1、The Philosophy of Warring States China,A Ridiculously Brief History,Xia 夏 (2205-1766 B.C.E.)Shang 商 (1751-1122 B.C.E.)Western Zhou 西周 (1122-770 B.C.E.)Eastern Zhou 東周 (770-221 B.C.E.)Qin 秦 (221-206 B.C.E.)Former Han 漢 (206 B.C.E. -9),A Ridiculously Brief History,Xia 夏 (2205-1766 B.C.E.)May not have
2、existed (so far theres no archaeological evidence)Traditional histories say that its last ruler, King Jie 桀, was an evil tyrantShang 商 (1751-1122 B.C.E.)Western Zhou 西周 (1122-770 B.C.E.),A Ridiculously Brief History,Xia 夏 (2205-1766 B.C.E.)Shang 商 (1751-1122 B.C.E.)Has been partially corroborated by
3、 archaeological evidence (oracle bones)Can trace it back to about 1250 B.C.E.Traditional histories say that its last ruler, King Zhow 紂, was an evil tyrantWestern Zhou 西周 (1122-770 B.C.E.),A Ridiculously Brief History,Shang 商 (1751-1122 B.C.E.)Western Zhou 西周 (1122-770 B.C.E.)Traditional histories s
4、ay that King Wen 文 (“The Cultured King”) tried to reform evil King Zhow through virtuous exampleBut King Wu 武 (“The Martial King”), son of King Wen, defeated King Zhow in battleAccording to traditional histories, King Zhow had lost the “Mandate of Heaven” due to his immoral conduct, and it was grant
5、ed to the Zhou insteadEastern Zhou 東周 (770-221 B.C.E.),A Ridiculously Brief History,Western Zhou 西周 (1122-770 B.C.E.)Eastern Zhou 東周 (770-221 B.C.E.)For reasons involving concubines (of course), the king is killed and the Zhou capital sackedThe Zhou capital is moved East (hence the name)The traditio
6、nal Zhou rulers begin to lose their real powerThe Zhou begins to declineThe Eastern Zhou dynasty is traditionally split into two periodsQin 秦 （221-206 B.C.E.),Eastern ZhouSpring and Autumn Period (722-481 B.C.E.)The Zhou dynastys declineThe time of Confucius (551-479) well come back to him later. Tr
7、y to contain your excitement.Warring States Period ( 403-221 B.C.E.),Eastern ZhouSpring and Autumn Period (722-481 B.C.E.)The Zhou dynastys declineThe time of Confucius (551-479) well come back to him later. Try to contain your excitement.Warring States Period ( 403-221 B.C.E.)The Zhou kings officia
8、lly recognise the partitioning of the state of JinThis inspires the rulers of formal vassal states to start usurping power for themselvesEssentially, everything goes to Hell and countless people die horribly,Eastern ZhouSpring and Autumn Period (722-481 B.C.E.)The Zhou dynastys declineThe time of Co
9、nfucius (551-479) well come back to him later. Try to contain your excitement.Warring States Period ( 403-221 B.C.E.)The Zhou kings officially recognise the partitioning of the state of JinThis inspires the rulers of formal vassal states to start usurping power for themselvesEssentially, everything
10、goes to Hell and countless people die horriblyBut on the bright side: awesome philosophy!,Eastern ZhouSpring and Autumn Period (722-481 B.C.E.)The Zhou dynastys declineThe time of Confucius (551-479) well come back to him later. Try to contain your excitement.Warring States Period ( 403-221 B.C.E.)T
11、he Zhou kings officially recognise the partitioning of the state of JinThis inspires the rulers of formal vassal states to start usurping power for themselvesEssentially, everything goes to Hell and countless people die horriblyBut on the bright side: awesome philosophy!So, it was definitely worth i
12、t,A Ridiculously Brief History,Eastern Zhou 東周 (770-221 B.C.E.)Qin 秦 (221-206 B.C.E.)During the Warring States period, the number of states grew smaller and smallerEventually, the state of Qin was victorious and united ChinaThus, he is often called the “First Emperor”Former Han 漢(206 B.C.E. -9),A Ri
13、diculously Brief History,Eastern Zhou 東周 (770-221 B.C.E.)Qin 秦 (221-206 B.C.E.)During the Warring States period, the number of states grew smaller and smallerEventually, the state of Qin was victorious and united ChinaThus, he is often called the “First Emperor”His tomb is guarded by the famous “Ter
14、racotta Army”Former Han 漢(206 B.C.E. -9),Terricotta Army,A Ridiculously Brief History,Eastern Zhou 東周 (770-221 B.C.E.)Qin 秦 (221-206 B.C.E.)During the Warring States period, the number of states grew smaller and smallerEventually, the state of Qin was victorious and united ChinaThus, he is often cal
15、led the “First Emperor”His tomb is guarded by the famous “Terracotta Army”He was awesomeFormer Han 漢(206 B.C.E. -9),A Ridiculously Brief History,Eastern Zhou 東周 (770-221 B.C.E.)Qin 秦 (221-206 B.C.E.)During the Warring States period, the number of states grew smaller and smallerEventually, the state
16、of Qin was victorious and united ChinaThus, he is often called the “First Emperor”His tomb is guarded by the famous “Terracotta Army”He was awesomeOh, except he outlawed all rival philosophies, burned their books, slaughtered and buried philosophers aliveFormer Han 漢(206 B.C.E. -9),A Ridiculously Br
17、ief History,Qin 秦 (221-206 B.C.E.)Former Han 漢(206 B.C.E. -9)A form of Confucianism is made the orthodox philosophy/religion of ChinaThis is combined with a form of LegalismThis would essentially form the basis of the Chinese government for the next 2000 years,On to the philosophers.,Who am I skippi
