儒教英文版课件

AncientChinesePhilosophyConfucianismConfuciusLifeTherearetwoimportantteachersinClassicalConfucianism:Confucius(K’ungFu-Tzu)孔夫子andMencius孟子.Confucius(551-479B.C.?):K’ungisthesurnameofConfucius,andhisgivennameisCh’iu丘.HelivedinSpringandAutumnPeriod春秋時代

Confucius’BirthplaceIntheSpringandAutumnPeriod,therearestillmanysmallstatesinChina.Confuciuswasborninoneofthem,whichiscalledLu鲁.(InShandongProvince山东省ofcontemporaryChina)ThisstatecouldpreservemostofthetraditionalceremoniesoftheChouDynasty.OnereasonwhyConfuciushimselfcanlearnsomanytraditionalceremonies.

Life(2)Confucius’sancestorswereprobablysomeimportantofficersinthestateofSong宋国,buthisfamilymovedtoLulater.Hewaspoorwhenhewasyoung.HewasonceanimportantofficerinthestateofLu(inchargeoftheinternalsecurityofLu),buthispoliticallifeisgenerallyconsideredasafailure.Life(3)Healsotriedtopersuaderulersofdifferentstatestoaccepthisthoughts.Hefailedandfinallybecameateacher.Noticethatnotmanypeoplecouldbeeducatedatthattime.SoConfuciuswasactuallyapioneerineducationbecausehewaswillingtoteacheverypeople,notonlyNobles.Althoughhedidnotachievesuccessinpolitics,hewasgoodineducation.Later,ConfucianismbecomesthemostimportantthoughtinChinaformorethan2000years.Life(4)UsuallyConfuciusisconsideredasthegreatestpersoninConfucianism,TheAnalects(orLunyu)论语

isthebookwiththecollectionofconversationsmainlybetweenConfuciusandhisstudents.Confuciusdidnotwriteanybookhimself.Buthehas“edited”severalbooks.(Thespiritoforiginatingthroughtransmitting以述为作)ConfuciusandConfucianismIsConfuciusthefounderofConfucianism?Answer:YesandNo!Confucianism,inChinese,is“TheschoolofJu儒家”.Juisatitleofjobforsomepeoplewhohadtheiroriginintheliterati(responsibleforholdingtraditionalceremonies,traditionalhistory,etc.).ConfuciusisoneofthoseJu,butheisnotthefirstJu.ConfuciusandConfucianism(2)However,inhisperiod,manypeopledidnotcaretraditionsanymore.Confuciuswantedtoresumethistradition.ConfuciusandConfucianism(3)ConfuciusdoesnotonlywanttoresumethisChinese(EarlyChou)tradition,buthealsogivessomenewmeaningandinterpretationtothistradition.Thenewinterpretationfromhimismainlyrelatedtomoralphilosophy.Inthissense,ConfuciusisthefounderofConfucianism.MoralPhilosophyItisalwaysnoteasytounderstandChinesephilosophy.TheAnalectsisnotasystematicworkwithlogicalargumentsinthemodernwesternphilosophicalsense.AndConfuciusdoesn’tliketogivedefinition.ThecorepartofConfucius’sphilosophyisabout“virtues”.RenThemostimportantethicalconceptinConfucianismisJen(orRen)仁.Unfortunately,itishardtogiveadefinitionofRen,andConfuciusneverdidso.TheconceptofRenissimilartosomethinglike“love”,“humanity”,“benevolence”,etc.AlthoughthereisnodefinitionofRen,Confuciusdidtalkalotaboutit.Herearesomeexamples:Li

礼-earlystageLicanbeusedtorefertothe(rulesgoverningthe)religiousritesassociatedwiththeworshipofdeitiesorancestorvenerationthatcharacterizedtraditionalChinesereligion,particularly

withregardstothoseritesperformedbytheemperor.Licametodenotealloftheemperor’sdutiesaswellasawiderangeofotherrituals,suchasmarriage,andmilitaryandgovernmentfestivalsLiConfuciusincludesinhisdiscussionsoflisuchdiversetopicsaslearning,teadrinking,titles,mourning,andgovernance.Licanalsobeusedtorefertocommonmoralprescriptionsand“customarylaw.Licanbeusedtorefertoanythingwhichordershumanconduct.Liiswhatthesageusestofindthatwhichisappropriate;itisboththemeanswhichsetstheexampleforothers,andtheendwhichmaximizesunderstanding,pleasure,andthegreatergood.Yi-ExplanationYi-Righteousness,themoraldispositiontodogood

Yiconnotesamoralsense:theabilitytorecognizewhatisrightandgood;theabilitytofeel,underthecircumstanceswhatistherightthingtodoSomeactionsoughttobeperformedforthesolereasonthattheyareright--regardlessofwhattheyproduce;notforthesakeofsomethingelse.(ComparewithdutyinKantian’sethics)BasicVirtuesRen-Love,Benevolence,Humanity,etc.Yi-Righteousness,themoraldispositiontodogood

