Activity

• Define the following: Daoism, Yin/Yang, Xin, Yi, Zhi, Jen, Chung, Hsiao

Facts about Confucianism

o Was founded in the 6th or 5th century B.C. by Confucius.

o Originally started in China.o Eventually spread to Korea and Japan where

it’s still studied in universities to teach moral values.

o Has been followed for 5-6 million years.o It is sometimes viewed as a philosophy rather

than a religion.

History of Confucius

o Was born in 551 B.C. o Lost his father at an early age and was raised by his mother.o Was a master of the six arts of :

o Ritualo Musico Archeryo Charioteeringo Calligraphyo Arithmetic

o Was believed to be a teacher when he was in his twenties or thirties.

o Was loyal to the king so he was alienated from the power holders of the time.

History of Confucius continued

o The kings inner circle was uninterested in his policies so at

age 56 he left the country.

o He exiled himself for about 12 years and during that time

he was accompanied by an expanding group of students.

o At the age of 67 he moved back to preserve his cherished

ways of writing and editing.

o Confucius died in the year 479 B.C. at age 73.

Symbols

Yin and Yang: symbolizes balance in

nature between opposing forces.

Usually used for weddings in the

Chinese heritage, can be used to

represent righteousness and total harmony in Confucianism.

Ideogram for water. Represents

source of life in Chinese

philosophy.

Beliefs

o They believe in the great God, whom they worship and

offer sacrifices to.

o These sacrifices are to be submitted through mediation of

the king or princes of the government that they live in.

o They believe that the Earth has a separate God as does the

sun, the moon, the stars, the clouds, and the mountains.

o A sacrifice must be offered to every separate God.

Beliefs con…

o Also believe that the spirits of their ancestors are immortal.

o Offer sacrifices to them by having banquets, ceremonies,

and large celebrations to make sure that they are content.

o They don’t believe in heaven, hell, or the resurrection of

the body.

o Mainly concerned with moral values.

Filial Piety

• Respect for parents• Cherished virtue• Should guide the thoughts and actions of

children towards their parents and help individuals to understand their places in society as they demonstrate respect to all elders.

Activity

• Complete the chart.

Discussion

• How might defining family roles and responsibilities contribute to the Confucian goal of social harmony?

• Why do students think the belief in filial piety has been so important in Chinese culture over time?

• How do Confucian teaching compare with your ideas about filial piety?

Videos

• http://www.pbs.org/pov/lasttrainhome/lesson-confucianism.php

2 Paragraphs

• How do Confucian teachings about filial piety and family as the foundation of society apply in a country where millions of people are separated from their families for most of the year?

• BE SPECIFIC AND THOUGHTFUL.

ConfucianismThe Philosophy Explained

Main Tenets of Confucianism

• The Sacred Past: Confucius believed people should study the past to understand how to behave and be virtuous.

• The Social Code (Relationships): Political relationships are like family relationships, but larger. Rulers should behave toward their subjects they way fathers do with their children.

• Self-Improvement: Strive to become a virtuous man. If all become virtuous, there will be harmony in society.

The Key Relationships:

• Ruler and Minister/Subjects• Father and Son• Elder brother and younger brother• Husband and wife

Ruler and Subject

• To govern is to correct. If you set an example be being correct, who would dare to remain incorrect?

Confucius say…

Father and Son

• Being good as a son and obedient as a young man is, perhaps, the root of a man’s character.

• Honor your parents and make your brothers friends – this too is good government

Confucius say…

Elder Brother and Younger Brother

• In regards to the younger brother, no one can find fault with what his parents and brothers have to say about him.

Confucius say…

Husband and Wife

• In one’s household, it is the women and the men that are difficult to deal with. If you let them get too close, they become insolent (disrespectful).

• If you keep them at a distance, they complain.

• Work together and be harmonious.

Confucius say…

Confucian Code of Relationships

• Ruler

• Scholars

• Peasants (Farmers)

• Artisans and Merchants

Heirarchy of Professions under Confucianism:

the Confucian Virtues

• Ren – Be polite.

• Li – Have good manners.

• Shu – Think of others.

• Wen – Be cultured.

Analects

• Collection of sayings and ideas attributed to the Confucius.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxzPp_Fh1nA

Activity

• Analyze 4 Analects– Read them– Write down the meaning of each in your own

words.– Give a current day example of the situation

Confucius describes in each analect.

the Confucian Virtues

• Ren – Be polite.

• Li – Have good manners.

• Shu – Think of others.

• Wen – Be cultured.

Virtue: Ren

• It is translated in numerous ways: sympathy, empathy, benevolence, kindness, and consideration. One must be considerate of the other person through one’s actions and words. Be polite.

Li – Good Manners

This word relates to doing what is appropriate for the situation.

shu – Be considerate of others

The common translation of shu is reciprocity, but its essence addresses the question, how will my action affect the other person? One is to consider his/her actions from the other person’s viewpoint.

Wen – Be cultured

The term wen means “culture” and includes all the arts. Confucianism has a special love for poetry and literature, as well as a fondness for calligraphy, painting and music.

The Five Elements

o Water, Fire, Wood, Earth, and Metal.o Corresponded with the colors black, red, blue-

green, white, and yellow. o Ancients believed that the elements made

absolutely everything in nature.o People gradually established a relationship

between colors and the principle of the five elements that guided to the natural movement of heaven and the heavenly Dao.

The Mandate of Heaven – Tian Ming

• The right to rule is granted by Heaven.

• There is only one Heaven therefore there can be only one ruler.

• The right to rule is based on the virtue of the ruler.

• The right to rule is not limited to one dynasty.

Four principles of the Mandate of Heaven:

The Ideal Government

• First Priority: Confidence of the people/subjects.

• Second Priority: Enough food for the people/subjects.

• Third Priority: Enough arms to protect the people/subjects.

Without a virtuous leader that holds the confidence of his subjects, it is not worth sustaining or defending.

Quiz

• What is yin-yang mean?• Where did Confucianism originate?• What does Confucianism believe about our

ancestors?• What is filial piety?• What are the main tenets of Confucianism

and what do they focus on?• Name one virtue and tell me what it means?

Discussion

• How are religion and politics connected?

Gandhi

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7c4TXqkMso• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8mfOyCySKg• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi6SInyE0sw• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GG_4UaCD8E• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZVsWzIb6Vk• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAs8uvKNkcU• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0adv8zQsa9I