18、ng?,Laozi (Lao-tzu) 老子 and the Daodejing (Tao Te Ching)Mozi (Mo-tzu) 墨子The School of LogiciansMencius 孟子Xunzi (Hsun-tzu) 荀子And more,Confucianism 儒家,ConfuciusName: Kongzi or Kongfuzi 孔子551-479 B.C.E.“Confucius said of the Ji Family, “They have eight rows of dancers performing in their courtyard. If t
19、hey can condone this, what are they not capable of?”Analects III:1 (transl. E Slingerland)Take THAT, Ji Family!,Confucius in the West,Confucius in the West,In the 17th and 18th centuries, China was likely the most economically successful nation on EarthIt was also in many ways the most politically s
20、ophisticated,Confucius in the West,In the 17th and 18th centuries, China was likely the most economically successful nation on EarthIt was also in many ways the most politically sophisticatedViewed by many Europeans as an enlightened nation ruled by philosopher kingsConfucius was used by Voltaire an
21、d other Enlightenment thinkers as an example of rational morality,Confucius in the West,In the 17th and 18th centuries, China was likely the most economically successful nation on EarthIt was also in many ways the most politically sophisticatedViewed by many Europeans as an enlightened nation ruled
22、by philosopher kingsConfucius was used by Voltaire and other Enlightenment thinkers as an example of rational moralityLater on, Hegel and Weber would criticise Confucianism There was one thing the Enlightenment thinkers had in common with Hegel and Weber,Confucius in the West,In the 17th and 18th ce
23、nturies, China was likely the most economically successful nation on EarthIt was also in many ways the most politically sophisticatedViewed by many Europeans as an enlightened nation ruled by philosopher kingsConfucius was used by Voltaire and other Enlightenment thinkers as an example of rational m
24、oralityLater on, Hegel and Weber would criticise Confucianism There was one thing the Enlightenment thinkers had in common with Hegel and WeberNone of them really knew much of anything about Confucianism,Why is Confucius difficult to understand today?,Context of Chinese history and culture of his ti
25、me,Why is Confucius difficult to understand today?,Context of Chinese history and culture of his timeUnaware of how highly ritualised human behaviour isOr how much clearer and stricter it was until very recently,Why is Confucius difficult to understand today?,Context of Chinese history and culture o
26、f his timeUnaware of how highly ritualised human behaviour isOr how much clearer and stricter it was until very recentlyThe book written by his students, “The Analects of Confucius” (Lun Yu 論語) is unclear without commentary (remember the eight rows of dancers?),Why is Confucius difficult to understa
27、nd today?,Context of Chinese history and culture of his timeUnaware of how highly ritualised human behaviour isOr how much clearer and stricter it was until very recentlyThe book written by his students, “The Analects of Confucius” (Lun Yu 論語) is unclear without commentary (remember the eight rows o
28、f dancers?)The modern, “Western” secular, liberal view of morality is focused on the individual,Why is Confucius difficult to understand today?,Context of Chinese history and culture of his timeUnaware of how highly ritualised human behaviour isOr how much clearer and stricter it was until very rece
29、ntlyThe book written by his students, “The Analects of Confucius” (Lun Yu 論語) is unclear without commentary (remember the eight rows of dancers?)The modern, “Western” secular, liberal view of morality is focused on the individualConfucianism believes that people are inescapably part of a social netw
30、ork of relations with the family at its core,Why is Confucius difficult to understand today?,Context of Chinese history and culture of his timeUnaware of how highly ritualised human behaviour isOr how much clearer and stricter it was until very recentlyThe book written by his students, “The Analects
31、 of Confucius” (Lun Yu 論語) is unclear without commentary (remember the eight rows of dancers?)The modern, “Western” secular, liberal view of morality is focused on the individualConfucianism believes that people are inescapably part of a social network of relations with the family at its corePeople
32、develop their morality by learning how to care for their family, and then extending that feeling to others,Why is Confucius difficult to understand today?,Context of Chinese history and culture of his timeUnaware of how highly ritualised human behaviour isOr how much clearer and stricter it was unti
33、l very recentlyThe book written by his students, “The Analects of Confucius” (Lun Yu 論語) is unclear without commentary (remember the eight rows of dancers?)The modern, “Western” secular, liberal view of morality is focused on the individualConfucianism believes that people are inescapably part of a
34、social network of relations with the family at its corePeople develop their morality by learning how to care for their family, and then extending that feeling to othersI would argue this is a more accurate view of human nature,The Philosophy of Confucius,Confucius never wrote a bookHe didnt seem int
