Chapter 8: Confucianism "The Way of Ritual Propriety"

Analects

the collection of the sayings and actions of Confucius known in China as the Lunyu

Confucius

he is the key figure in classical Confucianism, credited as the author of the Analects and later divinized

What is Confucius remembered as?

a superhuman spirit

What is Western's understanding of Confucianism?

It's about empty rituals, wives obeying husbands, workers bowing and scraping their bosses, and the masses blindly following the great and powerful Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

What is Confucian's understanding of Confucianism?

Confucianism provides the basic model for relationships between parents and children, husbands and wives. It teaches respect for authority and justifies resisting those under certain circumstances. Confucianism's emphasis on morals and etiquette provides a foundation for everyday conduct

The Five Relationships

father and son, elder brother and younger brother, husband and wife, older friend and younger friend, and ruler and subject

What are the three teachings?

Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism are polyamorous. Does not demand a believer's exclusive allegiance

Who was Mencius and how did he further develop Confucian thought?

He was China's second sage, also known as Mengzi "master meng." He saw human nature as fundamentally good. For goodness to come out, it must be cultivated like sprouts in a. garden.

Who was Xunzi and how did his thought differ from Mencius?

He was a Chinese philosopher. He saw humans as fundamentally evil. Instead of cultivating ourselves like Mencius said, Xunzi believes we must fight our natural inclinations

The Five Classics

the fundamental texts for classical Confucianism: Book of History, Book of Poetry, Book of Rites, Book of Changes, and Spring and Autumn Annals

What does it mean to be "fully human?"

We are social beings who become fully ourselves by engaging with others. To become truly human beings means to be someone who both understands and enacts virtues, and this can be achieved through learning/education

What is Confucianism's Problem?

social chaos

What is the solution to social chaos? (Confucianism's problem)

social harmony

What are the techniques to achieving social harmony?

humanness, ritual propriety, and various methods of self-cultivation

Who are Confucianism's Exemplars?

Junzi (profound person) and shengren (sage)

How do the Five Relationships connect to Confucianism’s goal of social harmony?

It demonstrates how we are social beings who become more fully ourselves by engaging with others. as more of us become truly human, the families, communities, and societies in which we live became more ordered and harmonious. the individual goal of becoming more truly human aligns with the collective goal of social harmony

What is Confucianism at a glance?

Confucianism is a tradition in which individuals seek to cultivate social harmony by reverting to the humans and ritual propriety of the sage-kings of ancient China