Revised, 8/30/08

Confucius (Kung Fu-Tzu)*

(551-479 BC)

& Confucianism

*Family name = Kung (Kong) Personal name = Zhong-ni Kung Fu-Tzu (Kong Fu-zi) = Master Kung Confucius = Latinization of Kung Fu-Tzu

Reading from the Analects (Text, pp. 1-14)

The History of Chinese Philosophy

The Classical Age (6th century BC-2d century AD)
Confucianism (Confucius, 551-479 BC) Daoism (Lao Tzu, 6th century BC) Mohism (Mo Tzu, 468-376 BC) The Yin-Yang School (founder unknown) The School of Names (Logic) (Hui Shih, c. 380-305 BC) Legalism (Han Fei Tzu, d. 23 BC)

The Medieval Age (2d-10th centuries BC): relations & conflicts between Confucianism, Daoism, & Buddhism The Modern Age (11th century AD-Present)
Neo-Confucianism (incorporation of Daoist & Buddhist elements in an overall Confucian perspective) (Chu Hsi, 1130-1200 AD & many others) 20th century impact of Western philosophies such as Pragmatism & Marxism

Topics included in the reading:

The Chun-Tzu (the Confucian hero) (1-3) Virtue (jen, ren) (3-5) Propriety (li) (5-7), including filial piety (5-6) & religious propriety (6-7) The Silver Rule (central ethical principle) (7) The importance of studying & learning (7-8) Words & actions (8-9) Three Things (9) Government (9-11) The Dao (11-12) Miscellaneous teachings (12-13) Descriptions of Confucius (13-14) (The traditional version of the Analects is not topically organized.)

The primary sources of Confucian philosophy

Confucius claimed to derive his teachings from the Ancients, whose wisdom is embodied in The Five Classics (Wu Jing)

The I Jing (Book of Changes) The Shu Jing (Book of History) The Shih Jing (Book of Odes [poetry]) The Li Ji (Book of Rites) The Chun-chiu (Spring & Autumn Annals)

The further expression of Confucian philosophy

The Four Books (Ssu-chu)

Analects (Lun-Yu) The Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong) The Great Learning (Ta-hsueh) The Book of Meng-Tzu (Mencius, 371-288 BC)

Anthem

The ancient State of Lu

Thats where Confucius was born & spent most of his life.

Confucianism originated in China, but its influence spread to Korea & Japan over the centuries.

Chronology of Chinese History

c. 6000 BC: Prehistory (belief in life after death; bone
divination) - legendary Hsia Dynasty (c. 1994-1500 BC)

c. 1500-1040 BC: Shang Dynasty (polytheism; spiritism;

ancestor veneration; bone & shell divination)

1040-256 BC: Zhou (Chou) Dynasty (feudal era &

classical age; rise of Shang-Ti & Mandate of Heaven; ancestor veneration & divination practices; continued belief in spiritism; interest in life-prolongation & immortality; 8th-5th centuries BC period of disorder; emergence of classical Chinese philosophies: Confucianism, Daoism, Mohism, Legalism, etc.) - Era of Warring States (475-221 BC)

221-207 BC: Qin (Chin) Dynasty (The Burning of the

Books in 213 BC) - Legalism enthroned; Confucianism attacked

Chronology, continued
206 BC-25 AD: Former Han Dynasty (beginnings of
official state Confucianism)

25-220 AD: Later Han Dynasty (rise of Chinese

Empire; imperial state religion; Confucianism established as the official philosophy of the Chinese state; the coming of Buddhism)

266-316 AD: Jin (Chin) Dynasty 316-589 AD: Era of NorthSouth Division - 16 Northern
Kingdoms (301-439); 5 Southern Kingdoms (317-589) (rise of Daoist
religion; continued spread of Buddhism)

581-618 AD: Sui Dynasty 220-280 AD: The Three Kingdoms - Wei (220-266); 618-907 AD: Tang Dynasty
Shu (221-263); Wu (222-280)
(decline of Confucianism; rise of Daoism & Buddhism)
(high point for Buddhism & Daoism; 9th century Confucian reaction against Buddhism)

