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The Axial Age
Karl Jaspers (1883 - 1969)
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German philosopher Karl Jaspers coined
the term the axial age to describe the
period from 800 BC to 200 BC, during
which, according to Jaspers, similar
revolutionary thinking appeared in China,
India and the Occident. The period is
also sometimes referred to as the axis
age.
Karl Theodor Jaspers (February
23, 1883 – February 26, 1969)
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was a German
psychiatrist and
philosopher who had a
strong influence on
modern theology,
psychiatry and
philosophy. After being
trained in and practicing
psychiatry, Jaspers
turned to philosophical
inquiry and attempted to
discover an innovative
philosophical system.
A Striking Parallel
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Jaspers, in his Vom Ursprung und Ziel der Geschichte
(The Origin and Goal of History 1953), identified a
number of key axial age thinkers as having had a
profound influence on future philosophy and religion, and
identified characteristics common to each area from
which those thinkers emerged. Jaspers saw in these
developments in religion and philosophy a striking parallel
without any obvious direct transmission of ideas from one
region to the other, having found no recorded proof of any
extensive intercommunication between Ancient Greece,
the Middle East, India, and China. Jaspers held up this
age as unique, and one to which the rest of the history of
human thought might be compared.
Hundred Schools of Thought
諸子百家 zhūzǐ bǎijiā
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The term that literally means "all philosophers, hundred
schools“ refers to philosophers and schools that flourished
from 770 to 221 B.C.E., an era of great cultural and
intellectual expansion. It is also known as the Golden Age
of Chinese philosophy because a broad range of thoughts
and ideas were developed and discussed freely. This
phenomenon has been called the Contention of a
Hundred Schools of Thought (百家爭鳴 bǎijiā
zhēngmíng). Professor David R. Knechtges prefers a
different term: Masters instead of philosophers.
The word “hundred” seems exaggerated. Nevertheless, it
is the golden age in Chinese intellectual history.
However, since the Han synthesis, Confucianism has
gained its dominant position.
Jixia Academy: Athens in China
in the State of Qi
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The Jixia Academy or Academy of the Gate of
Qi/Chi-- 稷下学宫 was the most famous scholarly
academy of early China. It was founded around 318
BC in the city of Linzi 临淄, capital of the state of Qi
(modern Shandong province), and Jixia was a gate
in the city wall. At the time, Linzi was one of the
largest, most prosperous cities in the world. For the
first time on record a state began to act as a patron
of scholarship out of the apparent conviction that this
was a proper function of the state or a means of
increasing its prestige. Scholars came from great
distances to lodge in the academy, with the most
important scholar holding the rank of Great Prefect.
The most democratic Period
The Hundred- School Era
The School of Athens
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Democracy in ancient
Greece did not last very
long. The death of
Socrates marked the
end of this era;
In ancient China, the
hundred schools of
thought ended with the
Qin Unification, and
consolidated in the Han
Dynasty.
Pre-Qin (221 BC) Prose Writing
Historical Prose & Philosophical Prose
http://ctext.org/
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1. 尚书【shàngshū】 Classic
of History "Classic of History",
"Classic of Documents", "Book
of History", "Book of
Documents".
2. 春秋【chūnqiū】 the Spring
and Autumn Period (770-476
B.C.); The Spring and Autumn
Annals; annals; history-- is the
official chronicle of the State of
Lu covering the period from
722 BCE to 481 BCE.
3. 战国策【Zhànguó Cè】
Intrigues/Strategies of the
Warring States
4. 左传 Zuo Zhuan--the
Commentary of Zuo, 389 BC
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Zi , ancient title of respect
for learned or virtuous man,
masters.
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Confucianism: The
Analects (put together by
his students); Mencius by
Mengzi and Xunzi;
Daoism: Dao De Jing and
Zhuanzi/Liezi
Legalism: Shang Yang, Li
Si, and Han Fei
Mohism by Mozi
Philosophical Military
Treatise: The Art of War
by Sunzi
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Three-Way Thought in China
Ebrey: Chapter 2/Worksheet 2
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Confucianism (Confucius, Mencius and
Xunzi): the core virtues/five-fold
relationships/rule by rites and Benevolence;
Legalism (Xunzi/Shang Yang/Li Si/Han
Feizi): rule by law (two handles: rewards and
punishments; its premise being that human
nature is evil;
Taoism/Daoism (Laozi/Zhuangzi): rule by the
natural way;
The Warring States Period
403 BCE to 256 BCE
Partition of the Jin State (403 BC)
Political Hierarchy Defined by
Rites/Rituals of the Zhou Dynasty
Son of Heaven = Emperor
 duke, in charge of a state
 marquis; a nobleman or
high official;
 Ministers
http://dictionary.reference.co
m/browse/marquis?s=t
 If an emperor couldn’t go
to Mt. Tai, he had to build
a temple;
 The Temple of Heaven in
Beijing serves such a
function;
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Only a son of heaven can
own nine ding, sacred
cauldrons, symbolic of
status;
At court, only a son of
heaven can order 64
dancing girls, 8 per
row/per line;
Who are qualified to go to
Mt. Tai to perform feng
and shan sacrificial
ceremonies?
