PHILOSOPHIES OF ANCIENT CHINA

Objectives: -Examine why the Chinese valued the concept of balance.-Explore what the Chinese philosopher Confucius taught.- Analyze how Daoism and Confucianism worked together in Chinese society.- Investigate how beliefs such as Legalism and Buddhism influenced Chinese history.

ANCIENT CHINESE BELIEFS

- Political conflict marked the last centuries of the Zhou dynasty.

- Philosophers restore harmony.- Dualism or 2 sideness of nature

Balance between two forces YIN YANG

They depend on each other and maintain a balance.

- The relationship between yin and yang is often described in terms of sunlight playing over a mountain and in the valley. Yin (literally the 'shady place' or 'north slope') is the dark area occluded by the mountain's bulk, while yang (literally the 'sunny place' or 'south slope') is the brightly lit portion. As the sun moves across the sky, yin and yang gradually trade places with each other, revealing what was obscured and obscuring what was revealed. Yin is usually characterized as slow, soft, insubstantial, diffuse, cold, wet, and tranquil. It is generally associated with the feminine, birth and generation, and with the night. Yang, by contrast, is characterized as hard, fast, solid, dry, focused, hot, and aggressive. It is associated with masculinity and daytime

CONFUCIUS AND LAOZI

- New ideas and theories to explain economic, political and social changed.

- Confucius’s followers collected his ideas and teachings in a work called Analects

CONFUCIANISM

- Concerned with the causes of the political and social disorder and show how moral and ethical leadership could solve problems

- Taughts about e - importance of family, - respect for one’s elders - reverence for the past and one’s ancestors

- 1st: Every person should accept his role in society and perfomr duties.

- 2nd: Involved correct behavior. Honest and Honorable rulers.

Main interested people happiness

DAOISM- Laozi founded this philosophy, which is

defined as “the way”.- An indescribable force governed the

universe and people should withdraw from the world and contemplate nature.

- Not strive for material wealth.- Not to seek power.

- Many peasants, artisants and poets appealed for the balance in life

LEGALISM

- Concerned with politics- Believed in power and in harsh laws- People selfish and untrustworthy- Punishment if people did not obey- 1st Qin emperor, Cheng failed because

of its cruel methods

BUDDHISM IN CHINA

- Missionaries from India brought Buddhism during the Han Dynasty

- Disorders, violence increase, military leader fighting for power

- Family centered security threatened- Buddhism emphasized universal charity and

compassion.- Buddhist ceremonies = peace and safety- Mahayana Buddhist worshiped the Buddha as

a savior, committed to help all human beings escape from miseries of the world

- Define - Yin - Yang- Confucius- Analects- Laozi- Dao de jing- Legalism

DAOISM LEGALISM CONFUCIANISM

BUDDHISM