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1、Part I Wisdom and BeliefsUnit 1 Confucian thought on heaven and humanityConfucius (551-479 BC), known in China as Kongzi, given name Qiu and alias Zhongni, was a native of Zouyi (present-day Qufu in Shandong Province) of the State of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). A great think
2、er, educator and founder of Confucianism, Confucius is an ancient sage to the Chinese people. His words and life story were recorded by his disciples and their students in The Analects (Lunyu).Confucius on Heaven: the source of EverythingIn the Shang (1600-1046 BC) and Zhou (1046-256 BC) dynasties,
3、the prevalent concept of “Heaven” was that of a personified god, which influenced Confucius. Generally, however, Confucius regarded “Heaven” as nature. He said, “Heaven does not speak in words. It speaks through the rotation of the four seasons and the growth of all living things.” Obviously, heaven
4、 equaled nature, in the eyes of Confucius. Moreover, nature was not a lifeless mechanism separate from humans; instead, it was the great world of life and the process of creation of life. Human life was part and parcel of nature as a whole.Confucius on People: ren and liRen and Li are the two core c
5、oncepts of Confuciuss doctrine about people.When his students Fan Chi asked him about ren, Confucius replied, “love people”. This is Confucius most important interpretation of ren. Love for the people is universal love. Confucius further emphasized that this kind of love should “begin with the love
6、for ones parents”. He believed no one could love people in general if they did not even love their own parents. Confucius regarded “filial piety and fraternal duty” as the essence of ren. The Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong) quotes Confucius as saying, “ The greatest love for people is the love for
7、ones parents.” He also said, “Children should not travel far while their parents are alive. If they have no choice but to do so, they must retain some restraint.” He did not mean that children should not leave their parents at all. What he meant was that children should not make the parents anxious
8、about them while away from home. Confucius said again, “Children should think often of the age of their parents. They should feel happy for the health and longevity of their parents. They should also feel concern for the aging of their parents.”By ren, Confucius meant universal love based on love fo
9、r ones parents. How should people love one another then? Confucius said, “One should be aware that other people may have similar desires as oneself. While fulfilling ones desires, allow others to fulfill their desires as well.” He further said, “Do not do toward others anything you would not want to
10、 be done to you.” Thus from oneself to ones family, from family to society, one should extend love to all people. Mencius (c. 372-289 BC), a great Confucian scholar, best summarized ren as, “loving ones parents, loving the people, loving everything in the world.”Li refers to rituals, traditions and
11、norms in social life. Of these, Confucius regarded burial rituals and ancestral worship rituals as the most important, because they rose from human feelings. He said, “A child should not leave his parents bosom until he is three years old.” He naturally love his parents. The ritual of wearing mourni
12、ng for a deceased parent for three years was an expression of the childs love and remembrance.Confucius on the State of lifeBefore Confucius, only the nobility had the right to education. He was the first figure in Chinese history to initiate private education. According to historical records, Confu
13、cius taught for many years and trained 3,000 disciples. A total of 72 of them excelled in the “six arts”, i.e., ritual, music, archery, (carriage)driving, calligraphy, and mathematics. A great educator, Confucius has been admired by later generations as the “sage of sages”.Confucius believed the bas
14、ic goal of education was to cultivate “persons of virtue”, who should have sound character and uplifted minds. Such people should be able to shoulder important social responsibilities and to make contributions to society. Confucius regarded lofty ideals, great virtue, love of people, and the “six ar
15、ts” as the general principles of education. Of these, virtue was the most important. His students were involved in a variety of professions, including politics, trade, education, diplomacy, ritual ceremony, and classifying ancient books. Whatever they did, they all wanted to improve their learning o
16、f the humanities and to enhance their virtue.Unit 2 Laozis philosophy of Non-actionThe book Laozi was written around the sixth century BC. The author is generally believed to be Lao Dan, or Laozi a recluse who lived during the Spring and Autumn Period. Few records have survived about Lao Dan, who was said to have once held a low civil position in the royal court, in chare of the archival records of the Zhou Dynasty. Yet, due to his great learning, even Co
