Han Synthesis of Early Traditions

1
Han Synthesis of Early Traditions

• An eclectic Confucianism
• Holistic view of the human and natural orders
• Most expressive in Dong Zhongshus (Tung
  Chung-shus) philosophy (Dong, ca.179-104BCE)

2

• Correlative thinking
• Integration of Daoist/Taoist cosmology
• Human body is a microcosm of the universe (heaven
  and earth), human world correlates cosmic world

3

• Humans and heaven share vital energy (qi/chi) of
  cosmos
• Rulers emulate heaven and follow heavens norms
• Theory of Stimulus and Response
  (ganying/kan-ying)
• Activities in human realm stimulate phenomena
  in other parts of cosmos heaven responds to
  the stimulus
• Rulers failing to follow heavens norms disrupt
  natural process

4
Correlative Thinking
North Water Winter Rain Black Fear Ears kidney
East Wood Spring Wind Green Anger Eyes liver
Center Earth Hottest time of summer Thunder Yellow
Desire Mouth Pancreas
West Metal Autumn Cold White Sorrow Nose lungs
South Fire Summer Heat Red Joy Tongue heart
5
The Awe-inspiring Heaven

• Dong Zhongshu (Tung Chung-shu) sanctified and
  personified heaven
• Heaven holds a high position and so is honored.
• It sends down its manifestations and so is
  humane.
• It conceals its form and so is numinous.
• It sends down frost and dew and so brings life
  and death
• Heaven clings to the Way and acts as the master
  of all living things
• Heaven has its intent it warns humans, the ruler
  in particular, before it brings about changes

6
New Concept of Confucian Heaven

• Heaven gives birth to all creatures
• Heaven has power to cause proliferation
• Heaven possess vital energy (qi)
• Human beings receive their destiny from Heaven
• Heaven finds its microcosmic manifestation in
  human body
• Heaven is Nature

7
Heavens Warnings

• Heaven responds to human activities
• sends forth fearful anomalies and portents in
  response to deviant energy generated by a
  rulers unwholesome acts
• portents natural disasters such as earthquake,
  flood, drought, locusts,
• Natural disasters are to warn and inform the
  ruler of his faults and wrongdoings
• Misfortunes and calamities befall him if he fails
  to recognize the cause of the portents or
  disasters

8

• Heaven is pleased when the ruler follows its
  norms
• The king will receive an ever-abiding mandate
  from Heaven through the common people.
• From Heaven he receives assistance and there
  is good fortune there is advantage in all
  endeavors.

9
Confucianism the Ruling Philosophy

• Confucianism under Emperor Wu of the Han
• Govt provided official support, making it into
  state cult
• Govt established state university, selected
  students, and trained them to become Confucian
  scholars
• Created Confucian bureaucracy and used capable
  scholars
• Promoted Confucian code of conduct, humaneness
  and rightness (righteousness)
• Elevated Confucian teaching of filial piety
  (xiao/hsiao)

10
Codification of Confucian Classics

• The five classics and Confucian Analects
• New classic the Classic of Filial Piety
• Filial piety was highly exalted
• Filial piety was promoted as political virtue
• Confucius, Filial Piety is the root of virtue
  and the source of civilization

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• Two chapters selected from the Classic of Rites
  
• The Great Learning
• Teaches eight steps a ruler takes to bring order
  to the world
• The Mean
• Noble person, sincerity, and humaneness
• The Biographies of Women and the Admonitions for
  Women (Lessons for Women)

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Lessons for Women

• Ban Zhaos (Pan Chaos) Admonitions for Women
  urged girls to master the seven womens vitures
• Humility, resignation, subservience,
  self-abasement, obedience, cleanliness, and
  industry

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• Humility let a woman modestly yield to others
  let her respect others let her put others first,
  herself last.
• Relationship between husband and wife
• If a husband does not control his wife, then
  the rules of conduct manifesting his authority
  are abandoned and broken. If a wife does not
  serve her husband, then the proper relationship
  between men and women and the natural order of
  things are neglected and destroyed.

14

• Respect and Caution
• As yin and yang are not of the same nature, so
  man and woman have different characteristics.
  Each has his/her own place
• Manyangrigiditystrength
• Womanyinyieldinggentleness
• Respect and caution expressed in the use of
  proper words and actions
• Proper words and actions? harmony and
  intimacy?conjugal love
• Sharp words and improper actions?destruction of
  marriage?separation

15
Ban Zhaos (Pan Chaos) Views of Womanly
Qualifications

• A woman ought to have four qualifications
• Womanly virtue (fu de) humility, subservience,
  resignation
• Womanly words (fu yan) reticence, caution
• Womanly bearing (fu rong) self-abasement,
  obedience, cleanliness,
• Womanly work (fu gong) industry
• show whole-hearted devotion (to husband)
• A husband can take a second wife, but a wife
  cannot marry twice
• Be obedient to parents-in-law
• Be in harmony with sisters- and brothers-in-law

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Wang Fu Discourse of Recluse

• Acknowledges the value of spirit mediums
• Acknowledges the power of heaven
• Humans can modify their fate by cultivating inner
  virtue and perform righteous deed
• Prayer to spirits or heaven can only become
  effective when a man follow the way of heaven and
  man commit no wrongdoings and perform good deed.
• A noble persons moral character is superior only
  when his actions match his noble words/speeches