Confucianis
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Knowing Your Place
China’s Feudal Age
 China was divided
into many warring
kingdoms - No unity,
anarchy reigned.
 K’ung Fu-tzu (551471 BC) worked for
city-state of Lu.
 Wondered why
things were
Did he exist? Was he created as a foil to
Christian evangelism? Name means “Master
bad???
Teacher” and ideas predate his existence.
Depictions show in wrong clothing
The Master Finds His
Answer
 Looked into distant
past to a time of order
 King Wu Wang & the
Duke of Zhou
 The Duke knew his
place & accepted it.
 Chaos in present b/c
CONFUCIUS
people acted outside of
social status
Develops “Confucianism”
for PEACE & STABILITY
 Rigid Social hierarchy
based on social
relationships and
mutual obligations
 5 Key Relationships
1) Emperor to subject
2) father to son
3) husband to wife
4) older to younger brother
5) friend to friend
“Face”, the Glue of the
System
 You must appear to
be that which you are.
 If not, you have
broken the
relationship and no
obligations exist.
 Don’t humiliate others
as that makes them
“lose face”
Face in China in Business
The Emperor’s Role
 Mandate of Heaven
 Emperor rules
because god chose
him to be born as
 If he loses face,
citizens don’t have to
treat him as
emperor…
 REVOLUTION!!!
A Man’s First
Responsibility is in
Service to the Emperor
 Chun-tzu = educated
upper class. Work to
support & maintain the
system
 Law of Avoidance = b/c
of 5 Key Relationship’s
emphasis on family, chuntzu must work away from
home to avoid nepotism
What of
Women???
 NO authority outside home. But
as chun-tzu worked elsewhere,
women ran the home
 AND FOOTBINDING???
 Used to set upper class
women apart to show class
ONE OF THE
LAST WOMEN
WITH BOUND
FEET
Modern Beauty Rituals
who are we to judge???
The Analects of Confucius
 Confucian “Bible”
 Book of
Quotations from
Confucius
 Tells how to live in
the middle and to
avoid excess in
any form.
Along Comes Chu Hsi
 Retooled Chinese
philosophy by
adding in Buddhist
elements = NEOCONFUCIANISM
 Now a religion
 Supreme Ultimate
(god) = the force
 Li and Chi
Confucian Society
 1) Farmers were at the
top (produce food to
maintain order). Then
2) Police (provide the
order) then 3) Artisans
(make tools for top two).
 4) Merchants on bottom
(opposite Europe, reason
for relative decline)
Confucianism in our
world
 Authority more important
than rights
 Education important
 Peace and order essential
 Use of military means
balance has been lost
 Teaching Confucius today