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 <-> children

    • Elderly <-> youth

    • Rulers <-> subjects

    • Man <-> woman

    • Friend <-> friend

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