35、erested in establishing a unique philosophical systemHe appears to have been at least sceptical about the supernaturalSeems to imply spirits do not existHas a clear focus on the here and now,Xunzi (Hsn-tzu)荀子,300-230 B.C.E.“You pray for rain and it rains. Why? For no particular reason, I say. It is
36、just as though you had not prayed for rain and it rained anyway.” Xunzi A Discussion of Heaven (transl. B Watson),The Philosophy of Confucius,Confucius never wrote a bookHe didnt seem interested in establishing a unique philosophical systemHe appears to have been at least sceptical about the superna
37、tural So what did he believe?,The Philosophy of Confucius,Confucius never wrote a bookHe didnt seem interested in establishing a unique philosophical systemHe appears to have been at least sceptical about the supernatural So what did he believe?Virtue Ethics: self-cultivationA return to the heyday o
38、f the Zhou,The Virtue Ethics of Confucius,Emphasis on character rather than consequence,The Virtue Ethics of Confucius,Emphasis on character rather than consequenceA strict and conservative view of ritual proprietyA person cultivates his character by means of the ritesBut the rites must be performed
39、 with genuine emotions behind themConfucius probably believed that the rites of the Zhou had some kind of cosmological significance: they were revealed by Heaven (Tian 天),The Virtue Ethics of Confucius,Emphasis on character rather than consequenceA strict and conservative view of ritual proprietyA p
40、erson cultivates his character by means of the ritesBut the rites must be performed with genuine emotions behind themConfucius probably believed that the rites of the Zhou had some kind of cosmological significance: they were revealed by Heaven (Tian 天)Self-cultivation is a life-long journey,The Vir
41、tue Ethics of Confucius,Emphasis on character rather than consequenceA strict and conservative view of ritual proprietyA person cultivates his character by means of the ritesBut the rites must be performed with genuine emotions behind themConfucius probably believed that the rites of the Zhou had so
42、me kind of cosmological significance: they were revealed by Heaven (Tian 天)Self-cultivation is a life-long journeyHe taught his disciples primarily through exampleHe had 72 disciples, according to traditionHe taught each one differently based on their individual flaws and strengthsHis greatest stude
43、nt was Yan Hui 顔回 who died at a young age,Return to the Zhou,Confucius lived during the Spring and Summer period, as the Zhou was declining, but before the Warring States period began,Return to the Zhou,Confucius lived during the Spring and Summer period, as the Zhou was declining, but before the Wa
44、rring States period beganHe believed society would be better ordered and better run if Zhou culture returned and a true king ruled over the worldFor him, a true king would care about the common people, would employ worthy ministers (preferably Confucius or his disciples) and would follow the rites o
45、f Zhou,Return to the Zhou,Confucius lived during the Spring and Summer period, as the Zhou was declining, but before the Warring States period beganHe believed society would be better ordered and better run if Zhou culture returned and a true king ruled over the worldFor him, a true king would care
46、about the common people, would employ worthy ministers (preferably Confucius or his disciples) and would follow the rites of ZhouFor him, following the rites of Zhou not only helped individuals cultivate themselves, but also provided a framework where people in the government would know how to act a
47、nd not rise above their station unless they were morally worthy,Return to the Zhou,Confucius lived during the Spring and Summer period, as the Zhou was declining, but before the Warring States period beganHe believed society would be better ordered and better run if Zhou culture returned and a true
48、king ruled over the worldFor him, a true king would care about the common people, would employ worthy ministers (preferably Confucius or his disciples) and would follow the rites of ZhouFor him, following the rites of Zhou not only helped individuals cultivate themselves, but also provided a framewo
49、rk where people in the government would know how to act and not rise above their station unless they were morally worthyThis takes us back to the strange quote at the beginning.,What was he prattling on about?,Different ranks in society were allowed different numbers of dancers to perform outside th
50、e ancestral hall during ceremonies.Only the Son of Heaven was allowed eight rows. Thus the Ji Family was effectively taking on the ritual observances of the Zhou King in effect claiming the title for themselvesPerhaps Confucius was right to be angry: once the vassals finally usurped the traditional positions of the Zhou dukes, it led to 200 years of war and the deaths of countless people,
