Chinese philosophy

The I Ching, which translates to the Book of Changes, is one of the few surviving books from the beginnings of Chinese history. It is believed to have been used as a divination tool nearly 3,000 years ago by shamans, and continues to be used today. The I Ching differs from fortune telling as the decision lies in us rather than a foretold fate completely independent of what we may or may not do. The oldest oracles confined themselves to the answers yes and no, and this is the foundation of the I…

Is Human Nature Good or Bad? Xunzi and Mencius were two of the three great Confucian philosophers, along with Confucius, but although they were both Confucian philosophers they had greatly differing viewpoints on human nature. Xunzi believed that humans by nature were bad and that the only way they could become good was by deliberate efforts. Mencius believed that human nature was good and that they were born with virtuous characteristics inside of them already, these characteristics just…

I have learned a lot of things by watching China X, and that includes things like the origin of writing and the significance of culture heroes. “If we take the early textual record, and look at that in terms of the kinds of ways in which people understood the beginning of civilization, then they typically begin with culture heroes” (2, 3, 00:25). Cultural heroes are human figures and sage leaders who invent things that are beneficial to the people and they promote the development of civilization…

Universal Questions in Chinese Literature Universal questions can be found around the world. They are in classic English novels, new French movies, and even in ancient Chinese writing. Chinese authors, such as Tao Chien, Confucius, and Lao Tzu, attempt to answer some of these questions through their works. Tao Chien addresses how to live knowing death is imminent through the balanced advice given by the persona Spirit in “Form, Shadow, Spirit,” Confucius discusses how to better oneself through…

Violence has been a way for people to express their emotions throughout history. Everyone has experience violence at least one part in their life. An extreme case of violence is occurring in the Hawken Middle School. Hawken has been a very profound and a well-known school for many consecutive years. However, they are currently experiencing daily incidents in which students are harmed by their fellow peers. Teachers are currently solving this case by suspending students, but that has not worked…

In World History, it is important to understand not only what has happened, but also the culture in which it happened. The world in which the sayings of Confucius were spoken, written, and understood is a world much different than the one we live in today. That being said, we do see some of these basic principles in our daily lives, but to truly understand these sayings, the readers must place themselves in the shoes of the men and women who lived in the time of Confucius. One of the popular…

Confucianism and Daoism: Comparing Primary Documents Based on the tenants each religious philosophy, Documents A and D represent the Confucian tradition and Documents B and C represent the Taoist tradition. Both traditions set forth major principles for living as an individual and within the community. Major topics include punishment, weapons, conflict, leading, virtue, and crime. Each respective set of principles seeks to make the world virtuous by its own standards. Confucianism reflects the…

TAOSIM AND WARFARE In ancient China, a religious movement called Taoism began to rise up in 570 B.C. This religious movement was focused on the individual person’s ability to act or lack thereof. Around 600 B.C. a man referred to as Lao Tzu spear headed Taoism into China’s main stream religious ideology. As Taoism started to influence people in China, writers such as Sun Tzu who was a general in the Wu dynasty began to use Lao Tzu ideas on spontaneously and abjuring high ambitions to come up…

According to Medicine News, the main philosophy behind Chinese medicine has come from Confucianism and Taoism (White). These two belief systems were created as a result of the prolonged Warring States (481-221 B.C.); it is said that the greatest advances in medicine occur during war and strife (White). Confucianism comes from the teachings of Confucius (551-479 B.C.) (White). These teachings revolve around the interlinkages of the twelve primary organ systems of the body (White). These complex…

around 600 and 300 B.C.E. when Greek rationalism emerged. Now imagine living in China during the warring states period when Chinese philosophies emerged. Do you think life in both of these different regions would be more similar or different? Which region would you rather live in Greece or China? Why? Okay, well during the time Greek rationalism and the Chinese philosophies like Legalism, Daoism, and Confucianism, emerged they shaped the political systems and most importantly the beliefs of the…