Who was Confucius?
- Kong Fuzi
- “Master Philosopher Kong”
From which state was Confucian from?
state of Lu
What was Confucius’s personality like?
strong willed, cantankerous, bitter complaints
What were the Analects?
A book that compiled Confucians sayings and teachings; written by his pupils; influenced Chinese political and cultural traditions
What areas did Confucianism pertain to?
moral, ethical, political, and practical; did not address philosophical questions, religious questions, or structure of state
What did Confucius believe?
He believed that harmony arose from human relationships.
What were junzi?
“Superior individuals” that Confucius filled official positions with because he believed it was the best way to promote good gov. Junzi didn’t allow personal interests to influence their judgements.
What were the three qualities that Confucian emphasized?
1) ren - sense of humanity, kind, courteous, respectful, diligent, loyal
2) li - sense of propriety, treat all humans with courtesy, especially elders
3) xiao - filial piety, respect for parents, high significance of family
What accounted for Confucianism’s longevity and influence?
It was flexible and could be applied to later problems; very generalized.
Who was Mencius?
He was the most learned man of his age; principal spokesman for the Confucian school.
What value did Mencius especially emphasize?
Ren.
Light taxes, avoid words, support education, and encouraged harmony and cooperation.
What was Mencius’s personality?
He was very optimistic and ideal; little practical effect during his lifetime, but influence over long term.
Who was Xunzi?
He served as government administration.
What was Mencius’s personality?
He was more practical than Mencius; he believed that humans selfishly pursued their own interest; resisted voluntary contribution to society. He was also optimistic and thought it was possible to improve humans and restore order to society.
What value did Xunzi emphasize?
Li.
What was Daoism?
Understood natural principles that governed world and lived in harmony with them.
Who was Laozi?
Founder of Daoism
What was the Daodejing?
“classic of the way and of virtue”
basic exposition of Daoist beliefs; contributed to by several hands
What were the two most important works of Daoism?
Daodejing
Zhuangzi - written by person named Zhuanzi
How did the three schools of thought: Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism emerge?
Times of turmoil forced people to reflect on nature of society and proper roles of humans and encouraged cultural creativity.
What does is the central concept of Daoism?
Central concept is dao, meaning “the way of nature”
Is the dao spoken in positive or negative terms? Why?
Negative. Dao does nothing yet accomplishes everything. It represents water and the cavity of a pot.
What are the Dao’s beliefs?
That humans should retreat from i garment with politics and admin, live a simple life, and live in harmony with dao and the world.
What is wuwei?
chief moral virtue; a trait of disengagement from competetive and active involvements in world affairs
Did Dao’s promote or refrain from advanced education?
Refrained from advanced education.
What was the Dao’s ideal government?
The less gov the better; tiny self sufficient communities with no desire to conquer or trade.
Who had mocked who for not practicing wuwei?
Zhuangzi mocked Confucians
What was the primary goal of legalists?
Only sought to strengthen state and expand at all costs.
Who was Shang Yang?
The most notable of the men in which Legalists doctrine had emerged from; served as chief minister to duke of Qin state.
How did Shang Yang die?
His enemies executed him with the death of his patron.
Who was Han Feizi
Most systematic of the Legalists theorists
Who was Han Feizi a student of?
Confucian scholar Xunzi
How did Han Feizi die?
Fell afoul ambitious men who forced him to drink poison.
The Legalists doctrine
Any job besides cultivation or military service was useless
Who was the first Qin dynasty emperor?
Qin Shihuangdi; had proclaimed himself as emperor.
Where was the capital city of Qin dynasty?
Xianyang
How did Qin prevent rebellions?
Disarmed regional military forces
What did Qin do to deal with criticism?
Executed all who criticized regime. Also burned all books of philosophy, lit, etc.
Who was the founder of the Early Han dynasty?
Liu Bang
What are the capitals of Former Han and Later Han, respectively?
Chang’an
Luoyang
What material was mostly used as building material during early Han dynasty?
Wood.
How did Liu Bang govern his empire?
Divided empire into admin districts, and allotted large landholdings to imperial family so they would provide reliable network for his rule
What lesson did Liu Bang learn in an attack from nomadic Xiongnu?
That he could not rely on family; after that he used centralized imperial court.
Who was the dynasty’s greatest emperor?
Han Wudi
energetic
What did the Han establish monopolies on?
Iron and salt.
What was the difference in opinion between Han Wudi and Liu Bang?
Liu Bang cared little for learning, but Han Wudi established imperial university prepping young men for gov.
What countries that the Han empire invaded drew educational inspiration from Confucianism?
Northern Vietnam and Korea.
Who was Maodun?
Most successful leader of the Xiongnu
Who was Ban Zhao?
The most famous woman scholar in chinese history; wrote Lessons for Women
What industry entered very rapid growth in Former Han?
iron industry
*emperor Han Wudi had created 46 regional offices to supervise iron production