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The Confucian Ethos: Foundations of Chinese Philosophy

Dive into the rich history of Confucianism, exploring its influence on Chinese culture, ethics, and intellectual development over 2,500 years. Learn about the "Hundred Schools" and the core values shaping the Confucian ethos.

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The Confucian Ethos: Foundations of Chinese Philosophy

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  1. The Foundations of Chinese Philosophy: The Confucian Ethos San-pao Li, Ph.D. Department of Asian and Asian American Studies California State University, Long Beach California, U.S.A. February 19, 2004

  2. The Anthropocosmic Unity:Heaven, Earth, and Man Heaven (Religion) Earth (Cosmology) Man (Ethics)

  3. Ethos • The characteristic and distinguishing attitudes, habits, beliefs, etc. of an individual or of a group

  4. The Confucian Ethos • For nearly 2,500 years Confucianism remained both a dominant intellectual force and a forceful ethical system that molded and conditioned many aspects of Chinese culture.

  5. An Outline • Intellectual Flowering in Early China: The “Hundred Schools”(520 B.C.-220 B.C.) • Confucius as a “paradigmatic individual” • Confucianism

  6. An Outline • Intellectual Flowering in Early China: The “Hundred Schools”(520 B.C.-220 B.C.) • Confucius as a “paradigmatic individual” • Confucianism

  7. Yu-lan Fung, History of Chinese Philosophy • Period of the Philosophers: The Classical Period • Period of Classical Learning

  8. Period of the Philosophers Zi or Tzu= Master • Kung Fu Tzu (Kongfuzi, Confucius) • Meng Tzu (Mengzi, Mencius) • Lao Tzu (Laozi) • Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi) • Hsun Tzu (Xunzi) • Han Fei Tzu (Hanfeizi)

  9. Period of Classical Learning(2nd century B.C. - 20th century) • Confucian scholars/philosophers • Neo-Confucianism • Buddhism (The only newly introduced thought-system in this period

  10. The “Hundred Schools” • Confucianism (Confucius, Mencius) • Taoism/Daoism (Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu) • Moism (Mo Tzu) • Legalism (Han Fei Tzu)

  11. The “Hundred Schools” • Dialecticians/Logicians • Yin-Yang philosophers • Agriculturalists • Militarists

  12. An Outline • Intellectual Flowering in Early China: The “Hundred Schools” • Confucius as a “paradigmatic individual” • Confucianism

  13. Karl Jaspers,The Great PhilosophersThe four “paradigmatic individuals” • Socrates • Buddha • Confucius • Jesus

  14. Karl Jaspers,The Great PhilosophersThe four “paradigmatic individuals” • By being what they were, did more than other men to determine the history of man • Their influence extends through two millennia down to our own day • They became the foundations of powerful philosophical movements • Not philosophers themselves, but they have had extraordinary impact for all philosophies

  15. Michael H. HartThe 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History • See transparency

  16. An Outline • Intellectual Flowering in Early China: The “Hundred Schools” • Confucius as a “paradigmatic individual” • Confucianism

  17. Confucianism

  18. Man---Ethics • The “self” and the “society” • cultivation of the self • self--family--state--world • inner-sageliness and outer-kingliness • the process of daily renewal • the concept of “self-renovation” • transforming potential • a process of becoming • from “what is” to “what should be”

  19. Man---Ethics • The five cardinal human relationships • The hierarchical structure: misinterpretations from the Han • Core values in Confucianism • benevolence,loyalty, filial piety, and social decorum • The physical, natural order and the social, moral order are identical and often spoken as one and the same.

  20. Man---EthicsThe Five Cardinal Human Relations Monarch-Subject Husband-Wife Father-Son Self Friend-Friend Brother-Brother

  21. Man---EthicsThe Core Values in Confucianism Zhong (Loyalty) Xiao (Filial Piety) Jie (Chastity) Ren (Benevolence) Xin (Faithfulness) Li (Rites)

  22. Man---EthicsThe concept of “filial piety” • Complete devotion, honor, respect, and obedience to one’s parents, living and deceased.

  23. Man---EthicsThe concept of “righteousness” • A universal and “holistic” expression of all the general virtues in the Confucian system • Any failure to actualize a potential virtue and any infraction against or nonfulfillment of loyalty, filial piety, chastity, or even the principle of faithfulness among friends disqualifies a person from being considered “righteous.” • The attainment of it represents a summa summarum or moral completion.

  24. Man---EthicsThe concept of “righteousness”

  25. Man---Ethics • Confucian personality is not private but public • Publicly accountable and communally significant

  26. Man---Ethics • The Confucian “subjectivity” • A moral concept sui generis • “It is man who magnifies the Dao; the Dao does not magnify a man.” • The concept of “matching Heaven” • Charles A. Moore, The Chinese Mind • “The ethical and the spiritual are one in China” • Faust and Prometheus

  27. Confucianism • Advocated humanism • Stressed personal cultivation • A system of intense moralism and humanism • Identified politics with ethics • Attempted to restore social order (“rectification of names“)

  28. The Anthropocosmic Unity:Heaven, Earth, and Man Heaven (Religion) Earth (Cosmology) Man (Ethics)

  29. The Foundations of Chinese Philosophy: The Confucian Ethos San-pao Li, Ph.D. Department of Asian and Asian American Studies California State University, Long Beach California, U.S.A. February 19, 2004

  30. Thank you! • Your comments and questions • are welcome!

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