Confucianism pp 122 137

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Confucianismpp 122 - 137

• East Asia (China, Japan, Korea) w/ variety of
  religious traditions, including folk traditions
  interwoven fabric which becomes the religion
  of the individual
• i.e, so far back in history, we cant specify
• Great traditions Confucianism, Taoism,
  Buddhism, Shinto (Japan)

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Complements to Each Other

• East Asians look to the various traditions to
  fashion their own particular religiosity
• E.g., Taoism is very experiential
• E.g., Confucianism is not so experiential
• E.g., Buddhism provides answers regarding human
  destiny
• E.g., Confucianism provides answers on ethical
  behavior

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Confucianism and Ethics

• East Asians may profess themselves to
  Shintoists, Taoists, Buddhists, Muslims, or
  Christians, but seldom do they cease to be
  Confucians.
• Confucianism focuses first and foremost on human
  relationships ? learning to be human
• In learning that, one takes care of what is beyond

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Great Master Kung

• Life Legacy of Kung Fu-tzu (ca. 551 479
  B.C.E. ? Confucius
• Chinas First Teacher
• Born in eastern China, noble but poor family
• Father died while still young ? mother became his
  primary role model
• Natural teacher, many followers
• Age 50 becomes public official
• Frustrated he travels and teaches

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Confucius Character

• Analects collection of his sayings, teachings
• Reveal a joyful man who lived a full life
• Reveal a eager student
• Reveal a diligent teacher

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Chinas Problems Confucius Solutions

• Decline of Chinese culture by 6th C B.C.E.
• Legalists advocated stern rule of law
• Mohists (Mo Tzu) preached love similar to
  Jesus teachings on love)
• Taoists emphasized individual more so than society

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Restoring Society

• Justice is first responsibility accepted
  Mohists love as well
• In answer to the Legalists ? punishment
  ineffective means of nurturing lasting
  improvement in people.
• People should be inspired by good examples not
  prodded by threat

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Ancestor Worship

• Confucius emphasized it
• Tradition and keeping it alive was important to
  restore society
• I transmit but do not innovate I am truthful in
  what I say and devoted to antiquity.

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Confucianisms Legacy

• Do not confuse Confucianism simply with
  Confucius writings
• Others in the tradition offered significant
  insights
• E.g., Menicius (ca. 390 305 B.C.E.)
• Second founder of Confucianism
• Humans fundamentally good
• Evil acts are committed in violation of our good

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Book of Menicius

• Pivotal book of Confucian tradition
• Slowly developing influence of society as whole,
  government in particular
• 136 B.C.E. govt school in Confucianism
• Anyone working for govt attended school
• Neo-Confucianism ? ca. 1000 C.E. ? a response to
  Taoism, Buddhism

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Confucian School

• Right into 20th C formal Chinese education
  included thorough study of Confucian teachings
• Chu His (1130 1200 C.E.) defined Confucianism
  by listing 4 principal books
• Analects of Confucius
• Book of Menicius
• The Great Learning
• The Doctrine of the Mean (balance not evil)

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Learning to be Human

• Confucianisms Central Project ? Human
• What it is to be mature.
• What the pinnacle of human virtue is.
• Are the pinnacle of human virtue and the pinnacle
  of human nature synonymous?
• How best to behave.
• How to be a cultured person.
• How to govern.

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Tao the Way of Chinese Philosophy

• Tao pronounced dow is fundamental to all
  Chinese thinking, insight
• Literally mean the way
• moral order that permeates the universe
• West would probably call it Natural Law
• Judaism would call it Gods Law written upon the
  heart

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The Human Ideal Chun-Tzu

• Literally gentleman patriarchal society
• These ideals can applied to, expected of both
  genders, roles
• Term somewhat elitist as well as patriarchal
• Previous to Confucius, one became gentleman
  simply by inheritance
• Confucius also spoke of small man not
  Chun-Tzu person

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Chun-Tzu

• Term describes a person with perfect moral
  character
• Confucius one became gentleman through
  steadfast learning
• Confucius Chun-Tzu ? person with such abundant
  virtues contribute to imporve- ment of society
  