Duke of You’s (晋幽公)
r. (for reign) 433 to 416 BC
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Three ministers or houses, Zhao, Han
and Wei started to divide some territory.
In 416, Marquis Wen of Wei 魏文侯 killed
Duke of You.
Marquis Wen of Wei
魏文侯 (?～396 BC)
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Wei became rich by
controlling salt.
(capital of salt
industry, 盐池).
Along with its salt
business, Wei
established a strong
army.
A well-learned man
Three Households/Ministers
Divided the State of Jin
Duke Lie of Jin
晉烈公 415 BC - 389 BC
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In about 401, Zhi Boyao 智伯瑶, a senior minister
who became the “Secretary of the State,” demanded
more land from other ministers: Wei Zi 魏斯, Zhao Ji
赵籍 and Han Qian 韩虔. Duke of Lie could not
control his state at all. Wei and Han bowed to Zhi,
but Zhao refused.
“The State of Nature” vs. “The State of License”—
depicted by John Locke (1632-1704) in The Second
Treatise of the Civil Government, 1690.
Executor: In this pre-government state, everybody
can take things into his own hands, functioning as an
executor, to protect his life, liberty and property.
Zhi Attacking Zhao
A Dramatic Turn
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Zhi led the mid-army;
Wei led the left army;
Han led the right army;
Three armies surrounded Jin
Yang 晋阳 for two years.
Zhi used water (River Jin) as
soldiers 以水代兵 and had Jin
Yang flooded.
搬起石头砸自己的脚: the rock
he lad lifted landed on his own
feet.
To plan to make somebody else
miserable but end up getting
hurt themselves.
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Jin Yang was in great danger.
Zhao appealed to Wei and Han.
When boasting about his
strategy on the bank of River
Jin, it dawned on Wei and Han
that they can use the same trick.
Teamed up with Zhao, they let
go the water from a branch of
River Jin, thus had Zhi’s
territory flooded. Zhi 智伯瑶
was killed during the battle.
In 403, Wei, Zhao, and Han
went to see the king of Zhou,
demanding the status of a state.
The new status was officially
granted. This incident marked
the beginning of the Warring
States Period.
What Shifted the Power Structure
at a Critical Moment?
Power of Rhetoric: Pen vs. Sword
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Zhao Xiangzi or
Zhao Ji convinced
Wei and Han that if
they don’t stick
together, the Zhi
family will swallow
them one by one
sooner or later.
唇亡齿寒
【chúnwángchǐhán】
if the lips are gone,
the teeth will be cold;
if one (of two
interdependent
things) falls, the
other is in danger;
share a common lot.
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Potential Danger
in the Partition of the Jin
http://www.globaled.org/chinaproject/confuci
an/quotes1.html
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Fragmentation vs.
Unification
Lessons from Russia
China is in chaos. What is
the best for China: united or
divided?
If China were fragmented,
what would be its impact on
the world?
After the First Opium War in
1842, China was divided by
invaders from the outside.
Partition of China
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How to maintain order?
Contextualize the
significance of
Confucianism in China
Impact of family structure
and individual conduct on
government/nation
Confucius cites The Book of
Document, “…Simply by
being a good son and
friendly to his brothers a
man can exert an influence
upon government” (The
Analects 2.21).
Returning of a shopping
cart…
Seven States
competing for Dominance
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Qi (齊/齐)
Chu (楚)
Yan (燕)
Han (韓/韩)
Zhao (趙/赵)
Wei (魏)
Qin (秦)
Guiguzi & Shang Yang
Two Consequential Figures
End of Zhou (256 BCE)
“the State of Nature”
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With the royal line broken, the power of the Zhōu
court gradually diminished, and the fragmentation of
the kingdom accelerated. From King Píng's reign
onwards, the Zhōu kings ruled in name only, with
true power lying in the hands of regional nobles.
Towards the end of the Zhōu Dynasty, the nobles did
not even bother to symbolically acknowledge loyalty,
declaring themselves to be independent kings. Note
there is a shift in title: from dukes to kings. The
dynasty ended in 256 BCE when the last king of
Zhōu died and none of his sons proclaimed the
nominal title of King of China.