EACS 4A Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Nihon Shoki, Yamato People, Kami
~ CONFUCIANISM ~
Background
- China was first populated by hunter-gatherers (Peking Man) 700000-200000 years ago
- First sedentary cultures (c.5000-3000 years ago)
- Cattle, domestic animals
- Rice
- Matriarchal religions, jade dragons, carving teeth
- Women were leaders
- Longshan: First stable civilization
- Known for craftsmanship
- Organized into cities, large building projects
- Social classes, writing (markings)
- Importance of rituals, cracked bones in fire
- Known for Black pottery color
- Shang (1600-1046 BC)
- Divination through cracked bones were distinctive feature of first historical
dynasty
- Cracks & passages in bones = interpreted messages or patterns
- How entities and dead ones communicate with the living
- Continuation of Longshan culture
- Beliefs that fickle, dead ancestors & supreme nature gods control all
- Turtle shell with markings which corresponds to a question asked or
interpretation of the cracks
- Oracle bones are the only means of communication (used only by ruling elite for
various reasons)
- Only rulers because they are the direct connection to the gods
- Writing develop from oracle bones
- Prolific from bronze works exquisitely decorated
The Axial Age
- The Zhou dynasty (1046 -256 BC) gained reign after winning a large battle
- King Cheng, 2nd Zhou ruler, defeats powerful opponents by consulting Heaven
- Uncles were teaming up to overrule him
- Asked if he should fight against his uncles and Heaven said yes
- Heaven = sky, divine entity, representing natural order that responds to human
- Claims to be favored by heaven; establishes of Mandate of Heavens
- Contract between humans (ruler) & the divine which claims that Heaven will
bless or support a ruler as long as he enacts its principles
- Zhou gained profit in technology, infrastructures, spacecraft, society
- Axial age = humanism
- Heaven is concerned with the plight of humans, symbolic harmony or even unity
with humans
- Confucius has a human centered view of the world
Confucius & His Teaching
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- Decay of Zhou society, Confucius believed that in his time, Zhou rulers strayed from the
path of their illustrious ancestors (sage kings)
- More famine and war
- The only way to preserve the Mandate of Heaven & to return to previous glory is through
education and knowledge about harmonious ways of past Zhou kings
- In the past, people observed ritual propriety, basic rules to establish social order that
mirrored Heaven’s natural order
- Male dominated
- 5 Constants = the core Confucius teaching
- Humaneness
- Righteousness
- Duty
- Integrity
- Trust
- The cardinal values
- Loyalty
- Filial Piety, reciprocity
- Five Bonds = Natural hierarchy of Heaven is actually a social hierarchy
- Ruler/Subject
- Father/Child
- Husband/Wife
- Older sibling/Younger sibling
- Friend/friend
- Confucians: those acquired/aspire to embody ethical.moral values of social order
- In chinese = scholar
- Gentlemen: those who attempt to embody these values (usually those who govern)
- Sages: those who most successfully embodied these values, very rare
- Both have virtues (power) = the human quality of being in accord with Heaven and its
well, power obtained from being in harmony with Heaven
- observe/abide to strict hierarchy
- Most influential from Han dynasty onward
- Five Classics & Four Books (Meritocratic)
- Used since Han dynasty until 1905
- Basis for civil service examination
- If wanted to have a job in the government (prized position in society with
1% pass rate)
- Relatively conservative, patriarchal, nationalism
- Don’t care about improving
- Male centered (head of the family)
- State, ideology of order & social obedience serves interests of ruling elite & their
governments
Mencius
- Mencius was the Second sage after Confucius
- Latinized version of Mengzi “Master Meng”
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- Disciple of Confucius’ grandson
- Create political system based on Confucianism where people have more power
- Rule by people/plight of commoners
- Should kill ruler if ruler becomes a tyrant
- Redistribute wealth to lower class, disabled
- Four Beginnings = fundamentally good, Most known for his view about the innate
goodness of humans
- Empathy leads to humaneness
- Shame leads to righteousness
- Deference leads to propriety
- Right and wrong leads to wisdom
- We’re born with seeds to develop
- Must cultivate in 5 Constants through harmonious society (education &
benevolent government)
Mohism
- Mozi: main competitor of Confucianism
- Low class origins, carpentry
- Anti aristocratic
- Against lavishness of Confucians
- Anti patriarchal
- Impartial care in regard for all
- For meritocratic rule/social justice
- Human nature is malleable
- Determined by ruler’s behaviors
- Cost benefit analysis: rationalistic logic not ritual propriety
- Argues for a strong state (pacifist + militarism) incested in rational technological pursuits
(engineering, math, logic -- not ritual, music, arts)
- Rewards & punishment to shape behaviors & organize society
- State consequentialism
- Social order
- Material sufficiency
- Stable large population
- Disappeared by 220 BC
~ SHINTO ~
Kami
- Kami: local gods who inhabit natural elements (Stones, rivers, mountains) & govern
specific spaces
- No heads, eyes, mouth
- Related to specific space/time
- Michi: liturgical procedures/ritual actions which are needed to worship the Kami
(orthopraxis)
- Shinto: floating signifier
- Empty box full of important information/contents from different times
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Document Summary
China was first populated by hunter-gatherers (peking man) 700000-200000 years ago. Divination through cracked bones were distinctive feature of first historical dynasty. Cracks & passages in bones = interpreted messages or patterns. How entities and dead ones communicate with the living. Beliefs that fickle, dead ancestors & supreme nature gods control all. Turtle shell with markings which corresponds to a question asked or interpretation of the cracks. Oracle bones are the only means of communication (used only by ruling elite for various reasons) Only rulers because they are the direct connection to the gods. The zhou dynasty (1046 -256 bc) gained reign after winning a large battle. King cheng, 2nd zhou ruler, defeats powerful opponents by consulting heaven. Uncles were teaming up to overrule him. Asked if he should fight against his uncles and heaven said yes. Heaven = sky, divine entity, representing natural order that responds to human. Claims to be favored by heaven; establishes of mandate of heavens.
