This selection of the Analects revolves primarily around the importance of virtue tradition and the characteristics of a junzi or “ideal gentleman”. The introduction of this selection of the analects defines the key term of ren as “true happiness” or “humanity” and states that it is a necessary characteristic that must be possessed by a junzi. Book One of the Analects explores the origin and characteristics of junzi and explains that before one can become a junzi, one must first fulfill their role in the family. Book Two of the Analects highlights the need for a leader to have virtue, stating that virtue is preferable to other modes of control because virtue, unlike alternative methods, will enable the people to retain a sense of shame, which can be useful in reforming an individual. Book Three emphasizes the need for ritual, using the success of the Chinese Zhou dynasty as a testament to ritual’s effectiveness. Finally, Book Four of the Analects continues to emphasize the importance of ren, connecting ren to …show more content…
While, the introduction to this selection of The Analects provides some insight to the origins by explaining how under the Zhou dynasty and their strict adherence to religious customs coincided with a prosperous period in Chinese history, it is not immediately apparent that the two are more than a coincidence. Furthermore, oftentimes, as history has shown, tradition for traditions’ sake can often stymie progress and prevent necessary adaptations in the face of changing circumstances. Would the course of human history not have been improved if slavery had not been maintained, at least in part, by tradition? Finally, as the world has become increasingly secular and progressive over time, in what why should a modern reader interpret the messages in The Analects and apply them
The first chapter comes from the mother’s point of view. It all started in Berkeley, spring season of 1942 with a sign on a post office window. The mother had just gotten a fresh pair of eyes, everything was brighter, heightened, and clear. The woman read the sign, made and list and immediately went home to make preparation. She packs for nine days prior to the day that all Japanese descent must report for relocation. She makes most of the preparation while the children, a girl and a boy, attend school. She completes the difficult tasks alone because her husband was already arrested after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.
The contrast in the motivation behind the creation of these two works is created through the attitudes and theories in play during the time in which the author’s lived in. Looking into Sima Qian’s motives which he attributes to the desire to “…have paid the debt of my shame, I will have no regret if I am killed ten thousand more times!” (Sima Qian, 93). The debt being the humility he has brought his family name after being castrated for speaking out of line to the emperor. The punishment and the reaction to this punishment reflect the two major schools of thought present during Sima Qian’s time. These two schools of thought were the ideas of Confucius and Legalism. The ideas of Confucius supported tradition and the respect for ancestry (McKay, 103) while
After hypothesis testing was completed, the results led me to look into several other areas. The CTQ, being composed of three different types of adverse stimuli, physical, emotional, and sexual, was split up into its respective areas in order to investigate if there was any significance within the CTQ compared to the ROI. The physical abuse and physical neglect were added together to create the total physical CTQ score, and the same was done to the emotional category. The sexual abuse category was not investigated further because often there is little variability as well as the fact that the mean score for the group was not much higher than the minimum possible score.
The comprehensive text of Confucian ideology, the Analects, is a complex work aiming to teach followers of Confucianism how to live a moral life in human society. In Herbert Fingarette’s The Secular as Sacred, Confucius’s philosophy consists of ideas the author calls Human Community as Holy Rite, the Way Without a Crossroads, and the Holy Vessel, metaphors which explain the complex, community-based teachings of the Analects.
Timothy Brook’s book, The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China is a detailed account of the three centuries of the Ming Dynasty in China. The book allows an opportunity to view this prominent time period of Chinese history. Confusions of Pleasure not only chronicles the economic development during the Ming dynasty, but also the resulting cultural and social changes that transform the gentry and merchant class. Brook’s insights highlight the divide between the Ming dynasty’s idealized beliefs, and the realities of its economic expansion and its effects. Brook describes this gap through the use of several first hand accounts of individuals with various social statuses.
