous rulers civil servants

21
Central themes in Confucianethical theory
  • The Chun-Tzu - the ideal of the Superior
    (self-actualized, virtuous, perfected) Person
    (Text, pp. 1-5)

  • Ren (jen) - virtue
  • Positive formulation cultivation of feeling
    (respect, empathy, compassion, love) for all
    humanity (Text, pp. 5-8)
  • Negative formulation the Silver Rule (Text, vv.
    97 98)


Sometimes translated as humanity
22
Li - Propriety (proper conduct)
Confucian ethics, continued
  • The Five Constant Relationships
  • parent-child
  • husband-wife
  • elder sibling-younger sibling
  • elder friend-younger friend
  • ruler-subject
  • The Rectification of Names (Zheng-ming) (proper
    use of language) (Text, vv. 8, 9, 10, 11,
    126-130, 146, 180)
  • The Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong) (Text, vv.
    150, 175, 176)

23
Filial Piety (Xiao, Hsiao)(devotion to
reverence for parents family)
Confucian ethics / Li, continued
  • The institution of the family is the foundation
    of a well-ordered civilized society (grounded
    mainly on respect of children for parents)
  • Respect for age (experience wisdom)

(Text, pp. 9-10)
24
Religious Propriety
Confucian ethics / Li, continued
  • proper practice of traditional rites
  • (worship of God, ancestors, Heaven, Earth,
    spirits funeral services sacrifices in honor
    of parents)

Text, vv. 74, 80, 82, 90-96
25
Wen(learning the arts)
Confucian ethics ( aesthetics?), continued
  • The importance of culture in the creation
    maintenance of a well-ordered society
  • Studying learning (Text, pp. 16-19)
  • The arts - especially music (Text, vv. 115, 210,
    211, 212 - v. 14?)

(Confucius composed a Book of Music Yueh
Jing, which is sometimes referred to as a sixth
classic.)
26
Confuciuss Political Philosophy
Confucian axiology, continued
  • Te - the union of power virtue
  • The characteristics of a good ruler (or civil
    servant)
  • moral goodness (virtue propriety)
  • rationality
  • moderation
  • benevolence

(Text, pp. 15-17)
27
Does Confucius have
Extra-Credit Essay (not easy)
  • a theory of knowledge (an epistemology)?

How would he answer the following questions? 1.
What is knowledge? 2. What are the sources of
knowledge? 3. What are the extent limits of
knowledge? 4. What are the differences between
knowledge opinion? 5. What makes a belief (or
proposition) true as opposed to false?
28
The End(for now)
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com