Ancient Chinese Philosophies

• 2100-475 BCE, Xia + Shang + Zhou dynasties -> Chinese history begins
• Ancestor worship   * Dead family members continue to exist     * Influence the fortune of the living       * The living have to sustain spirits + protect graves     * Interested in the affairs of the world   * Builds the concept of respecting elders
• Filial piety   * Respect of elders -> builds from ancestor worship   * Parent dies -> child visits tomb regularly for 3 years     * Makes up for the 3 years the child was a helpless infant
• Feng shui   * Art of designing harmonious environments     * Belief that surroundings closely affect + connect to people   * ^^Yin + Yang^^ = harmony     * Yin = negative, passive, feminine, earthly, dark, weak     * Yang = positive, active, masculine, heaven, light, strength   * Balance of ^^five elements^^: water, wood, fire, earth, metal
• Qi   * Life force: combination of real + abstract sources     * Sunlight, cosmic influence, color vibrations, flow of water, etc   * Necessary for good feng shui
• Dao = way/path (typically the right path)
• Confucianism   * Confucius = early philosopher     * Less deistic -> more on how to treat other people   * Mencius = writer of Confucian texts   * Human nature is essentially good + desire companionship     * Five basic relationships to build:       * Parents
• Daoism   * Only indigenous religion of China   * Laozi = writer of Dao De Jing (original name of Daoism)     * Historians doubt if he ever existed   * Encourages to embrace more of yin/feminine side     * During warring period -> too much “masculinity”/yang   * ^^Wuwei^^ = effortless balance of yin and yang     * “Non-action”     * Inspired by nature -> solves its own imbalances naturally
• Legalism   * Philosophy dominant in Qin dynasty     * Created by Shang Yang -> official in Qin court   * People are inherently selfish -> must be governed by an emperor     * “Two hands”: rewards + punishments     * Strict rules/codes

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