Chronology, continued
907-960 AD: Five Northern Dynasties; Ten Southern Kingdoms 10th-13th centuries AD: Rise of Neo 960-1127 AD: Northern Sung (Song) Confucianism; Dynasty spread of Chan (Zen) Buddhism 1127-1279 AD: Southern Sung (Song) Dynasty 1264-1368 AD: Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty (established by Kublai Khan) Anti-Confucian policy (development of popular religious sects) 1368-1644 AD: Ming Dynasty
(Mongols out, Chinese emperors in; Confucianism reestablished; Roman Catholicism arrives)

Chronology, continued
1644-1911 AD: Qing (Ching) (Manchu) Dynasty peak of Confucian (bureaucratic) authority; increasing influence of the West

1911-1912 AD: Chinese Revolution Republic of China (19121949 [mainland]; 1945present [Taiwan])

Peoples Republic of China (Communism) (1949-present)

Confucianism in decline

Major figures in Confucian philosophy

Neo-Confucianism Classical Confucianism
Confucius (551-479 BC) Mencius (372-289 BC) Xun-zi (Hsun Tzu) (active, 298-238 BC) Tang Dynasty - Han Yu (767-824 AD) Sung Dynasty - Cheng Hao (1032-1085); Cheng Yi (1033-1108); Zhu Xi (Chu Hsi) (1130-1200) Ming Dynasty - Wang Yang-ming (1473-1529) Ching Dynasty - Tai Chen (1723-1777) 20th century: Hsiung Shihli (1885-1968); Fung Yulan (1895-1990); & others

Han Dynasty
Dong Zhong-shu (179-104 BC) Yang Hsiung (53 BC-18 AD) Wang Chong (27-100 AD)

Central concepts in Confucian thought

Metaphysics
Ontology & Cosmology
Dao (Way) - the Ultimate; the One; the Absolute;
the underlying Power; the Source (see Text, pp. 11-12)

Yin/Yang - the dual expression of Dao; neither is superior to the other (see next slide)
The Plural World - the universe; Heaven & Earth; an ever-changing expression & blend of Yin & Yang
(Heaven is Yang in relation to Earth; and Earth is Yin in relation to Heaven; but each is, in itself, a blend of both Yin & Yang.)

Yin & Yang

female dark cool moist passive negative evil Heaven & sun

Earth & moon

male bright hot dry active positive good

"A basic difference between the

Chinese conception of yin and yang and other classical philosophical dualismsis that whereas most dualisms are forever in conflict, yin and yang always act in harmony, and both are considered to be necessary to maintain the order of the universe." (Bilhartz 262)

Confucian metaphysics, continued

Theology
Shang-Ti (God), the original ancestor (after the 11th century BC)
Heaven (Tian, Tien) - the divine realm (Human beings who have died live on with Shang-Ti as ancestors (ti) in Heaven.) Continuity & interchange between Heaven (the divine realm) and Earth (the human realm), i.e., between the ancestors & those living on Earth.

Spiritism (spirits everywhere, good [shen] & evil [gui]).

(The ancestors are to be worshipped, and sacrifices are to be offered to them; they, in turn, will guide and protect us, especially with regard to our futures (divination practices). When we die, we will join the ancestors in Heaven and become ancestors ourselves.)

[No hell(s)? See next slide.]

Before the arrival of Buddhism in China, it seems that Chinese religions

The idea of multiple levels of hell entered Chinese religion through Buddhism, which arrived in China in the 1st century AD. The religious Daoists accepted this idea (but modified it in various ways). Apparently, the Confucianists continued to show little interest in this subject.

did not contain a welldeveloped idea of an afterlife. The souls of those who had lived in accord with the Mandate of Heaven (will of Shang-Ti) would become ancestors in Heaven; whereas the souls of those who had not followed Heavens decree would, after death, continue to live on for a time in a dark underworld area (called the Yellow Springs) & then fade away into nothingness.

Is Hell temporary or permanent?

