Questions on Confucius and Taoism
1.
Who wrote the book called the Analects? And
the Mencius?
2.
Who taught that “it was most useful to be
useless.”
3.
The Tao is above all an ethical path..in
which…Confucianism or in Taoism?
4.
Who believed he could reform the world by
education.
5.
The Analects taught the principle of wu wei as
the basis of society...true or false?
6.
Who taught that human nature should be left
alone.
7.
"Wu hsin" is the Taoist term for a rational or
logical mind...true or false?
8.
Confucius taught that with the aid of Li
society might attain a state of harmony which
could last through the ages...true or false?
9.
What was the supreme goal of Confucian
philosophy?
10. While Confucius taught formalism and control,
Chuang Tzu taught spontaneity and freedom
from controls... explain.
11. Confucius stated that the tao which can be
spoken of is not the eternal tao...explain
12. Who is the legendary author of the Tao Te
Ching?
13. Confucius would prefer seeing a nicely carved
and carefully sculpted block of wood to one
that was uncarved...explain
14. "Chun tzu" means, in Confucianism, the
superior man...explain
15. "Wen" means, for Confucius, a refined culture
which will make the life of a unified empire
worth living...explain
16. The word for power, virtue, and potentiality in
Taoism is what?
17. The rise of morality and law is a symtom of
decline in civilization according to Taoism.
Explain.
18. Confucius shifted reverence for dead
ancestors towards emphasis on filial piety and
Li. This is part of his creation of a “deliberate
tradition”.... explain.
19. Taoism teaches that there are discernible
patterns in nature, but these are not of the
nature of predictable formulas or
mathematical laws. What is the difference?
20. To act by wu wei was the goal of Chuang tzu
and Lao Tzu. What does it mean?
21. Huston Smith explains that simplicity and
naturalness are the supreme values within
Confucianism or Taoism?
24. “Te” means power. Confucius understood this
to mean political strength and leadership.
True or false?
27. Explain how wu wei relates to human beings?
to animals? to Nature herself?
28. Who was Kung Fu Tzu?
29. In Taoism, what are the three basic meanings
of the word “tao”?
30. How does an uncarved block of wood illustrate
the tao of nature?
31. Discuss some themes you discovered in the
writings of Chuang Tzu.
32. What is “Li” and what was Confucius trying to
accomplish by instilling it in the minds and
hearts of his countrymen?
33. What is “deliberate tradition” and what are
the main virtues Confucius included in this
tradition?