Confucianism January 30, 2006

Layers of Chinese Religion Buddhism Confucianism Taoism Nameless religion –Ancestor worship –Divination (astrology, I Ching) Early Kings (by 1500 B.C.E.) “Hundred Schools” during Warring States Period (c B.C.E) (from c. 100 C.E.)

Shang Dynasty Religion (c BCE) Oracle Bones: Divination –Consultation with Shang ancestors Bronzes: Worship of ancestors –Keep Di and Ancestor Spirits, happy No creation myth –Instead, sage kings –Yao & Shun –Moralization of political events

The Zhou Take Power from the Shang (c BCE) Zhou, under Shang, felt themselves more deserving of rule King Wu and the Battle at Anyang –“Duke of Zhou” is Wu’s uncle Establish doctrine of “mandate of heaven” –Moral and religious justification of the king/state –Heaven (tian) withdraws the mandate from the unjust –Supports strong, continuing historical/divination/ritual traditions

Spring & Autumn (c ) and Warring States (c ) Periods Fragmentation and Chaos –Local Strongmen call themselves “king” –Set up separate centers for divination and ritual –Increase in shi (“sure”), elite specialists in history/divination/administration –Eventually they form a new professional class of independent specialists—political “consultants” Suggests Loss of Mandate –Shi try to answer the basic problem: What went wrong, and what can be done? –Lots of answers: “The Hundred Schools of Thought”

The Hundred Schools of Thought Linguistic & Cosmological speculation Sunzi, on the Conduct of War Mozi, on Universal Love & Defensive War Legalists, on Absolute Rule –Based on this, the Qin win Confucianism Taoism

Confucius (c B.C.E) From Lu, home of the Duke of Zhou (p. 175, 7.5) Early life: Travels, offers services as shi (p. 177, 1.1) Later life: Returns home and teaches (p. 175, 7.7)

Confucius’ Response to the Decline of the Chou Government is rectification—making right. (p. 187, 12.17) You can’t rectify if you aren’t good (p. 187, 13.6) and don’t support the good (p. 187, 2.19) Decisions and rituals of state should issue from the highest authority (p. 182, 16.2)

Ritual, Propriety, Filiality, Benevolence Nobody else knows or cares about ritual & propriety (p. 182, 3.15, 17, & 18) Confucius was punctilious (p. 176, 10.2, 4, 8) Propriety and music are higher level skills—but humaneness and filiality come first (p. 181, 3.3) Filiality/respect is a cultivated skill, a practiced attitude (p , 2.6-7) Respect is the source of benevolence (p. 177, 1.2)

The Five Relationships: Hierarchy and Reciprocity Father and son Older brother and younger brother Husband and wife Friend and friend Ruler and subject