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Introduction to Chinese Literature
Chinese literature begins early in the Zhou Dynasty.
Ultimately, it will be based on a foundation of three important philosophies,
together known as the sanjiao, the three teachings:
•Confucianism
•Daoism
•Buddhism
I. Timeline
A. Shang Dynasty 1523-1027 BCE
B. Zhou Dynasty 1027-221 BCE
Spring & Autumn period 722-481
Confucius was born in 551 -- a time of great turmoil and unrest.
Lao-Tze also supposedly born during this period
C. Qin Dynasty 221 BCE-202 BCE
First unified empire with centralized administration
Created system of political and social promotion based on ability
Standardized script and weights and measures
Tyrannical rule
D. Han Dynasty 202 BCE-220 CE
Adopted Confucianism as official state policy
Source of “Han” Chinese
Consolidated imperial power
Began open civil service exams
E. Six Dynasties Period 220-589 CE
Three kingdoms: 220-265 CE
Empire is fragmented; north ruled by barbarians
Buddhism comes to China
F. Sui Dynasty 589-618 CE
Empire reunified; civil service exams standardized
G. T’ang Dyansty 618-906 CE
China’s Golden Age: poetry, art, trade, tolerance, expansion
Height of Buddhist influence until 845
An-Lushan rebellion 750-55 (T’ang China’s 9/11)
II. Confucius (K’ung Fu-Tzu) 551-479 BCE
•a government official, involved w/ sacrifices
•didn’t do well in his political career
-he was too frank and troublesome
-not good at the kind of flattery required to do well in politics
-didn’t believe in unprincipled exercise of power
•looked to the early Zhou dynasty for models of good rulers
•believed those with talent and education should enter politics
•believed in constant education and self-improvement
•he started teaching and took on anyone as a disciple, not just nobility
•in his 50s he started to try to get kings & emperors to follow his advice
III. Basic beliefs of Confucianism
A. Review the past to ‘know the new’
•Confucius believed in li, ancient court rituals and etiquette: a/k/a
propriety
B. Five Confucian Virtues
(http://www.analects-ink.com/mission/Confucius_Five_Virtues.html)
Humans are intrinsically good , but one must try to become as
good a person as possible
1. benevolence*, charity, humanity or humaneness (ren)
*”unbending strength, resoluteness, simplicity, and reticence”
2. righteousness, honesty, uprightness** (yi)
**broken down into zhong – doing one’s best, conscientiousness, loyalty –
and shu -- reciprocity, altruism, consideration for others, and the
Confucian golden rule.
3. propriety, etiquette, correct behavior, ritual, good manners (li)
***
***the practice of li engenders ren
4. wisdom (zhi)
5. trustworthiness, faithfulness, integrity (xin)
C. The importance of education
•he believed in educating anyone who wished to be educated
•talented people have a duty to enter government and be leaders
•benevolence is attainable through self-cultivation, education, and
performance of the li
D. Confucian relationships
One must cultivate relationships with those around one
Filial piety, or xiao, is the original of which the others are analogues
1. parent/child (filial piety)
2. ruler and ruled*
3. husband and wife
4. elder sibling to younger sibling
5. friend to friend (basis of teacher/student)
In all these relationships, li, benevolence, duty, and responsibility
are expected from the superior to the inferior; in return, respect and
obedience are expected from the inferior
*Mandate of Heaven: (tianming)
•Ruler rules by Mandate of Heaven: he must be just and
moral and maintain a harmonious and peaceful social order
•If he doesn’t rule well, it will be revoked, and people have
the right to overthrow him
E. Belief in a hierarchy
Everyone has his/her place and has responsibilities and
expectations to fill; not to do so is to risk social chaos.
F. Spirituality
Confucius believed in spirits but did not address spirituality.
IV. Texts
A. The Five Classics
Confucius saw himself as compiling wisdom of classics of Chinese
thought & poetry
1. The Book of Songs,
2. The Book of Changes (I-ching)
3. The Book of Rites
4. The Book of History
5. The Spring and Autumn Annals
B. The Four Books
The followers of Confucius studied his ideas through these books:
1. The Analects
2. Mencius*
3. Great Learning
4. Doctrine of the Mean
*Mencius was a student and disciple of Confucius who helped
further Confucian teachings, in particular the notion that human
beings are basically good.
Important Concepts
A Confucian Gentleman (Jun Zi) must
•be a generalist, become cultured
•seek constant self improvement
Confucians value
•The golden rule
•Reticence, humility
•Setting an example, orderly society—hierarchy
•Restraint
•inner worth over outer appearance, virtue over attractiveness
•deeds over words; actions speak louder than words
li maintains the dao, the way of heaven, tian. Also the practice of li
engenders ren. In the Zhou dynasty it was believed that emperors
had an in with ancestors who had an in with Di, the supreme god.
Rituals were performed to maintain the Way, to get the ancestors to
intercede on behalf of the living. If the Way was not maintained,
things would go wrong, rain would not fall, crops would not grow,
devastating storms and military losses would occur. If such things
occurred, it was believed that the emperor had lost the Mandate of
Heaven