Confucianism and the Han Chinese of 1450:
Confucian ideology and beliefs played a major role in who the Han Chinese were as a people, specifically in the area of education through the civic examinations. The impact of Confucianism was far reaching with effects displayed in art, literature, social rank, and education. To do this I am going to first provide an insight into the Han Chinese culture as a whole during the Ming Dynasty, including a view point from Europe at the time; then I will explain the significance of the civic examinations and the influence of Confucian ideology in art at the Ming court. Next the printing industry’s role in the perpetuation of Confucian ideology, all this will help to convey the importance of Confucianism as …show more content…
This means that social movement was possible, unlike a Caste system where the Caste you are born into is the Caste you stay in. Bodley explains this by saying, “the powerful ideology of ancestor cults and Confucianism made such inequality seem part of the natural order of things.” (280) the inequality to which he is referring is the differences between classes. Ebrey talks about the banishment of Wang Yangming for challenging the understanding of metaphysics and the process of self-cultivation,(206) this shows an unusual paradox with the government, on one hand they encourage people to become scholars through the prestige associated with the examinations which involve learning about texts that encourage individual thought; and on the other they banish people for then putting these ideas into practise, for challenging accepted ideas. This shows that the view of the examinations from the government’s perspective is primarily as a tool for making the classes more harmonious with one another to prevent uprisings, as a way of bridging the social gap. As it allowed for class movement based on merit, it can be called a …show more content…
In one story, Peony Pavilion, tells of a girl who dreamed of a young scholar who she was forbidden to see; she dies and appears to him in his dreams asking him to go to her grave and open her coffin, when he does she is alive and the story ends with the scholar coming first in his exams and being welcomed by the family. This shows how important the examinations were for them, not only in that they made their way into the plot line of the story but by the fact the family welcomed the scholar only after he had achieved his exams. Also important is that this was their happy ending to the story; today’s society would call a happy ending a wedding, it reflects the significance of the examinations on the people of Ming Dynasty China because they believed that having the best life would come from achieving an
Confucian ideology and beliefs played a major role in who the Han Chinese were as a people, specifically in the area of education through the civic examinations. The impact of Confucianism was far reaching with effects displayed in art, literature, social rank, and education. To do this I am going to first provide an insight into the Han Chinese culture as a whole during the Ming Dynasty, including a view point from Europe at the time; then I will explain the significance of the civic examinations and the influence of Confucian ideology in art at the Ming court. Next the printing industry’s role in the perpetuation of Confucian ideology, all this will help to convey the importance of Confucianism as …show more content…
This means that social movement was possible, unlike a Caste system where the Caste you are born into is the Caste you stay in. Bodley explains this by saying, “the powerful ideology of ancestor cults and Confucianism made such inequality seem part of the natural order of things.” (280) the inequality to which he is referring is the differences between classes. Ebrey talks about the banishment of Wang Yangming for challenging the understanding of metaphysics and the process of self-cultivation,(206) this shows an unusual paradox with the government, on one hand they encourage people to become scholars through the prestige associated with the examinations which involve learning about texts that encourage individual thought; and on the other they banish people for then putting these ideas into practise, for challenging accepted ideas. This shows that the view of the examinations from the government’s perspective is primarily as a tool for making the classes more harmonious with one another to prevent uprisings, as a way of bridging the social gap. As it allowed for class movement based on merit, it can be called a …show more content…
In one story, Peony Pavilion, tells of a girl who dreamed of a young scholar who she was forbidden to see; she dies and appears to him in his dreams asking him to go to her grave and open her coffin, when he does she is alive and the story ends with the scholar coming first in his exams and being welcomed by the family. This shows how important the examinations were for them, not only in that they made their way into the plot line of the story but by the fact the family welcomed the scholar only after he had achieved his exams. Also important is that this was their happy ending to the story; today’s society would call a happy ending a wedding, it reflects the significance of the examinations on the people of Ming Dynasty China because they believed that having the best life would come from achieving an