Will the state fulfill the desires of the community like it promises? Many Denver residents of the article Colorado Aims to Expand a Main Artery, but beleaguered Neighbors Balk do not think so; nor the author Julie Hurwitz. Despite the expansion helping with the flow of traffic, it is causing many negative impacts on the current residents. It is the city’s most controversial topic.
This books adds a supplementary information to that which is already available in general history books. He adds new perspective that I have not read before on the topics of homosexuality and religious influence in China that were not written about or gotten incorrect by previous
However simultaneously during this time of anarchy and imperialism there were many different cultural and religious sects forming in China. This provides the modern day reader with one of the main obstacles from fully comprehending the text seeing as it cannot be approached from a mere linguistic point of view, as to do this a comparison between various translations would be necessary.
Concerned by the popularity of this outside faith, the prosperous Song dynasty actively promoted neo-Confucianism to support “native Chinese cultural traditions...[and limit] the influence of foreign religions” (Traditions and Encounters pg226).
One of the oldest philosophies in Chinese history is Confucianism. At the time of the warring states, Confucius wandered throughout China seeking a ruler who accepted the Confucian way. Since then, his ideas grew and are still relevant today. Throughout time other philosophers, Mengzi and Xunzi, have interpreted Confucius’ teachings and have long debated whether human nature is good or bad. I argue that human nature is not, as Mengzi believes, inherently good, instead, completely self-interested.
The debate on human nature between Mencius and Xunzi has been one that is longstanding - both views have compelling claims to support either statement. In this essay, we will discover the main aims of their philosophy of morality to determine what deductions the two philosophers have gathered about humans, and later, their implications on society. For starters, we see that Mencius advocates that human nature is has the inborn capacity for goodness. However, it can be easily misconstrued as human nature is innately good, this false claim which easily contradicts with many examples of heinous acts we see in the past and today. By assuming that we have this inborn tendency for goodness, Mencius claims that we have spontaneous feelings of compassion when we see someone in need of help (Mencius 6A6), and that what follows is altruism that stems from natural obligation. In addition to that, he contends that cultivation of our innate goodness, otherwise known as the four sprouts (ren, li, yi, zhi – benevolence, propriety, righteousness and
We have covered the general accounts of human nature found in Confucianism and Taoism in light of the historical backdrop of the Period of Warring States. Use your responses to the following general questions below as an opportunity to refer either to the Smith text and accompanying assigned scriptures(s), Smith video(s) on China, Confucianism, and Taoism, or any additional material covered in class. Look ahead to the next question on the chun tzu in order to plan on avoiding repetition of answers verbatim within each essay if there are areas of potential overlap.
The ReThink app is a necessary product in today’s society. Teens are constantly hurting themselves because they are getting overwhelmed with text messages from other people . Teens cannot speak out against the bully so they find another way to deal with it and it is very difficult for them. This is why we need the app ReThink because teens will have the chance to speak out. In conclusion, the app ReThink is necessary because we can stop and solve the problem and not have to deal with it all alone.
In China during 406-221 BCE, the battling states between the Zhou and the Han Dynasties? were in a state of governmental disorder. Although the era was in a disruptive state, it ushered in a cultural opening that left a long lasting imprint on the Chinese history. As a result, three major belief systems surfaced Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism in an attempt to achieve a sense of political order in a disorder period. There are distinctions in the way each of the belief systems approached the many problems that plagued the Chinese society. First, all of the founders were contemporaries in China. As well as considered philosophies, who studied the future, and sat out to focus on the present rather than the past. In contrast, Confucianism, Daoism and Legalism established various paths in search of an optimistic future for the success of China. Second, both Legalism and Confucianism developed a social belief system, but are considered a religion. However, both Legalism and Confucianism purpose was to create an orderly society in the hopes of prosperity. In contrast, Daoism does
In thinking about how my knowledge and beliefs about communication have changed or grown resulting from participation in this course and the positive impact. I would have to say I am grateful for the knowledge I am gaining, due to the improved care I can offer, as well as a broadened knowledge surrounding dementia.