In Buddhism, it is temporary.
Confucianism has no clear answer to this question (because the Confucianists refuse to speculate on these matters).

What is the Daoist view? (To be continued?)

Confucian metaphysics, continued

Anthropology
(Human Nature & the Human Predicament)
Human nature:
naturally & inherently good - need for cultivation via education naturally social & political - development & perfection of human nature within the social & political realm

The human predicament:

suffering as a result of failure to follow the Way of the Ancestors Disharmony & conflict between Heaven & Earth, between the ancestors & us; and between humans here on earth Solution of problem of suffering: reestablish harmony

Confuciuss primary goal:

order, harmony, peace, & happiness in this life here on earth

(He had only a secondary interest in transcendental salvation.)

Axiology
(Theory of Value) Philosophy of art (aesthetics) - the moral & political purposes of art (especially music) Moral philosophy (ethics) - the center of Confucian philosophy (see next slide) Social & political philosophy (theory of government) - the need for morally & intellectually virtuous rulers & civil servants

Central themes in Confucian ethical theory:

The Chun-Tzu - the ideal of the Superior (self-actualized, virtuous, perfected) Person (Text, pp. 1-3)

The Chun-Tzu is an exemplification of ideal virtue, of Yi, of Ren, of Li, and of Hsiao see following slides.

Yi - righteousness, just and appropriate conduct

According to Confucianists, there is an objective, absolute, and unconditional moral obligation on all of us to work for universal human well-being, the common good, the general welfare (which will include one's own true good): Objective = not subjective; not relative; the obligation is independent of culturally and individually variable states of opinion, preference, feeling, or response. Absolute = it extends throughout the whole sphere of moral obligation and cannot be suspended or overruled by any more basic or ultimate moral principle with a wider range of applicability. Unconditional = this obligation does not depend on the fulfillment or nonfulfillment of any particular set of facts or circumstances which may or may not happen to occur - facts, for example, about our desires, aspirations, or goals in acting one way rather than another.
See Hackett, Oriental Philosophy, pp. 29-31.

Ren (jen) - virtue*

Positive formulation: cultivation of feeling (respect, empathy, compassion, love) for all humanity (Text, pp. 3-5) Negative formulation: the Silver Rule (Text, p. 7, vv. 85 & 86)

*Sometimes translated as
humanity

Confucian ethics, continued

Li - Propriety (proper conduct)

The Rectification of Names (Zheng-ming) (proper use of language) (Text, vv. 8, 9, 10, 11, 109-113, 129, 160) The Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong) (Text, vv. 132, 155, 156) The Five Constant Relationships:
parent-child husband-wife elder sibling-younger sibling elder friend-younger friend ruler-subject

Confucian ethics / Li, continued

Filial Piety (Xiao, Hsiao)

(devotion to & reverence for parents & family)

The institution of the family is the foundation of a well-ordered & civilized society (grounded mainly on respect of children for parents) Respect for age (experience & wisdom)
(Text, pp. 5-6)

Confucian ethics / Li, continued

Religious Propriety
proper practice of traditional rites (worship of God, ancestors, Heaven, Earth, spirits; funeral services & sacrifices in honor of parents)
Text, vv. 64, 70, 72, 79-84

Confucian ethics (& aesthetics?), continued

Wen
(learning & the arts)
The importance of culture in the creation & Studying & learning (Text, maintenance of a wellpp. 7-8) ordered society The arts - especially music (Text, vv. 99)
(Confucius composed a Book of Music [Yueh Jing], which is sometimes referred to as a sixth classic.)

Confucian axiology, continued

Confuciuss Political Philosophy

Te - the union of power & virtue

The characteristics of a good ruler (or civil servant):

moral goodness (virtue & propriety) rationality moderation benevolence (Text, pp. 9-11)

Does Confucius have

a theory of knowledge (an epistemology)?
How would he answer the following questions? 1. What is knowledge? 2. What are the sources of knowledge? 3. What are the extent & limits of knowledge? 4. What are the differences between knowledge & opinion? 5. What makes a belief (or proposition) true as opposed to false?

The End (for now)