Introduction to Ancient Chinese Philosophy Flashcards
How can you define Ancient Chinese Philosophy?
There is no definite definition for Chinese Philosophy, since Philosophy itself defies definition.A description of it however is a comprehensive explanation of the historical, social, cultural, and political background of China.
What is the origin of Chinese Philosophy?
It came from a religious motivation to Shangdi or God. But it never entered the Philosophical discourse
Residues of this religion produced the will of heaven and the mandate of heaven.
What is the concept of Ancient Chinese Philosophers on Heaven and how did they define it?
It is an organic system with all parts integrated as a whole. Heaven is what’s above men and it stands for the totality of bodies and phenomena. It often refers to the operation of the sun.
How did Ancient Chinese Philosophers define the Earth?
Earth refers to the ground on which everything exists
How did the Ancient Chinese usage define the universe?
It is the totality of Heaven, Earth, and all that exists in between.
Did Ancient Chinese Philosophers believe that there is EVIL in nature?
They believed that there is no evil in nature. Rather, natural disasters occur because of some adverse human state of affairs. It is called as a temporary deflection from the essential harmony of the universe. Nature itself corresponds to the universe just a bell would chime upon struck.
What is the goal of Ancient Chinese Philosophy?
To teach people how to know how to make moral decisions which is referred to as wisdom.
What does the possession of wisdom mean in an ancient context?
It signified one’s spiritual concord with the spirits of the cosmos.
What is the Ancient Chinese Philosophy worldview?
It depicts the world as an organic whole with order and irregularities, not a chaotic conglomerate dominated by chance.
What is the basic constituents of the myriad of things in the world if not matter?
Ancient Chinese Philosophers believed that it is an energy, a force of two natures, Ying and Yang. It also followed a regulated rhythm.
