1 / 12

Philosophy & Religion in China

Philosophy & Religion in China. Early Ideology Confucianism. Early Chinese Ideology. Believed in spirits Held reverence for ancestors Priests performed blessing rituals: Purifying space Exorcised evil spirits (“hungry ghosts”) Used Astrology & Divination. Early Chinese Ideology.

zeke
Télécharger la présentation

Philosophy & Religion in China

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Philosophy & Religion in China Early Ideology Confucianism

  2. Early Chinese Ideology • Believed in spirits • Held reverence for ancestors • Priests performed blessing rituals: • Purifying space • Exorcised evil spirits (“hungry ghosts”) • Used Astrology & Divination

  3. Early Chinese Ideology Chinese Creation Myths • Multiple versions of a similar story • The universe was a black egg • Pangu broke the egg and the world was created • Hairy giant • Dog

  4. Early Chinese Ideology Yin and Yang • Yin: female, dark, weak, wet, passive • Yang: male, bright, strong, dry, active • Balance of opposites

  5. Confucianism A political and social philosophy seeking social harmony on all levels: Within the self …the family …the community ...the state …the nation …the world …the cosmos

  6. Confucianism - Origins Kung-Fu-tzu (Confucius) “Master Kung” • 551 - 479 BCE • Embraced the values of the past • Political aspirations failed • The “greatest teacher who ever lived” • Rejected in his own day, but the model for Chinese culture for over 2000 years

  7. Confucianism - Texts • The “Four Books” (Confucian) • Analects (Lun Yu) • Doctrine of the Mean • The Great Learning • The Book of Mencius (Meng-Tzu)

  8. Beliefs and Practices To develop one’s Jen: Human Heartedness - the innate goodness of humanity Thus becoming a Chun Tzu: the “Great Man” or “Gentle Man” Jen is developed through intentional living by Confucian virtues…

  9. Belief & Practices Filial Piety (Hsiao) - respect for the five constant relationships: • Parent & child • Husband & wife • Older & younger sibling • Older & younger friend • Ruler & subject

  10. Belief & Practices • Reciprocity (shu) – the Golden Rule: • “Do not do to others what you would not want others to do to you” • Li (rites, ritual) – the inherent “pattern” in things • For Confucius, Li is the social context of human behavior

  11. Belief & Practices Education • “In teaching, there should be no distinction of classes.” (Analects XV, 39) • Education leads to moral virtue • Rule by natural law, not force Roles • “There is government, when the prince is prince, and the minister is minister; when the father is father, and the son is son.” (Analects XII, 11)

  12. Appeal • To hold a position in government, one had to demonstrate knowledge • Civil Service Exam • Provided rules on conduct and morality which were necessary in densely populated China

More Related