Mandate Of Heaven Analysis

As large empires grow, their stability becomes increasingly difficult to maintain due to differences between social classes, oppositions to policies, and changes in religions. As recorded, China has been in this position multiple times, given that it holds one of the largest populations in the world. Consequently, it had to use a certain doctrine that is authoritarian enough to effectively rule over its people, with the accompanied moral guidelines derived from said doctrine. For example, the Mandate of Heaven was first used during the Zhou dynasty and Confucianism, which its purpose was to unify China.
The Shao Announcement from the Duke of Zhou first introduced the idea of a Mandate of Heaven where there could only be one ruler of the total of China and that ruler receives utmost guidance and protection from God. The …show more content…
Zhu Xi explained in the preface that there are two distinct parts within rituals: the fundamentals and the elaborations. The fundamentals are simply appropriate courtesies in a household and consistently maintained in order to preserve the family and its order, while the elaborations can only be performed during special occasions such as coming of age rite, funerals, weddings, etc. The former part of rituals need to be practiced daily because it is a way to remind oneself of their place in society/family. For example, the son or daughter must obey their father’s rules, who act as the head of household. Consequently, because the family is the most basic unit of society, it can embody the hierarchy of the nation. On the other hand, the importance of the latter part of rituals constitutes in defining “the beginning and ending of human affairs”, which serves to mark a checkpoint in life, creating an opportunity to