• Both men and women expected to do that

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Chun-Tzu

• Embodying spiritual perfection, though Confucius
  avoided speaking in absolutes
• Confucius seemingly never expected anyone to
  reach that perfection within lifetime

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Supreme Virtue Jen

• Wisdom, courage, trustworthiness, reverence,
  uprightness all encouraged, expected
• Jen goodness, love, benevolence (literally???)
  is supreme
• If a man forsakes benevolence, in what way can
  he make a name for himself. The gentleman never
  deserts benevolence p 131 Sounds much like
  St. Paul on Love in Corinthians

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Jens two components

• First do ones best
• Second reciprocity (shu)
• Essentially The Golden Rule
• Confucianism does not push it to Love your
  enemies
• What do you think of repaying hatred with
  virtue?
• Confucius replied Repay hatred with uprightness
  and repay virtue with virture.

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Proper Behavior as Sacred Li

• LI -- proper behavior
• as rite of sacred ritual
• as propriety or behaving properly
• of paramount importance in Chinese culture
• Everyone, everything has its place
• Confucianism combines both definitions, holding
  that behaving properly, even when performing
  mundane routines, carries at all time the
  signifi- cance of a sacred ritual all things
  sacred

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Wen Becoming Cultured

• Wen the cultural arts poetry, music the
  traditional arts
• Wen archery, charioteering, calligraphy,
  mathematics
• play a vital role in ensuring unity and con-
  tinuity in society -- true for us, as well???
• I wonder how Platos Meno dialogue would fit
  here???

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Te Leading by Power of Moral Example

• Te ? virtue especially that of a good leader
• Te far more effective than laws and pun- ishment
• Te w/ long term effect of nurtuing moral
  consciousness

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Confucian Harmony

• From The Great Learning (one of the Four Books
  of the Confucian canon) The men of old who
  wished to make their bright virtue shine
  throughout the world first put in order their own
  states. In order to put in order their own states
  they first regulated their own families in order
  to regulate their own families they first
  disciplined their own selves.
• SELF FAMILY NATION

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SELF not individuality

• SELF the center of human relationships
• Five Constant Relationships key to defining self
• Self is constantly changing (Buddhist like?)
• Ongoing process of self-cultivation (via the Five
  Constant Relationships)
• The world is the classroom of this cultivation
  self is definitely engaged in world not
  withdrawn from

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The Five Constant Relationships

• Parent to child
• Spouse to spouse emphasis of husband to wife
• (Elder) Sibling to (younger) sibling
• Ruler to subject Parent to child
• Adult to Adult emphasis of elder to younger

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Family

• Filial respect primary concern who one deals
  with ones elders
• Filial respect is extended beyond immediate
  family -- key Confucian element

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Nation

• One great family (We know this has been ignored
  at times.)
• Ruler is expected to have acquired the necessary
  moral perfection so that he might lead by power
  of example (te).
• Subjects are expected to be filial (respect)

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Heaven

• Little mention does Confucianism even consider
  it experientially
• Not a Hindu nirvana or Buddhist moksha
• Confucius saw Heaven to be a vital part of
  reality, however
• Heaven is the author of the virtue that is in
  me. Analects
• When you have offended heaven

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Heaven

• In Confuciuss time ? heaven was Chinas
  principal deity
• A universal force, reality ? the Way, Tao
• workings of human world are believed to affect
  Heaven - Karma-like?? (WVK)
• Heaven in turn guides and nurtures humanity.

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Heaven ? uniquely Confucian

• Ultimate reality is therefore at least partially
  dependent on its ties to human society.
  Confucianism is unique in this regard.

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A Legacy for East AsiaLesson for the World

• Despite divisions in East Asia and official
  outlawing of religion in some areas, Confucianism
  seems likely to outlast all the politics
• Deeply embedded values, virtues
• Family values
• Holding on to traditional values ? learning to
  be human ? self-cultivation, family
  togetherness, national prosperity, harmony with
  Heaven????