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Confucius
The Secular as Sacred
Confucius, the man
 Not a successful
politician.
 Not an atheist.
 Not well known in his
lifetime.
 Not much actually
known about the man.
 Circa 551-479 BCE
Historical Context:
The Warring States
 403 -- 221 BCE
 Small kingdoms fighting for
dominance.
 Ca. 221 BCE Qin (Ch’in)
Dynasty takes control.
 States unified under an
absolute monarchy.
 Qin Shi Huangdi
Qin Shihuangdi
秦始皇帝
Chin shhr hwong dee
China in the Warring
States period
The Warring States:
450-206 BCE
 Ch’in region began
expanding 328 BCE.
 Ch’in expanded
North and South
first, then Eastward.
 Start of Great Wall
of China.
Han Dynasty 206 BCE -- 9 CE
206 BCE Liu Pang
 Former peasant
 Leads Revolt
 Becomes Emperor
Confucianism becomes model for
government service.
Humanism
Human is an autonomous being,
capable of self-determination.
Individual choices can make a difference
in society and alter the course of history.
Secular Humanism v. Sacred Humanism
Religion v. Philosophy
In China, Confucianism is considered a
religion.
Does not focus on:
 Revealed Doctrines
 Theism
 After-life
Chün tzu
Gentleman by birth.
Gentleman by actions.
li
“to sacrifice”
Rituals of courtesy
Rules of Propriety
Do this:
1) Write your own definition for “ritual.”
2) What rituals have you participated in in
the past month?
3) What rituals are hallmarks of the
university experience?
4) What rituals are important to you?
Questions about defining Ritual
1) Is divinity a necessary component?
2) How do rituals function? (awe v. comfort)
3) Lots of people brew coffee in the morning,
but for some the act is a ritual. What makes
the difference?
4) Keep in mind noun v. adjective
5) Is your definition ethnocentric?
6) Does definition of ritual change with culture?
Or only examples of culturally significant
rituals?
For the more philosophical:
Why are rituals important?
Where do rituals come from?
What would life be like without rituals?
How is art/religion/culture a ritual
enactment of identity?
Definitions of Ritual
1) Any customary ceremony or
observance.
2) A set of actions regularly and invariably
followed by someone.
3) A conventional act or social gesture
without intrinsic purpose.
Definitions of Ritual
4) Set of actions performed mainly for
symbolic value.
5) Actions and symbolism of a ritual are
prescribed by some external force, not
chosen by the performer of the ritual.
Definitions of Ritual
6) An aid to the formation of group
identity, used to set, fix, and re-inforce
shared values.
7) Etiquette, rules of propriety.
Confucian Self-Realization
“ritualization” is a dynamic process, not a
passive one. (Eastman p. 195)
Language matters.
Attention to heart-mind (conscience)
distinguishes us from animals.
Extend obligations beyond self.
The Analects:
Categories of Topics
Culture
Conduct of Affairs
Loyalty to Superiors
Keeping of Promises
Mencius (Meng-tzu)
 Circa 390 BCE - 305 BCE
 Ch’in region expanding, gaining dominance.
 How to study this reading:
 Compare with The Analects
 Treat as an explanation of The Analects
 Look for points of similarity and disagreement
The Book of Mencius (Meng-tzu)
“How can I profit from my state?” (p.
187)
Refer back to Analects (p. 177)
 “The Master said, A gentleman takes as
much trouble to discover what is right as
lesser men take to discover what will pay.”
The Last Word:
The Master said,
“Anyone learning
without thought is
lost; anyone
thinking, but not
learning, is in peril.”