EASC 150g' January 15, 2004

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• EASC 150g. January 15, 2004
• 1. The Confucian Heritage
• 2. Premodern China
• 3. Premodern Korea
• 4. Premodern Japan

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CONFUCIANISM (The Confucian Heritage) How one
assesses the accomplishments of this region
depends in part on ones views of the regions
past. How one predicts the prospects for the
region also is closely related to ones
calculations of the durability of the historical
legacy. (Rozman, p. 6)
Justification for taking this region as a unit
must be sought elsewhere, not in political
alignments or in large-scale flows of trade over
a long period. (p. 6) Even if the point is
reached at which consciousness of the Confucian
roots of particular attitudes has faded, the
continued presence of such attitudes can be taken
as a sign in a single country or a region that
the tradition endures. (p. 26)
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Spread, indigenation and development
--Confucius, Mencius, Zhu Xi (Chu Hsi) --Four
Books and Five Classics --Four Books Analects,
Mencius, Great Learning, and Doctrine of the
Mean In the first millennium A.D. the
Confucian worldview, associated with the Chinese
written language and principles concerning
government and social relations, spread through
the region Korea and then Japan borrowed
extensively from the pre-eminent civilization of
China. (p. 8) Gradually, through state
sponsorship and intense education, backed by
supporting social structures, Confucian practices
and ways of thinking entered the lives of most
people. (p. 8)
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Characteristics
Family patterns, educational practices,
attitudes toward the state. (p. 13)
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Educational practices. Confucianism starts
with the assumptions that human nature is good
and that virtuous leadership can produce moral
and diligent behavior in others. Implied in this
worldview is a moral appeal based on succesful
educationgood models, good rituals, good
communications, and, above all, good teachers in
all settings from the home to the national
leadership. (p. 16)
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Attitudes toward the state. For a Confucian
system to operate effectively many factors must
be present. The national leader should envelop
himself in imagery of legitimacy and virtuous
behavior. The government bureaucracy should be
seen as a fairly selected professional elite of
the ablest and most upright individuals. (p. 18)
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Family patterns. The spread of specified
rituals associated with family life to wide
segments of the population indicates the extent
of Confucianization. (p. 26)
--Family rituals capping, marriage, funerals,
ancestor worship --FILIAL PIETY
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Filial Piety
The Analects 16 Confucius said "A young man
should serve his parents at home and be
respectful to elders outside his home. He should
be earnest and truthful, loving all, but become
intimate with jen virtue, love, benevolence.
After doing this, if he has energy to spare, he
can study literature and the arts." 113 Tzu Yu
said "When your own trustworthiness is close to
Righteousness, your words can be followed. When
your show of respect is according to propriety,
you will be far from shame and disgrace. If you
have genuine affection within your family, you
can become an ancestor." 25 Confucius said,
"When your parents are alive, serve them with
propriety when they die, bury them with
propriety, and then worship them with
propriety." 27 Tzu Lu asked about the meaning
of filial piety. Confucius said, "Nowadays filial
piety means being able to feed your parents. But
everyone does this for even horses and dogs.
Without respect, what's the difference?"  
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On women.
The Mencius 3B2 Mencius said "When a young
man is capped (reaches manhood) his father
instructs him. At the marriage of a young woman,
the mother instructs her as she walks her to the
door. She admonishes her, saying, When you go to
your husband's house, you must respect him and be
careful not to be disagreeable. To be properly
obedient is the way of wives and concubines."
  The Great Learning  The Book of Odes says
"The peach-tree so ripe, its leaves so luxuriant.
The girl is going to her husband's house, and she
will harmonize the household." Once the household
is harmonized, the people of the realm can be
taught.
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Groupism. Individualism of the West vs. The
organization man of the East (p. 3)
The Great Learning 9. Before governing the
country, you must first regulate your
family. There has never been a case where a man
could not educate his own family, and yet could
educate others. Therefore the Superior man
perfects the education for the country without
leaving his own home. Filial piety is the means
by which you serve your ruler. Fraternal
submission is the means by which you serve your
elders. Compassion is the means by which you deal
with everyone. When one family becomes easy to
get along with, all the people in the country are
stimulated to become easy to get along with. If
one man greedily upsets things, the whole country
can be plunged into chaos. Its function is really
like this. Hence there is the saying "one word
can win the whole affair, one man can settle the
whole kingdom." The Book of Odes says "He
treated his elder brothers right, he treated his
younger brothers right." If you can treat your
brothers right, then you can teach your
countrymen. The Book of Odes says "His manner
unchanging, he rectifies his whole state." Only
when the ruler has actualized the harmonious
relationships of father/son, elder
brother/younger brother in himself will the
people take him as a model. Thus, it is said
"The ability to govern the country lies in
harmonizing the family."
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The Great Chain
The Great Learning The way of great learning
consists in manifesting one's bright virtue,
consists in loving the people, consists in
stopping in perfect goodness. The ancients who
wanted to manifest their bright virtue to all in
the world first governed well their own states.
Wanting to govern well their states, they first
harmonized their own families. Wanting to
harmonize their own families, they first
cultivated themselves. When the country is well
governed, there will be peace throughout the
land.
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The Great Chain of The Great Learning
Heaven
Country
Family
Self
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The Way Values righteousness, benevolence,
loyalty, harmony, stability
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Premodern China
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Premodern China
Confucius
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Premodern China
Zhu Xi (Chu Hsi)
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Premodern China
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Premodern China
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Premodern Korea
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Premodern Korea
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Premodern Korea
Tripitika Koreana
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Premodern Korea
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Premodern Japan
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Premodern Japan
Horyuji Temple, Nara
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Premodern Japan
Tale of Genji
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Premodern Japan
Island of Deshima, Nagasaki
Street scene of Edo (Tokyo)