Li-rites,moralorders,….ApplicationsXiao孝–filialpiety,begoodtoparentsandancestorsSomeothervirtues:Xin信(keepingpromises,behonest);Jing敬(reverence);zhi智(Wisdom);Yong勇(courage,bravery)RectificationofNamesFiveRelationshipsFiveRelationship:ParentandChild;elderbrotherandyoungerbrother(andsisters);husbandandwife;rulerandsubject;betweenfriends.Duty:Eachrelationshipisboundedbyrightsandobligations.Theserelationshipssharethesamekindofmorality.ChengMing正名ChengMing:RectificationofNamesExplanationTohaveawellorderedsociety,themostimportantthingistocarryouttherectificationofnames.Thingsinactualfactshouldbemadetoaccordwiththeimplicationattachedtothembynames.Everynamecontainscertainimplicationswhichconstitutetheessenceofthatclassofthingstowhichthisnameapplies.IsConfucianismareligion?ItisobviousthatthecorepartofConfucianismisaboutmorality.UnlikeChristianity,ConfucianismdoesnothavetheproblemofGodandMorality.AtleasttheproblemhereisnotthesamewayastheChristianity’sproblem.Ametaphysicalquestion:Wheredothesevirtuescomesfrom?ThisiswhereConfucianismcanbeconsideredasareligion.Confucius’sreligionConfuciusdidn’treallypayattentiontothisproblem.Itseemsthatheassumesthatthereisaheaven/supernaturalbeing,buttheexistenceofitisnotwhatheconcerns.WarringStatesPeriodLaterintheWarringStatesPeriod,mostweakstateswereconqueredbyotherstrongstates.Thereweremainlysevenstrongstatesatthattime.Qin秦wasoneofthemandshefinallyconqueredallotherstatesandunitedChinain221.B.CMenciuswasborninsuchaperiod(371-289B.C.?)Mencius’sLifeHewasborninasmallstate,Tsou(邹),inthepresentsouthernpartofShantungProvince山东省MenciuslearntConfucianismfromadiscipleofTzu-su子思.(Tzu-ssuwasagrandsonofConfucius)MenciuswasonceaveryfamousscholarinChi齐abigandpowerstateinShantungatthattime.ThelifeofConfuciusandMenciusNomatteritisjustacoincidenceornot;thelifeofConfuciusandMenciuswereverysimilar.TheywerebothborninShantungProvince.Bothofthemtriedtopersuaderulersofdifferentstatestoaccepttheirthoughts.Bothofthemfailed,andfinallybecameteachers.Althoughtheydidnotachievesuccessinpolitics,theyweregoodineducation.ThelifeofConfuciusandMencius(2)UsuallyConfuciusisconsideredasthegreatestpersoninConfucianism,andMenciusisthesecondgreatest(Heiscalled“theSecondSage亚圣).TheAnalects(orLunyu)论语

isthebookwiththecollectionofconversationsmainlybetweenConfuciusandhisstudents.ThebookMencius(Thenameofthebookisthesameastheperson)isthebookwrittenbyMencius(andsomemaybefromhisstudents).Mencius-thebookThebookisdividedintosevenchapters,andeachchaptercanbedividedintotwoparts.ThestyleofMenciusisquitedifferentfromTheAnalects.Menciuspreferstotalkinalengthyandargumentativeway.Heusesalotofmetaphorsandanalogies.Theyarecolorful,butsomeofthemmaybemisleading.Questions—noanswerfromConfuciusRen,Li,Yiaresoimportant.Weknowtheirpracticalvalues.Butwhy?Aretheyournature,orwhat?Aretheyrelatedtosomesupernaturalmeanings?HowdoweapplyRen,Yi,etc.inpolitics?HumanNatureMenciusalsobelievesthatthosevirtuessuggestedbyConfuciusareveryimportant(coreinConfucianphilosophy)More,Menciusarguesthatthesevirtuescanbeconsideredasourhumannature.FourVirtuesMenciusdiscussesfourvirtuestogether:Jen/Ren,I/Yi,(Righteousness义),Li(Propriety礼),andChi/Zhi,(Wisdom智).Heevenhadananalogicalargumenttoprovethatthebeginningsofthesevirtuesareinbornwithhumans.Thatis,thefourbeginningsastheinnatemoralqualitiesHumanandAnimalsThereisnopointforustoteachaTigertopracticevirtuesinaconsciousfashionbecauseitdoesnothavethekindofnaturalendowmenthumanhas.Butthereisnoreasonforustodiscriminateagainstanyhumanbeingbysayingthathecannotbetaughttofollowhisowngoodnature.Menciusmaysaythathumansareanimalswiththefourbeginnings!Aristotle:Humansarerationalanimals.HumanNatureandHeaven(Metaphysics)Frommoraltometaphysics:2A:27A:1SummaryConfuciusandMenciussimplycancelthequestionaboutthequestionofGodandMorality.TheyjustdirectlyputGodandMoralityasmoreorlessthesamething!Advantages?(e.g.avoidchallenges;applicationstoappliedethicsandpolitics;compatiblewithmanyotherreligions,etc.)MainQuestion:HowGod(Supernaturalbeings)andmoralitycanbecomethesamething?TheDoctrineofMean1:1Thedestinyofheaveniscalledthenature;anaccordancewiththisnatureiscalledtheWay(Tao/Dao道);thecultivatingofthisWayiscallededucation.ThissentencecanbeconsideredasasummaryofClassicalConfucianismaboutReligion(metaphysics)andMorality.Butwhyisitthecase?TheexplanationcomesfromSung-MingConfucianism(Neo-Confucianism)Sung-MingConfucianismAre-riseofConfucianismMainlyasareplytothechallengesfromBuddhismandDaoismItabsorbsalotofideasfromBuddhismandDaoismaswell.SincebothBuddhismandDaoismarealsoreligions,thereplyfromSung-MingConfucianismalsofocusesonreligious/metaphysics/ontology.ItisalsoafurtherdevelopmentofClassicalConfucianismPeopleZhouDunYi周敦頤(1017-1073AD)ChengHao程顥(1032-1085)andChengYi程頤(1033-1107)ZhuXi朱熹(113