1.
China and The Search for Order
·
One of the earliest civilizations, back to 2000
BCE
·
The Zhou Dynasty took power in 1122 BCE and had
adopted the notion that the Mandate of Heaven had taken root and the normal and
appropriate condition of China was one of political unity
·
When the Zhou Dynasty weakened, the “age of
warring” came about (403 – 221 bce) and centuries of turmoil and disorder
prompted Chinese to think about how to restore order and go back to a time of
tranquility. From their answers, classical cultural traditions of Chinese
civilizations emerged.
The Legalist Answer
o
The idea that disorder emerged from a lack of
rules and laws
o
Moved to clearly spell out a system of rewards
and punishment
o
Mostly a pessimistic point of view – people were
stupid and short sighted
o
Only the state could act in terms of long-term
interests
o
Promoted people with essential jobs like farmers
and soldiers – essential functions
o
Artists, merchants, the rich and scholars were
seen as useless
o
The Qin Dynasty drew from the legalist answer
but it was short lived (221-206BCE)
o
No philosophers or rulers openly advocated the
ideas
o
The Han and all following dynasties drew from
Confucianism
The Confucian Answer
o
Confucius was born into money and ambitious
o
He thought he found the solution to disorder and
sought political office but never gained it
o
His ideas was not based in rules in laws but in
moral examples of living – the key to restoring harmony
o
He focused on the superior party of each
relationship: husband to wife, father to son, ruler to subject, and believed if
the superior party behaved with sincerity, benevolence and genuine concern,
then the subjects would respond with deference and obedience
o
It had to happen in personal and political
platforms = REN, the human-heartedness, benevolence, goodness and nobility of
heart
o
He believed education would nurture these human
virtues, as well as rituals
o
Focus on importance of education, earnest
striving for moral improvement, and good government
o
Confucianism became the central educational
system which prepared students to take political office
o
Generation after generation of males were
steeped in Confucianism
o
Family life was important – ancestor veneration,
visiting graves, offerings to the deceased
o
Ban Zhoa (45-116BCE) a woman writer – penned
Lessons for Women
o
Be humble
o
Appear afraid
o
Be careful
o
Prepare meals
o
Cleanliness
o
Confucianism prepared women to better serve
their husbands
o
Confucianism was not religious
o
It was concerned with relationships, worldly and
practical
The Daoist Answer
o
Counter thinking to Confucianism – calling it
artificial and useless
o
Daoism encouraged withdrawal into nature,
encouraged spontaneous, individual and natural behavior
o
Focused on the realm of nature and mysterious
unfolding patterns
o
The Dao – an elusive notion that refers to the
way of nature, the underlying and unchanging principle that governs all natural
phenomena. All life comes from it.
Called the Way.
o
Encouraged people to disengage from politics and
social activism
o
The elite saw Daoism as complimenting
Confucianism, not conflicting
o
Came to include magic and fortune telling unlike
Confucianism
o
Meditation, breathing
2.
Cultural Traditions of Classical
India
·
Indian civ was much difference than China b/c of
emphasis on spirituality and gods
·
Hinduism had no historical founder, but grew
after many centuries – not a missionary religion, but grew like Judaism,
associated with people and territory
·
Distinctive because it accommodated a diversity
of people
Ritual Sacrifice to
Philosophical Speculation
o
VEDAS – earliest text, collection of poems,
hymns, prayers and rituals
o
Brahmins – priests who compiled the Vedas,
passed along orally until written in Sanskrit in 600bce
o
Performing sacrifices empowered the Brahmins
greatly, including wealth, but also acquired criticism, heavy fees were
required to perform
o
The UPANISHADS came from those dissatisfied with
the Brahmins – mystical and highly philosophical works that probed the inner
meaning of the sacrifices the Vedas presented
o
World Soul – the final and ultimate reality
o
ATMAN – the individual soul is part of the
Brahman- beyond pleasure and wealth lay the ultimate goal, union with Brahman –
doing so would take many lifetimes (SAMARAS)
o
KARAMA – allowed you to advance in the next life
by good actions
o
There are many ways to achieve Moksha but all
include mediation and practice
The Buddhist
Challenge
o
Unlike Hinduism, Buddhism had a founder,
siddartha Gautama
o
The idea was to teach suffering and how to end
it
o
Suffering came from the ego, or self, the cure
was living a modest life and meditation
o
The idea is to reach nirvana or enlightenment
o
There are many hindu traditions from which is
sprang
o
Ordinary life is an illusion
o
Karma and rebirth
o
Overcoming ego
o
Meditation
o
Hope for final release from the cycle of rebirth
o
Other elements challenge Hinduism
o
Rejecting religious authority of Brahmin
o
No quest to know a god
o
Humans had to take responsibility for their own
spiritual path
o
No caste system
o
Woman could only join as nuns – but many did to
gain independence
Hinduism – duty and
devotion
In response to Buddhism’s rejection of the caste system,
Hinduism indicated that detached performance of duties could provide
liberation.
3.
Moving Toward Monotheism: The search
for God in the Middle East
Zoroastrianism
o
Persian Empire
o
Placed great emphasis on free will and the
necessity for each person to choose between good and evil
o
Not missionary religion
Judaism
o
Born in the middle east
o
Bc of the exodus from Egypt and exile in babyalon, the Jews evolved over centuries a
distinctive concept of god
o
Yahweh demanded total loyalty
o
He transformed from a god of war to one of
compassion and social justice
4.
The Cultural Tradition of Classical
Greece: The search for rational order
·
Separated science and philosophy from religion
·
600-300 BCE
·
Flourishing cities with art, literature and
theater
·
Emphasized on argument, logic and questioned
received wisdom
·
Socrates (469-399BCS) walked the streets
questioning everything and writing nothing
o
No wealth, just pursuit of wisdom and virtue
·
Thales – predicted the eclipse of the sun,
conceptualized, solid, liquid and gas
·
The idea of “tiny particle” making up everything
also emerged
·
Hippocrates – explanation of disease and
functioning of the body
·
Aristotle – focused on empirical observation:
cities, species, logic, physics, astronomy, and weather
·
Gods of Mt. Olympus, and drinking wine
5.
Comparing Jesus and Buddha
·
Jesus - Born in a small town in a lower class family
(500 years after Buddha)
·
Buddha - Born into wealth
·
Both were wisdom teachers, focus on love and
compassion not wealth
·
Buddha taught Metta = loving kindness
·
Jesus – “love you neighbor” and love your
enemies, pray for those who persecute you
·
Both called for transformation thru letting go,
let go of suffering
·
Jesus born of Jewish tradition, intense
relationship with one god and his miracles reflected that
·
Buddha did not believe in miracles but taught of
ethical living and mindfulness to end suffering
·
Jesus had a social edge – speaking of the poor
and oppressed, associating with lepers and prostitutes
·
Jesus was only public for 3 years vs 40 years of
Buddha
·
Jesus executed because of his beliefs
·
Buddha was less threatening to political powers
and died of natural causes
